Kuwait has signed a $4.1 billion agreement with China to complete the construction of the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, a flagship infrastructure project aimed at diversifying the oil-rich nation’s economy and strengthening its role in regional and global trade.
The State Audit Bureau, Kuwait’s government body responsible for overseeing public spending, announced on Monday that the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the port project is valued at 1.28 billion Kuwaiti dinars, equivalent to $4.164 billion.
The signing ceremony, held on Boubyan Island where the port is being developed, was attended by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, according to state media.
Describing the project as strategic, the prime minister said the port would “enhance Kuwait’s share in regional and international trade and strengthen its position within the global supply chain.”
China’s acting chargé d’affaires to Kuwait, Liu Xiang, said the agreement represents a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing’s ambitious global infrastructure and connectivity programme.
The deal builds on growing economic cooperation between the two countries. In 2023, Kuwait and China signed seven memoranda of understanding covering major projects, including the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, as well as initiatives in housing development, water treatment, and renewable energy.
China has increasingly focused on the Middle East as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, a sweeping infrastructure and investment strategy launched over the past decade under President Xi Jinping to expand global trade links and economic influence.
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