KUWAIT CITY, Jan 29: The Council of Ministers held its weekly meeting on Tuesday morning, January 28, 2025, at Bayan Palace, chaired by His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. During the meeting, a variety of key updates and discussions took place, including the upcoming national celebrations, the results of the World Economic Forum, and several significant national and international initiatives.

The Cabinet extended its heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the flag-raising ceremony set to take place at Bayan Palace on Sunday, February 2, 2025, marking the beginning of the national celebrations in Kuwait. Minister Sherida Abdullah Al-Muasherji conveyed the Cabinet's congratulations to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and the Kuwaiti people, wishing that this national occasion brings continued prosperity and success to Kuwait.

The Cabinet also received a report from Her Excellency the Minister of Finance and Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Investment, Noura Sulaiman Al-Fassam, who represented His Highness the Prime Minister at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, held from January 20 to 24, 2025. Minister Al-Fassam shared the key outcomes of the forum and her speech, where she addressed the economic development prospects amidst the challenges of 2025, including geopolitical risks, climate change, and artificial intelligence. She stressed the need for close cooperation between the public and private sectors to harness technology for economic growth.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya, who currently chairs the Ministerial Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), briefed the Cabinet on his recent visit to Lebanon. During his trip, which took place last Friday, he met with Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, and other key officials. The discussions reaffirmed the GCC’s commitment to supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, stability, and territorial integrity. Al-Yahya emphasized the importance of implementing comprehensive political and economic reforms to help Lebanon overcome its current crises.

The Cabinet reviewed a visual presentation from Minister Al-Yahya and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the modernization of institutional resources, specifically the accounts of Kuwait’s military, cultural, and health offices abroad. The new system aims to streamline transactions and ensure public funds are preserved by improving the Ministry's processes for dealing with accounts in foreign embassies.

The Cabinet also discussed the energy transformation process in Kuwait. Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy Dr. Mahmoud Abdulaziz Bushehri updated the Cabinet on the white paper regarding energy transformation and the Ministry’s latest initiative. Dr. Bushehri reported the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ABC Transco Limited Energy and its strategic partner, General Electric Vernova, to develop a new power generation station. The project will have a capacity of up to 3,000 megawatts using gas turbines, in line with the government's vision to involve the private sector in energy development projects under the independent supplier system.

The Cabinet also reviewed the financial controllers' reports for the fiscal year 2023/2024 - 2024/2025 and decided to refer them to the Government Performance Follow-up Agency. The agency will work with relevant government departments to implement the recommendations from these reports and take the necessary actions in the public interest.

In addition to the above discussions, the Cabinet approved several topics on the agenda. Some of these matters will be forwarded to relevant ministerial committees for further study and the preparation of detailed reports. The Cabinet also approved the minutes of the Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Nationality, which covers cases related to the loss, withdrawal, and revocation of Kuwaiti nationality in accordance with Decree Law No. 15 of 1959 and its amendments.