(Scientific Progress): Kuwait's SOOF Center Wins Regional Award for Energy Innovation for 2026
Kuwait City, July 25 (KUNA) -- The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) announced that the “Sof” Wool Spinning Factory has won the “2026 Innovative Energy Project” award at the level of the Middle East and North Africa region. The award is presented by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in recognition of the factory’s excellence in applying innovative solutions in the fields of energy efficiency and sustainability.
In a statement on Saturday, KFAS said the center is the country’s first sustainable wool processing plant, resulting from a strategic national partnership with the Sadu Artisans Association and a livestock transport and trading company. The partnership aims to add value to this natural resource and promote the concepts of sustainability and the circular economy.
The foundation added that the project idea originated from the Sadu Artisans Association’s initiative to utilize underexploited local wool. KFAS embraced the idea and funded a research project implemented by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) to study the feasibility of producing, processing, and improving the quality of wool from local Naimi sheep.
The results of the project confirmed its technical and economic viability, contributing to the establishment of the center as a successful model for translating scientific research outcomes into a sustainable industrial project with social, economic, and environmental dimensions.
The center contributes to reviving the craft of wool spinning and weaving by providing high-quality local wool used to train community members. It also adds value to animal production, as wool was previously exported at low prices, thereby enhancing the economic viability of livestock farming in Kuwait.
The project embodies the principles of the circular economy, enhances resource efficiency, and reduces environmental impact through the use of clean energy sources, water recycling, and the utilization of production waste to manufacture soil-enhancing fertilizer.
KFAS emphasized that the center’s win of the ASME awards, among the most prominent specialized awards, demonstrates the ability of Kuwaiti projects based on scientific research and national partnerships to compete and achieve excellence at both the regional and international levels. (End) A.Y.S./T.A.B.
