Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (December 21) said the diaspora has filled Kuwait’s canvas with the colours of Indian skills and assured that the country has the manpower, skills and technology needed by a 'New Kuwait'.
PM Modi, who is visiting Kuwait at the invitation of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, was addressing a gathering of the Indian community here, reported PTI.
His visit to Kuwait is the first for any Indian Prime Minister to this Gulf nation in 43 years.
"It takes you four hours to reach here from India but it took four decades for an Indian PM to travel to Kuwait," he said to the loud cheers of the expats gathered there.
Greeting the gathering for the series of festivals that would be celebrated over the next few weeks, PM Modi said, "You all have come from different parts of India, but looking at all of you, it feels like a mini India has gathered here."
“Every year, hundreds of Indians come to Kuwait; you have added Indian touch to Kuwaiti society. You have filled Kuwait’s canvas with colours of Indian skills, mixed with the essence of India's talent, technology and tradition,” he added.
India has manpower, skills and technology needed by 'New Kuwait', he added.
In an interview to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), PM Modi voiced willingness to help efforts that could lead to an early restoration of peace in Gaza and Ukraine, asserting solutions to such conflicts cannot be found on the battlefield.
He also reiterated India’s support for a negotiated two-state solution towards the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine within secure and recognised borders, according to the interview.
India-Kuwait strategic partnership
PM Narendra Modi has said that India and Kuwait share a deep and historic bond, asserting that the two nations are poised to transform their traditional buyer-seller relationship into a strategic partnership by exploring opportunities across the entire oil and gas value chain.
With Kuwait standing as India’s sixth largest crude supplier and fourth largest LPG supplier, PM Modi said: "The scope for further collaboration is immense as his country emerges as the third biggest global energy, oil and LPG consumer. Kuwait holds around 6.5% of global oil reserves."
PM Modi said that the petrochemical sector offers another promising avenue for collaboration as India’s rapidly growing petrochemical industry is set to become $300 billion by 2025.
The energy partnership between the two countries is not only a pillar of economic relationship but also a driver for diversified and sustainable growth, setting a path towards a future of shared prosperity, he added.
In the interview with KUNA, he expressed happiness with ‘Made in India’ products, particularly in automobile, electrical and mechanical machinery and telecom sector, making inroads in Kuwait.
"India today is manufacturing world-class products at a most affordable cost, stressing that diversification to non-oil trade is key to achieving greater bilateral trade," he stated.
There is considerable potential to expand bilateral cooperation in the pharmaceutical, health, technology, digital, innovation and textile sectors, he added.
Saudi Arabia issues RFP for New Abha International Airport Project
The Saudi Civil Aviation Holding Company (MATARAT) announces the Release of the Request for Proposal for the Privatization of the New Abha International Airport Project to Pre-Qualified Bidders.
The new Abha Airport is designated to accomodate the region’s growing passenger demand while reflecting the unique architectural identity and heritage of the Aseer region.
BY 2030, the airport is projected to accomodate upto 10 million passengers per year, with a capacity of upto 13 million passesngers per year anticpated by 2054.
