Kuwait nears halfway mark on annual plan

25/01/2026

Kuwait nears halfway mark on annual plan

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 25: Kuwait has achieved remarkable progress in its 2025/2026 Annual Plan, with spending on projects reaching about KD603 million in the third quarter -- more than 44 percent of the total annual budget of KD1.361 billion. The newspaper obtained a copy of the statistics from the website of the Secretariat General of the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, highlighting the accelerated execution of the plan, which is integral to achieving the national vision. The comprehensive plan includes 134 projects that are at various stages of development.

These projects are distributed to four main phases: the implementation phase with the highest number at 67 projects, preparation phase with 44 projects, yet-to-start phase with 13 projects, and handover phase with 10 projects. The 2025/2026 Annual Plan is structured around seven main pillars, with 32 development programs. The selection of projects under these programs is aimed at boosting the global competitiveness of the State and to support its long-term goal of transforming into an investment-attractive financial and commercial hub.

The report stated that the development plan is aligned with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on five key pillars: developing the northern region, building a knowledge-based economy, developing a supportive government, ensuring sustainable well-being, and empowering citizens. These pillars, approved by the Supreme Council for Planning and Development, consists of nine major development programs: building an international economic zone, privatization, vibrant private sector, developing the capabilities of citizens and institutions, cohesive and transparent government, robust infrastructure, creating environmentally harmonious living areas, promoting health and well-being, and making an effective contribution.

Each program has its own objectives, policies, and proposed implementation mechanisms. The report added that the plan adopted indicators to measure its developmental impact on the progress of the country toward achieving its overarching vision. These indicators were used to identify gaps in each program and determine the implementation mechanisms to bridge these gaps. The implementation mechanisms include systems and standards, institutional capacities, automation, laws, regulations, private investment and government investment.

The report also pointed out that the annual development plan is managed as a package of initiatives that is reviewed annually. It is subject to modification according to the performance of the initiatives or the development of new initiatives to achieve the policies. The new annual development plan is distinguished from the previous annual plans as it is based on more specific criteria in the selection of development initiatives and the determination of the legislative regulations to drive development in the various programs of the plan. A governance system was put in place for each program to ensure its success in achieving the results and policies. All of these aim to improve the ranking of the State in international indices to be among the top 35 countries by 2035.

By Mohammad Ghanem Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff