Kuwait’s ‘Soof’ Center wins ’26 innovation award

KUWAIT CITY, July 25: The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) announced that the ‘Soof’ yarn manufacturing center has won the 2026 Innovative Energy Project of the Year Award for the MENA region. The award is granted by the US-based Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) in recognition of its excellence in applying innovative solutions in energy efficiency and sustainability. In a press statement on Saturday, KFAS said that the center is the first sustainable factory in the country for processing local wool. It comes as a result of a national strategic partnership with Al Sadu Weaving Cooperative Society and Kuwait Livestock Transport and Trading Company.

The statement noted that this partnership aims to achieve added value from this natural resource and promote the concepts of sustainability and the circular economy. KFAS added that the project’s idea was initiated by Al Sadu Society to utilize local wool with limited use. The foundation adopted the idea and funded a research project executed by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) to study the feasibility of processing local Nuaimi sheep wool. KFAS explained that the project’s results proved the technical and economic feasibility of this industry.

This contributed to establishing the center as a successful model for transforming scientific research outcomes into a sustainable industrial project. It mentioned that the center contributes to reviving the craft of wool spinning and weaving by providing high-quality local wool used in training community members. This creates added value for animal production, as wool was previously exported at a low value, thereby enhancing the economic feasibility of livestock breeding in Kuwait. The Foundation pointed out that the project embodies the principles of the circular economy and enhances resource efficiency. It also reduces environmental impact through the use of clean energy sources, water recycling, and utilizing production waste to manufacture fertilizers. KFAS affirmed that winning the AEE awards is a significant achievement, proving that Kuwaiti projects based on scientific research and national partnerships can compete and achieve excellence at regional and international levels.(KUNA)