Kuwait marks two years of achievements under His Highness Amir

News report by Sarah Al-Mukaizeem KUWAIT, Dec 20 (KUNA) -- The State of Kuwait marks on Saturday His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah's second anniversary of being named as Amir, celebrating years of rapid achievements and accelerated developments.
Last year alone, and due to the directives of His Highness the Amir, Kuwait witnessed an unprecedented path based on the rule of law and justice for all, through fighting corruption and protecting the welfare of Kuwaitis.
The path for glory began in 2023 when His Highness the Amir became the 17th ruler of the country, taking the helm after decades of success in numerous posts.
On December 16, 2023, the cabinet met and announced the passing of His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad, proclaiming His Highness Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, then Crown Prince, as Amir according to the Constitution and Article Four of the law concerning Succession.
On December 20, His Highness the Amir took the constitutional oath at a special National Assembly session, becoming the state's 17th Amir, as per stipulations of Article 60 of the constitution.
Prior to becoming Amir, His Highness Sheikh Meshal's six-decade career was marked by high-ranking security and military posts in both the Interior Ministry and National Guard, after which he became the Crown Prince.
His Highness the Amir accompanied late Sheikh Nawaf and previous leaders on many official trips and represented the leadership in many more.
Sheikh Meshal, born in Kuwait in 1940, is the seventh son of Kuwait's 10th ruler, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, who governed the country between 1921 and 1950.
In his early childhood, he was taught reading and writing by his parents and seniors in the family before joining Al-Mubarakiya School, the first private school in Kuwait at the time.
He continued higher-level studies in the UK, where he graduated from Hendon Police College in 1960.
After returning home, he joined the freshly established Ministry of Interior.
In 1967, he was appointed public inspection chief with a colonel's rank and remained in the department for up to 20 years, occupying various posts.
On April 17, 2004, Sheikh Meshal was appointed, according to an Amiri Decree the Deputy Chief of the National Guard with a Minister's rank, where he contributed to overhauling this sensitive security apparatus and enhanced its role in maintaining the national security.
On October 7, 2020, Sheikh Meshal was proclaimed as the State Crown Prince during a special session of the National Assembly, where he took the constitutional oath in front of the MPs after a swearing-in ceremony in front of the late Amir, according to the Emirate Succession Law and the Constitution.
During his tenure, His Highness Sheikh Meshal oversaw various achievements, which solidified Kuwait's regional and international status.
Nationally, His Highness the Amir prioritized efforts to combat corruption and reinforce the rule of law to achieve the interests of the people in Kuwait.
The State of Kuwait saw some rapid legislative activities with the passing of several laws updating judicial and administrative systems, specifically the ones concerning traffic and anti-narcotics laws.
The updating of the laws aimed at reducing violations and safeguarding society from the negative effects of reckless driving and the spread of narcotics.
On the military and security levels, Kuwait launched the 2025-30 comprehensive defense strategy aimed at boosting the country's defensive capabilities. The Interior Ministry also boosted its Coast Guard capabilities to ensure that marine routes and borders were protected.
The Kuwait National Guard (KNG) launched its fourth 2025-30 strategy, developing its technological apparatus.
Within the oil sector, the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) announced new petroleum and natural gas discoveries in various land and sea locations, as well as signing a number of MoUs with international companies to establish Al-Ahmadi Creativity Valley, a project integrating several oil companies. The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) also launched its first prize to honor teams, which contributed to the development strategy of the oil sector for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Economically, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry began the first phase of the smart license and adjusted real-estate development laws. The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) announced a global partnership in AI infrastructure to boost its digital capabilities.
In the health, education, and research sectors, several advances were achieved in each respective domain, whether in carrying out surgeries using robots, signing agreements to boost research in space science, or developing cloud technology.
In the media, the Ministry of Information launched the second phase of its television archive in addition to initiating of the annual "Sheera" media award to honor creatives in various media fields.
The digital photographic archive was also launched, containing around three million historic photos of Kuwait. The State of Kuwait was also honored as the 2025 Capital of Arab Media and Culture.
Efforts are in full siwng to implement a package of giant development projects in a bid to meet the desired hopes and aspirations, as the executive contract to complete the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project will be signed next week under the patronage and presence of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah. Work is also continuing on the new airport project (Terminal - T2), in addition to ongoing drastic road maintenance.
Internationally, His Highness the Amir travelled to the UK on January 14, on an official invitation from King Charles III. On February 20, the Kuwaiti leader headed to Saudi Arabia to partake in the consultative summit between the GCC, Jordan, and Egypt.
On July 13, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was in France on an official visit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron.
The two sides signed on July 14 a proclamation of intent to bolster the French-Kuwaiti strategic partnership in investments between 2025 and 2035, in addition to another agreement to bolster cultural cooperation in 2026 during the 65th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties.
On October 14, His Highness the Amir visited Oman and met with Sultan Haitham bin Tareq, discussing with him ways to bolster cooperation in all possible domains.
On February 17, His Highness the Amir received the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and on April 14 and May 11, His Highness Sheikh Meshal received Egyptian President Abdulfattah Al-Sisi and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, respectively.
On October eighth, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah received UAE President Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and on October 21, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (end) sm.aai.gta