Under the patronage and attendance of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the opening ceremony of the new Terminal 4 (T4) at Kuwait International Airport was held yesterday morning. Upon arrival, His Highness the Amir was received by Minister of State for Housing Affairs and Minister of State for Services Affairs Jenan Mohsen Ramadan and Director General of Civil Aviation Sheikh Salman Sabah Al Salem Al Hamoud Al Sabah.
The ceremony was attended by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Speaker of the National Assembly Marzooq Ali Al-Ghanim, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and senior state officials. On her part, Minister of State for Housing Affairs and Minister of State for Services Dr Jenan Mohsen Hasan Ramadan said that the inauguration of Terminal Four at Kuwait International Airport (KWI) was a new step towards achieving the goals of Kuwait’s development through the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The increasing number of travelers worldwide requires Kuwait to step up its efforts within the domains of aviation, said the minister, noting that the new terminal will increase the capacity to 25 million travelers by 2022. She added that the inauguration of the facility will provide necessary job opportunities for Kuwaitis at the Civil Aviation Department and will develop the capabilities of the national carrier Kuwait Airways.
During his speech at the event, Director General of Civil Aviation Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah thanked His Highness the Amir for supporting aviation projects in Kuwait. He noted that the Terminal Four project was planned and completed within a record time of two years. The project is part of Kuwait’s development vision 2035, said Sheikh Salman.
He added that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) aims to turn Kuwait into a very active regional aviation center. The DGCA also aimed to keep up with the growing numbers of passengers, which is expected to reach 40 million passenger annually by 2037, with an expected annual income of no less than $800 million and about 40,000 job opportunities, he noted.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Salman said that DGCA’s development plan would focus on investing in manpower, providing local and international training for Kuwaiti youth in the aviation sector. It also involved issuing new aviation laws in Kuwait in accordance with international laws and legislations. Moreover, the plan includes developing infrastructure and boosting partnership between public and private sectors, he said. The new terminal, which will be specifically used by Kuwait Airways, stretches over 225,000 square meters. It has 14 gates, duty free shops and parking space with a capacity of 2,450 cars.