DHAKA: A delegation from the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) concluded its inspection visit to Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on Saturday, highlighting Kuwait’s ongoing humanitarian efforts to support refugees worldwide. Dr Naser Al-Tannak, Vice Chairman of KRCS, told KUNA in a phone interview that “this visit embodied the steadfast humanitarian approach of the State of Kuwait and its keenness to help those in need around the world, in line with the directives of the wise political leadership.”

He said the delegation’s program included a field tour of the camps, where it reviewed the “Building Resilience and Adaptation Capacity” project, funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society.

Al-Tannak explained that the project aims to construct 1,520 new shelters equipped with basic necessities to provide safer and more stable living conditions for refugee families. The visit also included meetings with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), attended by Kuwait’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Ali Hamada, to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in supporting refugees and alleviating their suffering.

The delegation held talks with Bangladeshi officials to review humanitarian developments on the ground. Al-Tannak emphasized that “the needs on the ground remain significant and require urgent international efforts to provide a decent life for the refugees.” He added that the camps host nearly one million Rohingya refugees living in difficult conditions, making sustained international support critically important.

Since 2017, KRCS projects in Bangladesh have covered food, shelter, health, water, education, and development initiatives in cooperation with local and international organizations. Al-Tannak said these efforts “reflect the comprehensiveness and diversity of Kuwait’s humanitarian initiatives, aligned with the basic needs of refugees.”

He also thanked partner organizations, including the Kuwait Embassy in Bangladesh, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. “This cooperation reflects the strength of the humanitarian partnership that distinguishes Kuwait and embodies its leading role in humanitarian and relief work globally,” he said. — KUNA

MANAMA: A team from Kuwait University’s College of Engineering and Petroleum has claimed second place at the Green Guardians Hackathon in Bahrain, a competition judged on the quality of ideas and depth of environmental awareness. The university said in a press statement that students from the Department of Chemical Engineering participated in the hackathon, organized by Injaz Bahrain at Exhibition World Bahrain last week. The event brought together more than 100 students from 15 Gulf universities.

The Kuwait University team ranked second out of 21 participating teams, with the competition focused on practical and innovative solutions to energy and environmental challenges, aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

The team’s project, titled “Kuwait’s Path to Carbon Neutrality,” outlined a roadmap for sustainable energy in Kuwait. It proposed integrating solar energy with small nuclear reactors, engaging the private sector through power purchase agreements, and using green hydrogen as a means of energy storage to ensure supply sustainability and security.

According to the team’s model, Kuwait could achieve full carbon neutrality by 2060 by relying on 70 percent renewable energy and 20 percent nuclear energy—up from the current renewable energy share of just 0.14 percent—positioning the country as a regional leader in the transition to clean energy.

The winners were announced during the Global Water, Energy and Climate Change Congress held in Manama. Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals took first place, while University of Technology Bahrain won third.

Bahrain’s Minister of Oil and Environment and Special Climate Envoy Dr Mohammed bin Daina, praised the participants, saying: “The advanced level of ideas and depth of awareness presented by the teams is impressive. Initiatives like these are a platform to discover promising talent and help prepare a generation capable of leading sustainability efforts efficiently and effectively.”

The hackathon aims to enhance youth engagement in developing practical, sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. Projects focused on creating prototypes and technologies to improve water efficiency, advancing renewable energy ideas tailored to Gulf Cooperation Council countries’ goals, and designing climate resilience strategies and scalable initiatives. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait Oil Company’s (KOC) new Artificial Intelligence Innovation Center has delivered its first major achievement with an AI-powered rig drilling project that improves productivity and planning through Ghaia.ai’s G Agent platform.

KOC Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Al-Eidan told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday that the collaboration with Microsoft, Halliburton and Ghaia.ai enabled Kuwait to adopt G Agent, an intelligent system of AI agents designed to transform how organizations operate.

“The platform allows the company to benefit from advanced artificial intelligence solutions to develop the management of drilling rig resources, achieve a qualitative leap in system integration and real-time data analysis, as well as enhance operational efficiency and accelerate decision-making,” he said.

Al-Eidan said the Agentic AI drilling project has already shown “tangible results in raising productivity and improving planning and operations.” He said it strengthens KOC’s ability to analyze operational data instantly and provide proactive solutions. The initiative also supports New Kuwait 2035, the country’s long-term development strategy.

According to Ghaia.ai, G Agent deploys “digital agents that think, act, and evolve—working for humans to unlock new levels of efficiency and innovation.” Unlike traditional automation, it creates “a dynamic mesh for collaboration between agents and humans across departments and teams,” with applications spanning energy, retail and government.

Ahmad Al-Aidan

‘A promising future’

Launched in August with support from the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority, the AI Innovation Center is the first of its kind in the country. It is part of KOC’s wider digital transformation push and was developed in partnership with Microsoft, Halliburton and Ghaia.ai.

“The center represents the first fruit of the strategic partnership between the State of Kuwait and Microsoft, and at the same time it is the first of its kind in Kuwait and a cornerstone in applying artificial intelligence,” Al-Eidan said. He added that the facility will train Kuwaiti professionals on the latest technologies and help them integrate digital tools into everyday operations.

He expressed hope that the collaboration will be “a pivotal step toward a promising digital future,” positioning KOC as a leader in digital transformation both in Kuwait and across the region.

Naeem Yazbek, President of Microsoft for the Middle East and Africa, said KOC is “leading a bold vision for the future of Kuwait’s energy sector, where artificial intelligence meets human creativity to accelerate digital transformation.”

Yazbek emphasized Microsoft’s commitment to developing Kuwaiti talent, noting that “through investment in developing the capabilities of engineers, analysts and technical experts, the company strengthens the foundations of a resilient digital economy supported by local capabilities.”

He said the new AI center is not only a training site but “a fully integrated platform for joint innovation” that serves as a strategic pillar for operational excellence and smart energy solutions. — Agencies