Kuwait launches second phase of ambitious TV archiving project

• Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, the Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, expressed hopes that the second phase will achieve a qualitative leap in preserving television content, facilitating digital search and retrieval, and protecting media assets.

Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi, the Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs, stated that the TV archiving project marks a significant step in advancing Kuwait’s media infrastructure, as reported by Q8-Press.

Minister Al-Mutairi, speaking at the launch of the second phase of the TV archiving project on Wednesday, stated that this initiative aligns with the ministry’s strategic vision to enhance infrastructure, preserve and modernize Kuwait’s national media heritage using the latest technologies, and strengthen public-private sector partnerships to ensure sustainable development in line with the highest international standards.

He emphasized that the first phase of the project completed numerous foundational tasks, laying a strong groundwork for the launch of this ambitious initiative, which is part of ongoing efforts to document and protect Kuwait’s rich media heritage.

Minister Al-Mutairi expressed hopes that the second phase will achieve a qualitative leap in preserving television content, facilitating digital search and retrieval, and protecting media assets. These efforts aim to support media innovation and promote national content, making it accessible to researchers and the public.

He added that the project seeks to transmit Kuwait’s history to future generations by digitizing at least 220,000 hours of television archival materials, complete with classification and description.

The minister also highlighted that the project’s significance lies in reinvesting this content in innovative ways that enhance its media and cultural value, opening new opportunities for use in educational, cultural, and artistic sectors.

He noted that the project supports the ministry’s efforts to achieve full digital transformation and leverage modern technological capabilities to manage media assets and enhance operational efficiency.

He emphasized the Ministry of Information’s commitment to developing its technical and human resources by investing in qualified national cadres and adopting best international practices in digital archiving and media content preservation, ensuring the delivery of high-quality services aligned with the country’s development vision.

Minister Al-Mutairi expressed his heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this ambitious project, particularly the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, specialized work teams, private sector partners, and all supporting entities that played a key role in achieving this milestone.

Following the inauguration, the minister, accompanied by the H. E. Olivier Gauvin, the French Ambassador to Kuwait, toured the project’s sections, reviewing the stages of work, mechanisms, equipment used, methods of preserving film materials and tapes, and research processes.

The Kuwait TV archiving project, whose first phase was launched in 2016, includes restoring, copying, describing, tabulating, and archiving historical cinematographic films and various magnetic television tapes. The Kuwait State Television Library holds films of cultural, historical, and educational significance, which must be properly stored to ensure their benefit for future generations.

The TV archiving project contributes to preserving Kuwait’s cultural heritage by providing a comprehensive solution for the secure storage and easy access of films.