Acting Dean of the African Diplomatic Corp in the State of Kuwait, Her Excellency Haja Ishata Thomas, has said that the time is ripe for Kuwaiti Investors to explore Africa’s growing opportunities.
Ambassador Haja Ishata Thomas was speaking at a press conference held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the theme “Africa-Kuwait Cooperation – Promoting Kuwaiti Investment in Africa for Strategic Partnership” ahead of the Africa Day celebration in the State of Kuwait.
Highlighting the continent’s potential, she noted Africa stood at the crossroads of transformation, citing that the continent represented both an opportunity and a responsibility for Africans and international partners, with its vast natural resources, youthful population, expanding markets, and deep potential for sustainable development.
Sierra Leone’s representative commended the blooming relationship between Africa and Kuwait, stating that Kuwait had demonstrated friendship, solidarity, and support for the development aspirations of African countries over the years through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), which had financed over 300 projects across the continent.
Ambassador Thomas called for increased collaboration between Africa and Kuwait, stressing that the Gulf country was well-positioned to play a vital role in this new era of African economic growth, with its strong financial institutions, deep experience in infrastructure development, and commitment to South-South cooperation.
“Africa and Kuwait can build a future of prosperity, security, and mutual respect. We must move beyond aid to investment-driven partnerships. Africa welcomes Kuwaiti investors who are ready to work together with African entrepreneurs and governments to build mutually beneficial projects in sectors such as energy, agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, and digital technology.”
“In this spirit, we are encouraging frameworks that facilitate public-private partnerships, ease of doing business reforms, and stronger investment protection mechanisms. As Africa continues to integrate under the African Continental Free Trade Area, creating the largest single market in the world by number of countries, we believe that the time is now ripe for Kuwaiti investors to explore this growing opportunity. Our partnerships must be people, addressing youth employment, skills development, and inclusive growth,” she stated.
The press conference was climaxed by a series of questions from journalists on tourism and investment opportunities, Kuwait-Africa relations, investment-friendly policies and environment, among others.
Africa Day is celebrated by the African people around the world to commemorate the historic anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity on 25 May 1963, which is now known as the African Union (AU). The African Union was established in 2002 to succeed the Organisation of African Unity. Since its establishment, the organisation has worked to strengthen the continent’s resolve to achieve stability, progress and prosperity.
Cyril Barnes,
Information Attaché, the State of Kuwait