Minister of Commerce: Enhancing Local Production and Raising Competitiveness of Kuwaiti Products - Sarmad
Kuwait’s Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment and Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, Abdulaziz Al-Marzouq, said on Monday that the industrial sector is a fundamental pillar in building a diversified and sustainable economy by boosting local production, enhancing the competitiveness of Kuwaiti products, and creating high-quality opportunities for national talent, in line with the country’s aspirations.
His remarks came during a speech at the ceremony announcing the winners of the seventh edition of the Amir’s Award for Industrial Excellence, under the high patronage of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Al-Marzouq emphasized that, amid rapid transformations, industrial competitiveness is now linked to innovation, technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, sustainability, and the creation of an attractive environment for industrial investment.
He noted that the Amir’s Award for Industrial Excellence embodies these aspirations by motivating enterprises and entrepreneurs to improve their performance, adopt best practices, and entrench a culture of excellence and innovation within Kuwait’s industrial sector. He pointed out that the high patronage of the award reflects the leadership’s commitment to supporting the national industry and strengthening its role in the country’s development journey.
The minister extended his sincere congratulations to the winning factories and entrepreneurs of this edition, hoping that their achievements would serve as a catalyst for further development and that their experiences would inspire national models.
For his part, Acting Director General of the Public Authority for Industry, Shamlan Al-Jahdali, stated in his speech that the Authority continues its efforts to support this sector and provide an environment conducive to growth and development, in alignment with Kuwait’s developmental directions. He said the Amir’s Award for Industrial Excellence reflects this direction, as it helps entrench a culture of excellence and encourages industrial enterprises to enhance their performance and adopt best practices.
He stressed that the award’s significance extends beyond honoring winners; it serves as a platform for evaluation and continuous improvement, helping enterprises identify development opportunities and elevate their capabilities. He noted that reaching its seventh edition confirms the award’s success and the continuity of its mission to support Kuwait’s industrial sector.
Al-Jahdali mentioned that the Authority has sought to develop the award’s criteria in this edition to keep pace with modern concepts of organizational excellence, based on the American Baldrige Model for Performance Excellence, while emphasizing key areas for the future of industry, foremost among them sustainability, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence.
He stressed that the Authority will continue to support initiatives that contribute to the development of Kuwait’s industrial sector and enhance its competitiveness, expressing hope that the award will continue to highlight outstanding industrial models and entrench a culture of continuous improvement.
The list of winning enterprises included the Kuwait Dairy Company and the Kuwait-Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries Company, in the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries sector category; the National Company for Chemical and Petrochemical Industries, in the Chemical and Petrochemical Industries sector category; and Kirby Kuwait for Modern Buildings, in the Metal Industries sector category. These companies also won in the Encouragement Award category for Environmental Management and Sustainability.
The list also included Gulf Group for Cables and Electrical Industries, in the Encouragement Award category for Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence; Kuwaiti Industrial Gases for General Trading and Contracting, in the Industrial Entrepreneur category (First Place); and Nasser Al-Munaee and Sons for General Trading and Contracting, in the Industrial Entrepreneur category (Second Place).
It is worth noting that the HE the Amir Award for Industrial Excellence was launched in 2002 and has achieved success over its past six editions. The award aims to promote a culture of excellence in organizational performance, foster competition among Kuwaiti industrial enterprises, and familiarize them with administrative and technological advancements.
