KUWAIT CITY, Nov 23: Kuwait is preparing in style for the 45th GCC Summit, which is set to take place on December 1. In this regard, sources from the Ministry of Public Works revealed that the Public Authority for Roads and Transportation (PART) is working diligently to develop the important roads, particularly those leading to the airport and Bayan Palace, where the summit will be hosted. They said efforts include installing traffic signs on the asphalt to improve the aesthetics of the roads, dealing with any issues in the existing traffic signs, resurfacing the roads, and filling any potholes. The sources explained that the Minister of Public Works Dr. Noura Al-Mishaan is closely overseeing the preparations for the summit. She recently accompanied the Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy and the Director General of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR), on an inspection tour of the airport road.

During the visit, she issued directives to remove any obstacles and ensure the maintenance of both the airport road and Amiri Airport ahead of the summit. Meanwhile, PAAAFR has planted ornamental plants and trees along the roads leading to the airport and Bayan Palace to enhance the appearance of the streets in preparation for this important event. This initiative was carried out several weeks ago under the supervision of the Minister of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy Dr. Mahmoud Boushahri, who has been closely monitoring the progress since the start of the project.

Field operations

Director of the Public Cleanliness and Road Occupancy Department at the Capital Municipality Faisal Al-Otaibi explained that cleaning teams have ramped up their field operations since mid-November. They have formed dedicated teams to clean expressways and main roads of sand and waste in preparation for the Gulf Summit, which will be held in Kuwait early next December. Preparations are also underway for Kuwait to host the Gulf Cup from December 21, 2024 to January 3, 2025. In a press statement, Al-Otaibi explained that the municipality’s cleaning teams are using specialized equipment, sweepers, and other designated machinery to clean the streets and main roads.

These efforts are being carried out in close coordination with the Ministry of Interior’s General Traffic Department. Cleaning work has been completed on the First, Second, and Third ring roads, as well as part of the Fourth Ring Road. In addition, efforts have been exerted to ensure the cleanliness of important areas such as the Airport Road, Damascus Street, Mohammad bin Al-Qasim Street, the Arabian Gulf Street, and King Fahad Expressway. He concluded by affirming that the municipality’s field cleaning teams will continue their intensive cleaning efforts throughout the current period, right up until the conclusion of the Gulf Summit and the Gulf Cup events.

This includes removing any obstacles that may detract from the overall appearance, such as abandoned vehicles, unlicensed food trucks, street vendors, and other items that impact cleanliness. In this regard, the supervisor of decorations and flag-raising at the municipality Ghosoun Al-Jassem confirmed that all responsibilities related to street and road decorations for the upcoming Gulf Summit, scheduled for December 1, have been completed. She explained that maintenance work has been carried out on approximately 545 flagpoles along the route leading to Kuwait, starting from Amiri Airport, through surrounding streets and bridges, and extending to King Fahd Expressway, all the way to the gate of Bayan Palace. The maintenance of the flagpoles involved repainting them and replacing damaged ropes on some of them.

These preparations are in place ahead of the official flag-raising, which will begin on Tuesday, November 26. She revealed that the flags to be raised on these flagpoles will represent the six Gulf countries - the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, and the host nation, the State of Kuwait

By Enas Awadh & Mohammad Ghanem

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff