Minister of 'Commerce': Industrial Sector is a Pillar for Building a Diverse and Sustainable Economy

- During the ceremony honoring the winners of the seventh edition of the Amir’s Award for Industrial Excellence, State Minister for Economic Affairs and Investment and Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, Abdulaziz Al-Merzouq, said on Monday that the industrial sector constitutes a fundamental pillar in building a diversified and sustainable economy, by enhancing local production, raising the competitiveness of Kuwaiti products, and creating high-quality opportunities for national talents, in line with the country’s aspirations.

This came during Minister Al-Merzouq’s speech at the ceremony announcing the industrial establishments that won the Amir’s Award for Industrial Excellence in its seventh edition, under the high patronage of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, may God protect and guard him.

He emphasized that amid rapid transformations, industrial competitiveness has become linked to innovation, technology, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and sustainability, as well as creating an attractive environment for industrial investment.

He noted that the Amir’s Award for Industrial Excellence embodies these aspirations by motivating establishments and entrepreneurs to improve their performance, adopt best practices, and entrench a culture of excellence and innovation within the Kuwaiti industrial sector.

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He pointed out that the high patronage of this award reflects the leadership’s commitment to supporting the national industry and enhancing its role in the development process.

Minister Al-Merzouq extended his sincere congratulations to the winning factories and entrepreneurs in this edition, hoping that this achievement would serve as a catalyst for further development and that their experiences would serve as inspiring 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 development directions.

Al-Jahdali said that the Amir’s Award for Industrial Excellence reflects this direction, as it helps entrench a culture of excellence and encourages industrial establishments to improve their performance and adopt best practices.

He emphasized that the award’s importance extends beyond honoring the winners; it serves as a platform for evaluation and continuous improvement, helping establishments identify development opportunities and enhance their capabilities. He noted that reaching the seventh edition of the award confirms its success and the continuity of its mission in supporting the Kuwaiti industrial sector.

He mentioned that the Authority has taken care in this edition to develop the award’s criteria to keep pace with modern concepts of organizational excellence, based on the American Baldrige Excellence Framework, while strengthening focus on key areas for the future of industry, foremost among them being sustainability, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence.

He stressed that the Authority will continue to support initiatives that contribute to the development of the Kuwaiti industrial sector and enhance its competitiveness, expressing hope that the award will continue its role in highlighting outstanding industrial models and entrenching a culture of continuous improvement.

The list of winners included the Kuwait Dairy Company in the Food and Pharmaceutical Industries Sector category, the Kuwaiti-Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries Company in the same 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.

Kuwait Modern Buildings Company also won the encouragement award in the Environmental Management and Sustainability category, Gulf Group for Cables and Electrical Industries won the encouragement award in the Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence category, Kuwait Industrial Gases for General Trading and Contracting won the Industrial Entrepreneur category – First Place – and Nasser Al-Munaee and Sons for General Trading and Contracting won the Industrial Entrepreneur category – Second Place.

It is worth noting that the Amir’s 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 developments.