Kuwait reviews Microsoft and Google Cloud projects and US investment ties on the sidelines of the 81st session
NEW YORK: The representative of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, held a series of meetings in New York on Monday on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), receiving Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, European Council President Antonio Costa, the Kosovo prime minister, the World Bank Group president and senior executives from Microsoft, Alphabet and leading US companies.
HH the Crown Prince met Erdogan at the Turkish Permanent Mission to the United Nations, conveying the greetings of HH the Amir and his wishes for the president’s continued good health and for Turkiye’s progress and prosperity. The two sides discussed bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them across various fields, along with regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest.
NEW YORK: HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah receives Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II in New York on Monday. — KUNA
His Highness the Amir His Highness the Crown Prince European Council (EC) President. — KUNA
Kosovo PM on sidelines of UN High-Level Week. — KUNA
HH the Crown Prince received Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith. — KUNA
His Highness the Amir His Highness the Crown Prince receives World Bank Group President. — KUNA
His Highness the Amir His Highness the Crown Prince receives the President and Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Alphabet and Google. — KUNA
He also received Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II at his residence, conveying HH the Amir’s greetings and his wishes for Jordan’s progress and prosperity. The two sides discussed the long-standing relations between the two countries and ways to develop them, along with the latest international and regional developments.
Receiving Costa at Kuwait’s Permanent Mission, HH the Crown Prince conveyed HH the Amir’s greetings and wished the peoples of European Union countries further development. The two sides discussed cooperation and partnership between Kuwait and the EU and ways to strengthen it, as well as the latest international and regional developments. He also received Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and his accompanying delegation for talks on bilateral relations and ways to develop them.
In a meeting with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and the group’s Executive Director Abdulaziz Al-Mulla, the two sides reviewed progress on developing and training national cadres and on drawing on World Bank expertise for technical support in line with Kuwait’s development vision. They also discussed cooperation in consultation and development, international and regional development issues, and efforts to finance sustainable development.
On the corporate side, HH the Crown Prince received Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith for talks on the strategic partnership between Kuwait and the company and on preparations to open the Microsoft Digital Innovation Center in Kuwait, described as the largest of its kind in the region, in the coming weeks. The two sides exchanged views on cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital transformation and data centers to accelerate Kuwait’s digitization drive and build the capacity of national staff.
He also met Alphabet and Google President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat to review the latest developments under the framework agreement between Kuwait and Google Cloud, and the implementation of strategic projects covering digital transformation, cloud computing infrastructure, data centers and the development of Kuwaitis’ digital skills.
A further meeting brought together senior US business figures: Khush Choksy, senior vice president for international member relations and for the Middle East, Turkiye and Central Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce; Steve Lutes, vice president for the Middle East at the chamber; Lydia Jabs, executive director of the US-Kuwait Business Council; Donna Milford, executive vice president at State Street and chair of the US-Kuwait Business Council; and Jenny Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Franklin Templeton. The talks focused on strengthening economic, trade and investment relations and on investment opportunities in Kuwait for US companies across vital sectors.
The meetings were attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Director-General of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA) Sheikh Dr Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi and Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Tareq Al-Banai, along with Assistant Foreign Minister for International Organizations Affairs Ambassador Sadiq Marafi, Kuwait’s Ambassador to the US Sheikha Al-Zain Sabah Al-Nasser Al-Sabah and head of HH the Crown Prince’s office Maj Gen Ahmad Al-Daie. — KUNA