KUWAIT CITY, July 20: In a move aimed at elevating public health standards across commercial spaces, Kuwait’s Ministry of Health, through its Healthy Cities Office, has launched the final evaluation phase of the “Muazez” initiative — a health-promoting malls program within Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The announcement came during a press briefing on Sunday by Dr. Amal Al-Yahya, Director of the Healthy Cities Office, who explained that the evaluation phase precedes the announcement of the top-performing malls participating in the regional initiative. The evaluation is supervised by the Joint Gulf Committee for Healthy Cities and supported by the Gulf Health Council.

Dr. Al-Yahya noted that the initiative is part of broader joint Gulf efforts to improve public health environments in urban and commercial spaces. “Kuwait has been actively involved in the initiative since 2023 and has already accredited six malls as health-promoting,” she said.

The current evaluation involves both regional and local evaluators, including visiting assessors from other GCC countries. Among the malls being evaluated this year are The Promenade, The Avenues, and 360 Mall—all of which have taken steps to enhance their environments to promote healthier lifestyles for visitors.

Evaluation specialist Amira Al-Arimi, from the Sultanate of Oman, praised Kuwait’s leadership in the initiative. “This is my third visit to Kuwait for the Muazez initiative. Kuwait played a vital role in developing the guideline framework that shapes the program,” she said, adding that the initiative aligns with community-based health strategies endorsed by the World Health Organization.

Representing the private sector, Director of Dar Al-Othman, Abdullah Al-Othman, spoke about Promenade Mall’s participation. He emphasized the mall’s commitment to providing a safe and healthy environment through activities such as wellness campaigns, blood donation drives, and the establishment of the Al-Othman Ambulance Center in April.

“The Promenade received gold-level accreditation in the first phase of Muazez,” said Al-Othman. “We see our participation as a key part of our corporate social responsibility and ongoing efforts to support public health.”

The Ministry of Health had previously hosted the 24th meeting of the GCC’s Gulf Committee last June, which focused on the development of health-promoting commercial communities. The event also included a training session for initiative evaluators, along with field visits to participating shopping centers.

The Muazez initiative continues to serve as a model for integrating public health into everyday life, reflecting the growing commitment of GCC nations to foster wellness in shared urban spaces.