Australian Ambassador to Kuwait HE. Melissa Kelly

The day also served as an opportunity to celebrate the strong partnership between Australia and Kuwait, and to acknowledge the important contributions of the Australian community living in Kuwait. Kelly described the bilateral relationship between the two nations as “progressing excellently,” focusing on three priority areas: food security, education and investment. She pointed out that remarkable progress has been made in all these sectors, calling the developments “very positive.” Kuwait remains Australia’s largest Middle Eastern investor, reflecting the strong economic ties between the two countries. While it is difficult to pinpoint the exact size of investments due to conservative Australian reporting practices, estimates suggest that Kuwait’s investments are around $13 billion. Kelly hinted that discussions with Kuwaiti partners suggest the actual figure could be much higher, preferring not to release potentially inaccurate data. Bilateral trade exceeds half a billion dollars, though fluctuations can occur due to the commodity-based nature of the trade.

Agricultural exports to Kuwait have been steadily growing, particularly in the areas of meat, wheat, and vegetables. Australian beef, including locally slaughtered varieties, is widely available through the Livestock Company, alongside an increasing supply of high-quality chilled beef. Livestock shipments continue year-round, with a seasonal ban in place during the summer months. The education sector is also thriving, with two Australian universities operating in Kuwait and a notable year-on-year increase in student enrollment. The Ambassador expressed satisfaction with the continuous growth of academic cooperation. Regarding the Australian expatriate community, she indicated that the number of Australians living in Kuwait remains stable at approximately 1,000. She also mentioned that there are no recent statistics available on the number of visitors from Kuwait to Australia. When asked about upcoming high-level visits, she stated that “there are no announced visits at present.”