KUWAIT: Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Dr Adarsh Swaika, in his farewell address on Friday, reflected on his three-year tenure and the steady progress in strengthening India-Kuwait relations. Addressing members of the Indian community and media at the Indian Embassy, he expressed gratitude for the goodwill and cooperation that had defined his time in office.

Dr Swaika noted that many of the challenges he inherited upon assuming charge were resolved through sustained dialogue and collaboration. He highlighted the consistent appreciation he heard from Kuwait’s leadership and citizens for the Indian community, describing them as peaceful, hardworking, trustworthy and skilled. “This reputation,” he said, “is the result of generations of Indians who have earned the respect of Kuwaitis. Today’s one-million-strong community continues to benefit from that legacy.”

On bilateral relations, the envoy described the present moment as one of the finest in recent history. He attributed the progress to the goodwill of Kuwait’s leadership, the warmth of its people and the contributions of the Indian diaspora. Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kuwait the “high point” of his tenure, Dr Swaika emphasized its significance both in substance and symbolism. “We were fortunate to receive him here. An Indian prime minister was visiting Kuwait after a gap of 43 years. It was a landmark visit,” he said. During the visit, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah conferred on Modi the Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Kuwait’s highest national award. “This honor is rarely bestowed and marked a new chapter as relations were elevated to a strategic partnership,” he observed.

Key milestones

Among major achievements during his tenure, Dr Swaika highlighted the resolution of challenges faced by thousands of Indian engineers whose residence permits had been at risk. “Through persistent engagement and support from associations, this issue has now been virtually resolved,” he said. Air connectivity also saw improvement, with consultations in July leading to an agreement to expand flight seat capacity between the two countries. This, he noted, would not only improve travel options but also help lower ticket prices. Other outcomes of continuous engagement included the easing of restrictions on family visas and the removal of the mandatory use of Kuwaiti carriers.

Support of the diaspora

Dr Swaika praised the role of Indian associations in Kuwait, over 200 of which are formally registered with the embassy. He commended their contributions to cultural, social and humanitarian initiatives, describing their spirit of cooperation as “unique and commendable.” He recalled the tragic Mangaf fire earlier this year, expressing sorrow at the loss of Indian lives while appreciating the swift support of Kuwaiti authorities and Indian social workers in repatriating the mortal remains. “We could not undo the tragedy, but the timely assistance brought solace to grieving families,” he remarked.

Looking ahead

Concluding his remarks, the ambassador said it had been his honor to serve in Kuwait and to witness firsthand the strengthening of India-Kuwait ties. He urged the community to extend the same support to his successor, Ambassador-designate Paramita Tripathi. “For the first time, you will have a lady ambassador here. I hope she will receive your full cooperation, as I was fortunate to,” he said.

Addressing mission critical challenges, event focused on expanding national AI capabilities and turning digital ambition into action

Spotlighting government use cases to modernize operations and enhance citizen services through cloud solutions ahead of the Kuwait Azure Region launch

Summit attended by policymakers and digital transformation decision makers

KUWAIT: ZainTECH, the integrated digital solutions provider of Zain Group, and Microsoft co-hosted the ‘AI-Ready Kuwait’ event, an exclusive gathering of senior government policymakers and digital transformation decision makers. Held September 17 at the Waldorf Astoria, Kuwait the event focused on accelerating Kuwait’s national AI agenda through secure, scalable and sovereign cloud technologies, aligned closely with Kuwait Vision 2035.

Following successful editions in Riyadh, Dubai and Amman, the Kuwait summit highlighted how AI and Microsoft Cloud technologies, deployed locally through ZainTECH’s industry expertise, are enabling governments to modernize operations, enhance citizen services and meet national digital policy objectives. The event coincides with a major milestone; the upcoming launch of Kuwait’s first AI-powered Microsoft Azure Region, a critical step in reinforcing national data sovereignty and public sector resilience. ‘AI-Ready Kuwait’ serves as a platform to demonstrate practical, real-world applications of AI already in motion across the region and showcase how these solutions can be tailored to Kuwait’s specific needs.

Hamad Al-Marzouq speaking at the event.

Microsoft Kuwait Country Manager Alaeddine Karim speaking.

Senior leaders from the government sector attend the forum.

Hamad Al-Marzouq, Chief Enterprise Business Officer of Zain Kuwait, said: “Today we are focused on turning Kuwait’s digital ambition into measurable outcomes with AI. AI leadership for us means building capabilities and partnerships that scale across ministries and sectors. When policy, platforms, talent and security are aligned, AI becomes a national capability that compounds over time and delivers what matters: faster public services, safer infrastructure, better health and education, stronger cyber resilience and higher private sector productivity.”

He added: “Through ZainTECH we integrate trusted connectivity with cloud, cybersecurity, data and AI into one coherent stack, and we partner with global leaders, chief among them Microsoft, to bring best-in-class platforms to Kuwait. We will invest in infrastructure, bring the best technology to Kuwait, and grow local talent so AI becomes a trusted part of everyday life and a driver of sustainable growth.” Andrew Hanna, CEO of ZainTECH, said: “AI-Ready Kuwait was about execution – turning digital ambition into action. Kuwait’s public sector is ready to scale proven solutions, that address mission critical challenges. Together with Microsoft, we’re delivering secure, trusted, future-ready technologies that support Kuwait’s national goals and meet the moment, build resilience and serve citizens better – today.”

Attendees engaged with a portfolio of solutions already landing in the market, including secure Azure ExpressRoute connectivity, resilient cloud infrastructure for service continuity, OpenAI copilots for smarter public engagement, and sector-specific AI tools built for areas such as healthcare, education and emergency services. These capabilities are underpinned by ZainTECH’s local delivery, compliance knowledge, and end-to-end cloud and AI expertise. Alaeddine Karim, Country Manager, Microsoft Kuwait, added: “With decisive steps taken by the Kuwaiti Government to position the nation as a regional AI hub, Microsoft’s collaboration with ZainTech reflects the private sector’s alignment with this national agenda.

It’s a powerful example of how AI is transforming business, government, and daily life – accelerating Kuwait’s digital future.” ‘AI-Ready Kuwait’ reinforced both companies’ commitment to enabling sustainable government transformation through real-world innovation, responsible AI and secure digital infrastructure. With more collaborations planned across the region, the event marked a pivotal step in advancing Kuwait’s vision; delivering next-generation infrastructure, smarter services and resilient ecosystems for the public sector.

 VIENNA:  The State of Kuwait and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have hammered out three agreements during the 69th IAEA annual conference which concluded Friday, said the Director General of the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR).In a statement to KUNA, Dr. Faisal Al-Humaidan said that some of the signed agreements extend for 10 years.

He added that Kuwait will also continue implementing nine existing joint projects and eight other ongoing regional projects with the IAEA. The three new agreements are: an agreement on the Fourth Technical Cooperation Framework Plan (2026-2035); an agreement for designating KISR as a center for cooperation with the IAEA until 2028 as a regional center for radiation monitoring; and an agreement for re-designating KISR as a center for cooperation with the IAEA until 2028 in the field of combating marine pollution, Al-Humaidan clarified.

He pointed out that the IAEA’s technical cooperation (TC) programme in Asia and the Pacific official have expressed appreciation of KISR’s cooperation at the regional level. KISR Director confirmed that five new projects have been approved for the years 2026-2027, covering various fields, including studying the impact of coke clumping on reactor performance, improving food safety, establishing a national neutron analysis laboratory, monitoring groundwater pollutants, and continuing work on a cancer treatment project with a budget of approximately 600,000 euros.

Al-Humaidan added that Kuwait hosts three regional service and cooperation centers with the IAEA in the fields of medicine, marine environment, and radiation protection. The Environment and Life Sciences Research Center at the KISR was re-designated as a cooperation center for monitoring marine radioactive pollution for the period 2025-2028 and the Radiation Measurement Laboratory was also designated as a regional resource center within the Arab States in Western Asia group, bringing the total number of Kuwaiti centers cooperation with the IAEA to four, he indicated.Al-Humaidan emphasized that the IAEA’s national technical cooperation program is a pivotal for building national capacities and ensuring the transfer of peaceful nuclear technologies.

The current national program covers five projects, in addition to four new projects that started in January 2025, encompassing areas such as the production of improved crops, the study of freshwater in groundwater aquifers, cancer treatment, monitoring marine pollution by microplastics and its impact on the safety of seafood, he clarified.

He mentioned Kuwait’s participation in eight regional projects under the Arab States in Asia Cooperation Agreement for 2024-2025 in environmental, agricultural, and health fields.Furthermore, Kuwait submitted a proposal, in cooperation with KISR experts, to establish a regional seed bank to address the effects of climate change, he said. Al-Humaidan indicated that the Kuwaiti delegation held meetings with the IAEA’s Safeguards Department and experts, during which the IAEA reaffirmed Kuwait’s commitment to submitting all reports related to the Additional Protocol and small quantities.He added that Kuwait also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with the IAEA in all aspects of the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.

He emphasized the agency’s significant role in building and enhancing national human and institutional capacities of the peaceful use of nuclear energy.He commended the efforts of Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the IAEA in Vienna Ambassador Talal Al-Fassam in consolidating cooperation with the agency.For her part, Dr. Habiba Al-Mani’e, a researcher, stated in a separate statement to KUNA that continued cooperation with the IAEA in the field of nuclear security is in line with the approved National Integrated Nuclear Security Plan, which has proven effective in supporting a comprehensive approach to nuclear security in the country over the past few years.

She underlined that the National Integrated Plan plays a key role in directing national efforts towards building a strong and sustainable nuclear security infrastructure, and strengthening institutional, human, and technical capacities, including the monitoring and securing of radioactive sources, the national response plan, the prevention of illicit trafficking, and border control.Al-Mani’e noted that the meeting held to review the National Integrated Nuclear Security Plan in the first quarter of 2025 included the participation of all relevant stakeholders, reflecting Kuwait’s commitment to implementing the highest standards of nuclear security and developing advanced procedures to ensure national safety and security.  — KUNA