Kuwait city: Kuwaiti Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs Abdullatif Al-Mashari emphasized the necessity of adopting modern digital technologies to keep pace with development requirements and enhance performance, thereby developing the housing sector in Kuwait and modernizing the municipal system. This statement was part of Minister Al-Mashari's address at the opening of the Gulf Digital Building Forum 2025, organized by the Kuwaiti Federation of Engineering Offices and Consulting Houses (KFEOCH).
According to Kuwait News Agency, the forum addresses critical issues related to the future of construction and urban development in Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, focusing on digital transformation in construction, city management, and facilities management. This digital shift has direct implications for the quality of engineering work, infrastructure effectiveness, and the efficiency of both public and private projects.
Al-Mashari highlighted efforts by Kuwait Municipality and the Public Authority for Housing Welfare (PAHW) to implement digital methodologies to improve plan quality, expedite project completion, and enhance the efficiency of facility and property management in new cities and residential areas. Recent advancements in Building Information Modeling (BIM) have played a significant role in enhancing project management, reducing waste, and improving output quality.
The Minister praised the KFEOCH for its dedication to equipping the local engineering sector with digital methodologies and tools that meet international standards. He reaffirmed the Ministry of Municipality and PAHW's commitment to this partnership, supporting sustainable development goals and Kuwait Vision 2035.
The forum is intended as a strategic communication channel between governmental and legislative bodies and engineering firms, aiming to develop national policies and standards and support the widespread adoption of modern technologies in major projects. Al-Mashari expressed hope that the forum would achieve its objectives and generate practical recommendations for building an advanced digital engineering system, solidifying Kuwait's position as a leader in digital construction and smart city sectors.
Chairman of KFEOCH Bader Al-Salman noted that the governmental and private sponsorship of the forum aims to implement its outcomes in construction projects and enhance cooperation with the private sector, which is currently experiencing growth. He hopes the forum will establish a working strategy between engineering offices and governmental and legislative bodies to develop national policies and standards.
The initiative seeks to accelerate the adoption of BIM in government and private projects and promote smart city technologies and the management of modern facilities and major projects. Al-Salman emphasized the goal of creating a fully integrated electronic infrastructure, particularly in engineering licensing, enabling offices to obtain licenses directly without human intervention, following the input requirements of the relevant authority.