Kuwait city: The 22nd Kuwait-Japan Joint Symposium, under the theme "Advancement in Petroleum Industries," commenced on Tuesday. Organized by the Petroleum Research Center at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) in collaboration with the Japan Cooperation Center for Petroleum (JCCP), the Japan Petroleum Institute (JPI), and the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), the symposium aims to explore new developments and changes in the refining sector.
According to Kuwait News Agency, KISR Director General Dr. Faisal Al-Humaidan emphasized that the cooperation with Japan dates back several decades, originating with the Arabian Oil Company's role in establishing the institute. This partnership has grown to encompass joint research projects, the exchange of Japanese scientists, and training opportunities for Kuwaiti researchers in Japan.
Dr. Al-Humaidan highlighted that the two-day symposium covers significant topics such as innovation in refining, green initiatives, membrane technology, plant safety, digital transformation, and corrosion reduction. He assured that these activities are in coordination with the oil sector to enhance the technical skills of national companies.
KNPC CEO Wadha Al-Khatib, in her address, reiterated the company's focus on building a resilient and efficient business that aligns with sustainability, energy transition, and digital transformation goals. Al-Khatib announced a recent achievement by the company, which involved completing the first fully digital shipment in Kuwait's oil sector and exporting petrochemical naphtha from Mina Abdullah Refinery to Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation. She also mentioned obtaining three patents for solutions to technical challenges, attributing this to the company's culture of innovation and its longstanding partnership with KISR and Japanese centers.
Japanese Ambassador to Kuwait Kenichiro Mukai remarked on the strong bilateral relations, elevated to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" following the visit by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah to Japan in May 2025. Mukai confirmed Japan's support for Kuwait's clean energy transition through advanced technology, emphasizing the importance of a balanced energy mix for stable supplies and reduced carbon emissions.
Senior Executive Director of JCCP Sustainable Energy Hitoshi Masuda added that the center has trained 840 Kuwaiti participants and sent 224 experts to promote technological cooperation and human capital development, ensuring steady energy supplies.
The symposium features 23 scientific lectures, 15 scientific posters, and two keynote lectures, one from Japan on converting carbon dioxide into useful chemicals, and another from Kuwait on petroleum refining in transition and the global energy transition impacts.