MADRID, Nov 12: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Portugal, Hamad Al-Hazeem, announced Tuesday that Kuwait highlighted its successful experiences in the technology and information technology sectors during its participation in the Arab Technology Forum (Meet Arab Tech), held alongside the Web Summit technology conference in Lisbon.

Ambassador Al-Hazeem informed KUNA that the Kuwaiti Embassy in Lisbon prioritized the participation of Kuwait’s private digital technology sector in the Web Summit and the Arab Technology Forum, which is being held for the first time, an initiative led by the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Portugal.

He noted that Kuwait's Minister of State for National Assembly Affairs, Minister of State for Communications Affairs, and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, Dawood Marafi, was a keynote speaker at the forum. Marafi’s speech conveyed Kuwait’s leading experience in digitization and technology, especially highlighting the government's successful (Sahel) program.

Ambassador Al-Hazeem explained that the forum brings together Arab and foreign technology companies at the Web Summit, providing a venue for exchanging expertise, connecting Arab technology leaders with the Portuguese and international technology communities, and creating opportunities for global cooperation among leaders, innovators, and investors to explore potential future partnerships.

Former Minister Marafi, in a similar statement to KUNA, emphasized that technology is the new driving force behind national economies. He advocated for maximizing resources to keep pace with technological advancements and match the progress of developed countries. He added that Kuwait’s participation in the forum aimed to learn from other countries' experiences, stay updated on global technological trends, showcase Kuwait’s progress in this sector, and encourage government investment in promising technology projects.

During a session titled Unleashing Potential: The Arab World as a Growing Technology Market, Marafi highlighted the Kuwaiti private sector’s proactive role in positioning the country as a leader across various digital platforms. He also discussed institutional support for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kuwait and the Gulf region and shared successful sectoral experiences.

Marafi noted that “investments in the technology sector in the coming period will be highly strategic,” emphasizing the importance of focusing on the rapidly advancing field of artificial intelligence. He stressed Kuwait's potential for innovation in this domain and the value of leveraging both national and international best practices to drive future technology projects.

He underscored “the need to align laws and regulations with the pace of technological progress and to provide young entrepreneurs with all possible support across sectors important to Kuwaiti society, such as healthcare, industry, and education.” This approach, he said, would enable Kuwait to build robust digital and technology-driven projects that benefit society, strengthen the economy, and meet citizens' needs.

Marafi reiterated the importance of raising awareness about technology’s significance, promoting sector funding, and directing the energies and creativity of young people toward innovation.

The Arab Technology Forum will now be held annually alongside the Web Summit exhibition in Lisbon. The exhibition opened today and will run until Thursday, featuring over 1,000 speakers and attracting more than 70,000 attendees from over 120 countries to showcase the latest global technology developments and enhance collaboration among the technology, media, and government sectors. (KUNA)