18/09/2025
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18/09/2025
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KUWAIT CITY, Sept 18: Malaysian Ambassador to Kuwait Alauddin Mohammed Nor said the Malaysian-Kuwaiti relations, which span 60 years, are currently witnessing an advanced level of multifaceted cooperation and opening horizons towards a comprehensive strategic partnership, especially in light of the convergence of ‘Kuwait Vision 2035’ and the ‘13th Malaysian Plan (2026-2030)’.
The Ambassador made the statement at the event organized by the Embassy of Malaysia on the occasion of the 68th National Day and 62nd Malaysia Day. Present at the event were Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr. Nader Al-Jalal, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sabah, and a number of ambassadors and diplomats.
In his speech, the Ambassador revealed that “Malaysia was the first Southeast Asian country to open an embassy in Kuwait in 1974, followed by Kuwait in Kuala Lumpur in 1980, reflecting the strength of the relationship between the two countries.” He pointed out that bilateral relations have witnessed remarkable development in many fields, including energy, oil and gas, defense, trade, food security, tourism, education and healthcare, along with cultural and popular exchanges. He confirmed that Malaysia intends to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kuwait to establish a cooperation committee between the foreign ministries of the two countries soon, in addition to negotiating other agreements in the fields of defense, higher education, and tourism.
He stressed that Kuwait is one of the most prominent partners of Malaysia. He said Kuwait ranked 44th among the trading partners of his country in 2024, with a total trade exchange of more than $622 million. He indicated that trade growth between the two countries continued to show positive results in 2025, with 63.02 percent growth through July compared to the same period in the previous year. He added that Malaysian exports to Kuwait include vital products such as palm oil, processed foods, electrical and electronic products, chemicals and rubber products, while Malaysia imports crude oil, petroleum products and chemicals from Kuwait. He also revealed that 11,289 Kuwaiti tourists visited Malaysia in 2024 -- 17.2 percent increase compared to the pre-pandemic period, and that the number was expected to increase by 35.77 percent until mid-2025.
At the same time, he announced the launch of the ‘Visit Malaysia 2026’ campaign under the slogan “Unbelievable Experiences,” with the aim to attract 47 million international visitors and generate tourism revenues of about $78 billion. He said the campaign will focus on sustainable tourism, culture, nature, innovation and connecting Malaysia to the world. He added that Malaysia is chairing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this year, coinciding with Kuwait’s presidency of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which led to the organization of the second ASEAN-GCC summit, as well as a trilateral summit with China. He expressed his country’s gratitude for active participation of Kuwait.
In the field of defense, the Ambassador disclosed that Malaysian Minister of Defense Datuk Seri Mohammed Khalid Nordin paid an official visit to Kuwait in October 2024, during which the two countries agreed to accelerate negotiations on the MoU for strengthening defense cooperation and military exchange between the two countries. He went on to say that his country is also focusing on medical tourism sector, revealing that 2024 witnessed the arrival of 1.6 million medical visitors that generated revenues of $604.1 million. He then announced the launch of ‘The Year of Medical Tourism 2026’ with the theme, “Healing Meets Hospitality.” He disclosed that a delegation from the Malaysian Health Tourism Council will participate in the reception, during which a business session will be held with Kuwaiti medical institutions.
By Fares Ghaleb
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
