EPC Contract to be Awarded for Kuwait’s Al Kabeer Port Phase I

Work will soon start on the Mubarak Al Kabeer Port development in Kuwait following the approval from the State Audit Bureau allocating funds worth KD1.23 billion (~US$4 billion) to carry out engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) work for the first phase of the project, reported The Times Kuwait.

This go-ahead from the Bureau will soon pave the way for the implementation of the remaining phases, it stated.

The contract for the next phase is expected to be signed next week with China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), reported Reuters citing the Public Works Minister Noura Al Mashaan.

The project is one of seven agreements Kuwait had signed with China, making it the first of these major initiatives to move forward, said the report.

Mubarak Al Kabeer Port, on Bubiyan Island in northern Kuwait, is a strategic project aimed at creating a secure regional corridor and commercial hub. China has sought to link it to its Belt and Road Initiative, stated the report.

The port is among several mega-projects Kuwait is pursuing with Chinese support, including power and water plants, renewable energy and waste recycling projects, as well as new residential cities.

Kuwait had signed several MoUs with China in 2023 during a visit to Beijing by then-Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al Sabah, who became Emir in December 2023, said the Reuters report.

Kuwait hopes the project will support economic diversification, boost GDP and help restore its regional commercial and financial role. The government says about 50% of the first phase has been completed, it added.

For the Phase I, the scope of work includes laying of infrastructure, excavation and dredging work as well as equipment and services, reported the Times Kuwait.

It involves construction of modern docks, container yards, buildings and essential facilities as well as deepening the port basin and navigation channel to accommodate large vessels.

Once completed, the port will turn into a major regional transportation hub aligning with Kuwait Vision 2035 and supporting the development of the northern region as an integrated economic and urban system, it added.