MPs displeased as Kuwait projects stall amid regional agreement

• On Monday, the UAE, Turkey, Iraq, and Qatar finalized a four-way agreement for cooperation on the “Development Road” project in Baghdad.

• The project involves land roads and railways spanning 1,200 kilometers from Iraq to Turkey and its ports, aiming to streamline goods transportation between Europe and the Gulf countries.

Several Parliament members voiced their displeasure over the halt of development projects in Kuwait following the announcement of the “Development Road” agreement signed by Turkey, Iraq, the UAE, and Qatar on Monday.

The MPs emphasized that Kuwait’s situation, amidst political instability and leadership vacuums, deprives the country of opportunities and results in significant losses across all levels.

The MPs held the incoming government accountable for reviewing and addressing these issues, emphasizing that the National Assembly will play a role in overseeing this matter.

Regarding this, MP Muhannad Al-Sayer stated, “Given the weak decision-making process, internal conflicts, and the succession of four prime ministers, nine governments, and four national assemblies within four years, while the country continues to be run by appointments, we see that others are achieving remarkable success in realizing major projects that we aspire to.”

Al-Sayer added, questioning, “Who benefits from this? A significant project like Mubarak Port has seen vast amounts of funds expended, yet the government previously cautioned on the urgency of operationalizing the project. However, it appears that preserving public funds is not a priority for the government.”

Al-Sayer pledged to contest for the Public Funds Protection Committee at the session’s outset, aiming to identify such projects and hold the government accountable for its neglect of public funds.

On a related note, MP Abdul Karim Al-Kandari remarked, “The mandated state lacks decision-making ability,” highlighting, “I previously cautioned about the turmoil engulfing the country due to leadership voids in ministries, agencies, and boards of directors.”

Meanwhile, MP Abdullah Al-Anbai commented, “The airport is behind schedule, the port is dysfunctional, and the Silk City remains a dream. We face electricity shortages, delays in appointments, a lack of tourism, political instability, and internal family conflicts.” He added, “These uncertainties have caused a delay in development, with the Kuwaiti people bearing the brunt of it.”

In turn, MP Abdullah Jassim Al-Mudhaf stated, “The lack of political stability, vacant leadership positions, and accumulated neglect of development have led to more missed opportunities.”

Al-Mudhaf further added, “The upcoming government must tackle all these challenges and others, or else it is destined to fail and leave.”

On Monday, the UAE, Turkey, Iraq, and Qatar finalized a four-way memorandum of understanding for cooperation on the “Development Road” project during a meeting in Baghdad.

The memorandum was signed at the Republican Palace in Baghdad under the patronage of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani.

The “Development Road” project comprises land roads and railways stretching from Iraq to Turkey and its ports, covering a distance of 1,200 kilometers within Iraq. The project’s objective is to facilitate the transportation of goods between Europe and the Gulf countries.

Participating in the signing ceremony were Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouei, the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Oraloglu, the Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Razzaq Muhaibas Al-Saadawi, the Iraqi Minister of Transport, and Jassim bin Saif Al-Sulaiti, the Qatari Minister of Transport.