Two Kuwaiti students supervise design of memorials in Tunisia

• Tunisia’s initiative to donate two sites on its territory for Kuwait symbolizes the deep relations between the Tunisian and Kuwaiti peoples, with one memorial located in the capital and the other in the ancient city of Kerkouane.

• The first memorial, designed as a sailboat inspired bythe national anthems of Kuwait and Tunisia, symbolizes the deep friendship between the two countries, connecting urban spaces and creating a sensory experience for visitors.

• The monument in Kerkouane, designed to resemble a bus station, reflects historical and cultural values by combining heritage and modernity, embodying unity and brotherhood through the integration of cultural symbols from both Kuwait and Tunisia.

Two students from the College of Architecture at Kuwait University oversaw the design of two memorials in Tunisia dedicated to the State of Kuwait, funded by the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), the Al Rai newspaper reported.

The official in charge of the financing project from KFAED, Dhahouk Al-Banwan, told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that Tunisia’s initiative to donate two sites on its territory for Kuwait to implement two memorials symbolizes and confirms the depth of relations between the Tunisian and Kuwaiti peoples—one in the capital and the other in the ancient city of Kerkouane in the east of the country.

She added that the Fund was keen to adopt the designs of Kuwaiti students from the College of Architecture as highlights in their future professional lives, emphasizing its confidence in the innovative and creative abilities of these students and its commitment to supporting them in the labor market.

She stated that the two monuments project, which will be implemented by the Fund, was designed by two Kuwaiti students in the College of Architecture, noting that these projects are influential landmarks in the students’ careers and provide them with practical engineering experience.

Enriching academic careers

In turn, Dr. Muhammad Al-Ajmi, Professor of Architecture at Kuwait University, praised these projects proposed by governmental and private entities for encouraging students to participate in significant works that enrich their academic careers.

Al-Ajmi added that the project represents “an important opportunity for architecture students to collaborate with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to design the Kuwait-Tunisia Friendship Monument.”

For her part, architecture student Jana Al-Abduljader, who won the design for the Tunis Capital Monument, described this experience as an “exceptional opportunity” to enhance her vision in architectural design and gain a deeper understanding of the implementation process.

Al-Abduljader noted that the memorial she is working on represents a “pivotal element” in urban formation, as it connects urban spaces, creates an integrated sensory experience for visitors, and emphasizes the importance of fluidity in movement and interaction with the surrounding environment.

She explained that the monument takes the form of a sailboat inspired by the national anthems of the State of Kuwait and the Republic of Tunisia, reflecting the shared glory between the two countries. This gives it a symbolic dimension that enhances national identity and documents historical and cultural ties.

She noted that the monument, which includes an element representing the Kuwait Towers, embodies the deep friendship between the two countries through an abstract design that transforms architectural symbols into an artistic expression of their shared relations.

Abduljader expressed her pride in being chosen by KFAED for the memorial competition in the Republic of Tunisia, representing the State of Kuwait and the College of Architecture at Kuwait University.

“This experience has greatly enriched my architectural and professional background and has given me the opportunity to interact with a new environment while learning about the challenges of implementation in a different context, enhancing my understanding of the importance of integrating idea and application,” she said.

She added that through this project, “I was certain that the design could transcend being a mere visual landmark to become a true symbol of brotherhood, cooperation, and shared renaissance among nations.”

In turn, Noura Al-Babtain, a student in the Department of Architecture at Kuwait University who won the design for the monument in the ancient city of Kerkouane, stated that her design reflects historical and cultural values through an artistic vision that combines heritage and modernity, inspired by architectural elements that embody the depth of the ties between Kuwait and Tunisia.

Al-Babtain added that the design of the memorial, which represents a bus station in the ancient city, embodies the concepts of unity and brotherhood through the integration of the cultural symbols of both countries, creating a landmark that enhances cultural identity and links the past to the present within a framework that reflects the spirit of joint cooperation.

She expressed her pride in participating in the memorial design competition in the city of Kerkouane, noting the importance of the experience as it provides “a valuable opportunity to gain new insights and engage in a different environment.”

She stated that the experience allowed her to “learn about the challenges of implementation in different contexts and enhance my understanding of the importance of integrating idea and application in architectural work,” adding that the project confirmed for her that architecture “goes beyond being a mere aesthetic element to become a means of expression that reflects the values of brotherhood, cooperation, and development among peoples.”

Students Jana Al-Abduljader and Noura Al-Babtain, accompanied by a delegation from the KFAED, including coordination and follow-up specialist Abdulrazzaq Al-Sanea, engineering consultant Rawya Al-Awadhi, and university professors, visited the relevant sites to conduct a field survey and take measurements for comparison. This followed their completion of a scientific subject that discussed, in a classroom of 50 male and female students, how to express the relations between the two brotherly countries in an artistic way.