CAIRO, April 21: Kuwait's Ministry of Public Works (MPW) showcased its initiatives to address the issue of fine sand accumulation (Safi) during a meeting on Arab countries' experiences in traffic safety. The meeting, hosted by the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in Cairo, provided a platform for regional collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

Dr. Asmaa Al-Azmi, a member of the Kuwaiti delegation representing the Ministry of Public Works, presented Kuwait's Vision 2035 and its National Development Plan. She emphasized the country's commitment to improving government management through initiatives like the development of traffic safety systems.

Al-Azmi also focused on Kuwait's ongoing efforts to combat the challenge of sand accumulation on external roads. She discussed traffic accident statistics related to this issue and the quantities of sand involved. In her presentation, she highlighted the collaboration between the Ministry of Public Works and other state institutions, including the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), to develop sustainable solutions.

Following the meeting, Al-Azmi spoke with Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), explaining that a committee comprising four bodies — MPW, KISR, KFAS, and the Environment Public Authority — is actively working to mitigate sand encroachment on roads. The committee is preparing a document titled "Mitigating and Combating Sand Encroachment in the State of Kuwait," which includes a study by the Ministry of Public Works to explore how sand accumulation can be utilized in economic sectors like agriculture and industry.

Al-Azmi shared that, instead of contracting for the removal of accumulated sand, the government is now focusing on purchasing the sand and transporting it to factories and farms for recycling purposes, which benefits both the economy and the environment.

The Ministry of Public Works is also converting sand removal contracts into bidding contracts to further streamline the process.

At the meeting, Al-Azmi praised the presentations of delegations from Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, and Somalia, who shared their experiences in addressing traffic safety issues, including sand encroachment. She underscored the importance of sustainable solutions due to their positive financial, social, and environmental impacts.

The Kuwaiti delegation, led by Engineer Mamdouh Al-Enezi, Director of the Traffic Engineering and Studies Department at the Public Authority for Roads and Transport, participated in the event, alongside Dr. Asmaa Al-Azmi representing the Ministry of Public Works.