Ministry of Public Works, Kuwait

22 October 2012

Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works (MPW) is in charge of the construction and maintenance of public buildings and key infrastructure, from roads and bridges to hospitals and sewage networks

When the 2010 development plan was launched in Kuwait, it was announced that the MPW would spend KD3.1bn ($11bn) on new projects over the following five years, the most important of which were the new Sheikh Jaber Hospital, Bubiyan Port project and Jaber Bridge development. Despite operating to a relatively small budget compared with other ministries and projects, the MPW has oversight of most of the major schemes in the country. These include the new railway to the proposed $77bn Silk City on the Subiya promontory, by way of Bubiyan port, through its Mega Projects Agency. The agency helps to plan and integrate major new schemes into existing infrastructure.

The MPW is also assisting in the development of the estimated $775m new airport terminal at Kuwait International airport, set to ramp up passenger capacity at the facility.

Of the schemes the ministry has worked on directly in recent years, the largest include the Sheikh Jaber Bridge, also known as the Subiya Causeway, and a revamp of the sewage system in Jahra governorate. The Sheikh Jaber Bridge is a two-phase development that will link Kuwait City with the smaller port towns of Salalah and Doha.

The first phase, the 36 kilometre bridge linking the capital with Subiya, is already under construction, while the contract for the second phase, linking Kuwait City with Doha, is yet to be awarded. The causeway is a vital project in Kuwait’s development plans and contractors are hopeful the scheme will be approved soon to kick-start the country’s infrastructure programme.

Key contact

Khaled al-Khazi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Public Works
Website: www.mpw.gov.kw
Tel: (+965) 2 530 4000
Email: info@ mpw.gov.kw

A MEED Subscription...

Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.