KUWAIT CITY, Oct 24: Heavy Engineering Industries and Shipbuilding Company (HEISCO) celebrated its 50th anniversary or ‘Golden Jubilee’ at the Grand Hyatt 360 Hotel under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah; with Minister of Commerce and Industry Khalifa Dhahi Al-Ajail Al-Askar, Minister of Electricity and Water Mahmoud Bushehri, and State Minister for Municipal and Housing Affairs Abdullatif Hamed Al-Mishari in attendance.

Bushehri praised the company's performance since its inception in 1974 till date. He pointed out the company is listed on the Premier Market of Boursa Kuwait. He highlighted the collaborative efforts of his ministry and the company in the fields of water desalination, gas turbine maintenance, electricity generation and power generation stations.

He wished the company continued growth and success, expressing his pride as a Kuwaiti due to the company's outstanding performance overseas and the opening of its branches in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and India.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Board of Directors of HEISCO Marzouq Al-Kharafi revealed that “the company was listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange in 1984 and then upgraded to the Premier Market in 2023. This is a manifestation of the confidence of the company’s shareholders.”

He said the current market value of the company is approximately KD 140 million, while the value of work being carried out as a result of the contracts signed with the company is approximately KD 523 million. “In the company's history, the number of maintenance and rehabilitation projects for water distillation and power plants with the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy has increased at an unprecedented level. Pride and honor over our achievements in the last half-century are entwined with optimism for the opportunities and challenges that the future holds on this special day, as we celebrate the golden jubilee. The fact that it has been 50 years since HEISCO, formerly known as Kuwait Shipbuilding and Repair Company, was founded on April 2, 1974, is a testament to our dedication, perseverance and capacity to accomplish goals."

He emphasized that although the journey was not easy at first, they were able to overcome obstacles and realize the company's vision because of Allah first, followed by everyone's unending generosity and teamwork. “Through 50 years of hard work, constant progress and unstoppable development, we have had numerous accomplishments that are a source of pride and honor. Without the ongoing support from everyone and collaboration among the members of this group, we would not have been able to accomplish our goals and leave a lasting impression in the fields of ship repair and construction, engineering, procurement, construction, contracting, mechanical maintenance and marine construction works. We are eager to develop our human resources and improve the work environment and conditions to support and encourage national workers, raise their efficiency and competitiveness, enhance ethical values and principles of social responsibility, and meet the aspirations and expectations of our customers. We work hard and diligently to continue the journey of success and excellence."

Al-Kharafi expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to everyone who helped build this national structure -- the founders, devoted employees and strategic partners. He also thanked the company's shareholders for their trust and to everyone who helped the company get to where it is now. He asserted that “we should look forward to the future with zeal and resolve despite the challenges under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. We are proud that HEISCO and its group of companies are essential parts of this beloved nation, which enjoys wise leadership and an ambitious vision to achieve development and prosperity in all fields.”

Al-Kharafi also confirmed the completion of numerous projects, including the South Kuwait Drilling, Transport and Treatment Project (Area Two) for the benefit of Kuwait Oil Company. This project aims to treat 3.5 million tons of crude oil-contaminated soil that resulted from the brutal destruction of oil wells during the country's invasion, he explained.

He said the project was carried out in accordance with the work phase schedule in collaboration with the Chinese company ZAOPIN. He stated that the project is unique, because it involves a number of challenges and difficulties, such as the removal of live mines from an eight million square meter area, while upholding the highest safety standards. He affirmed this led to the treatment of more than million tons of contaminated soil using biological treatment and creative, eco-friendly soil washing methods. “We are pleased that our partnership is the first to utilize the soil washing machine and finish the pilot project. We were the first to use the biological treatment method to treat one million tons of soil,” he revealed.

He added the company will soon collaborate with EnerTech Company -- the first Kuwaiti technology company for cleaning contaminated soil; in addition to completing the extraction of live mines from the biggest and deepest oil lake. Kuwaitis created and developed this technology. The project is expected to be completed in early 2026, he disclosed.

He went on to say that in 2023, a contract was signed with Enppi Company -- a branch of the Engineering Company for Petroleum and Chemical Industries -- to implement a project for Saudi Aramco worth 500 million Saudi riyals for a period of 28 months. “Work is still ongoing according to the project stages to complete it as best as possible. A branch of the company was established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the latter part of 2021,” he added.

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff