Kuwait Ports Authority delegation on training mission in Belgium

BRUSSELS, Jan 17 (KUNA) -- A 12-member delegation from the Kuwait Ports Authority, led by its Director General, Sheikh Youssef Abdullah Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah, is currently visiting Belgium on a training mission in port management at the port of Antwerp.
"The Kuwait Ports Authority is witnessing major projects as part of His Highness the Amir's vision to make Kuwait a financial and monetary capital in the region and also as part of the 2035 development plan," Sheikh Youssef Al-Abdullah told KUNA on sidelines of a reception held late Tuesday by Kuwait Ambassador to Belgium, the EU, NATO and Luxembourg, Jassem Al-Budaiwi's residence.
"Antwerp is the second largest port in Europe and is a major player," he noted, adding "they have state-of-the-art facilities, using a lot of technology digitalising their port business, including transportation, shipping, linking trains, trucks and barges from and to the port of Antwerp." The most important thing when you are developing your port and building your projects amounting to USD two billion is the training of your human resources because they are the actual treasure," stressed Sheikh Youssef Al-Abdullah.
"We are training our Kuwaiti nationals at the Antwerp port. At the moment there is another programme in Glasgow, at the Arab Academy for Technology in Alexandria, Egypt, and we also have plans to train them in Hamburg, Liverpool and in Singapore," he pointed out.
"These development programmes will benefit Kuwait for the next 50 years," he said.
On his part, Philippe Gerets, senior director at the port of Antwerp, expressed pleasure to have such a large delegation from the Kuwait Port Authority, or KPA, for two weeks to train them in different aspects of port management.
Speaking to KUNA, he said there will be another group from KPA visiting Antwerp later this month followed by a third group in February to take part in a seminar in legal aspects of port operation and trade.
Port of Antwerp is the second largest port in Europe after Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
"The port of Antwerp is a very strong partner with the Middle East with regard to cargo flows, but also with regard to training staff and organizing seminars," he said.
"We are present in the Middle East via one of our subsidiaries in Oman itself and we look forward to intensifying our relations with our friends and partners in the Middle East," he added. (end) nk.hb