IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD
For those paying any attention to long-term trends, it is clear that only a complete revamp of the country's pedagogical culture will put Kuwait on the right development path.
BIOGRAPHY
Abdullah Alnabhan is the Middle East Regional Director/Partner for Palladium Group, CEO of Kuwait operations, and UAE Country Director for Palladium. He has over 15 years of implementing strategic planning and excellence across the world, overseeing all of Palladium’s operations in the Middle East. He has also been involved in projects in strategy planning and execution in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar, Canada, the US, and the UK. He is also a researcher and active writer who publishes frequently on space strategy and performance management.What areas should be targeted to make public entities more cost efficient?
Kuwait has had a history of solid economic growth; however, its development aspirations are hampered by various competitive factors within an oil-based economy. To tackle these, Kuwait has embarked on a transformational journey under the umbrella of New Kuwait 2035 Vision, which provides an overall direction for the diversification of the country's economy. Palladium is well positioned to partner with the Kuwaiti government and support the achievement of necessary transformational outcomes and facilitate change across key target areas, such as government restructuring through the streamlining of some of its functions and by revisiting existing policies, mandates, and ecosystem dynamics for enhanced impact. The company can also share its expertise in the rationalization of services and use of new technologies that help streamline government operations and expenses. We can also help the government find ways to increase job creation via the private sector. While current unemployment is not alarming, there is a skills-to-employment gap. To absorb job seekers, the government has historically expanded the public sector. But to meet the New Kuwait 2035 Vision targets of economic diversification, a competitive workforce needs to be developed with the participation of the private sector. We can also monitor and manage performance. The overall execution of vision initiatives must be successful if Kuwaiti is to realise its development aspirations. Consequently, government agencies must have a clear strategic management framework that integrates the new processes. This will ensure agile decision making based on performance and results.
How can Palladium help mitigate the aforementioned skills-to-employment challenges?
According to WEF's Global Human Capital Report, the quality of primary schools, general skillset of graduates, and English-language proficiency in Kuwait rank among the lowest in the GCC. This creates challenges in finding and recruiting talent capable of driving business and the much-needed government transformation. Addressing the existing skills-to-employment gap thus requires a phased redevelopment approach whereby the private sector participates across the education value chain and innovative learning tools are encouraged to drive development. The government continues to facilitate the necessary regulatory reforms in education aimed at responding to the rapidly shifting requirements associated with the diversification of Kuwait's economy. Palladium is well-equipped to catalyze such a redevelopment approach by driving a needs-based conceptualisation of the “student of the future of Kuwait," whose skills are fully aligned with the New Kuwait 2035 Vision. This can be achieved by implementing a series of initiatives to redefine the way in which education is carried out. For example, redefining the curriculum to be student-centric and experiential, in which collaboration and problem-solving skills are built through project-based learning methods; readdressing the role of teachers, first within the education system, by positioning them as facilitators and enablers of knowledge that students rely on to help them engage with information, and then within the society, by enhancing their status through stricter qualification requirements, and training; and enabling the use of data and technology in learning as a complement to human judgement and personal experience.
How can you help build a dynamic tourist ecosystem in Kuwait?
Compared to other countries in the Gulf, the contribution of Kuwait's tourism sector to the economy is the lowest as measured by GDP and employment. However, per capita, Kuwait has the biggest internal domestic demand and the largest expenditure on foreign travel and tourism across the GCC. In this context, realizing opportunities generated by the existing supply and demand gap requires a stronger and more efficient tourism ecosystem that is effectively integrated into the national agenda. Palladium can help by locating market-centric, organisational, and cultural elements and mobilizing significant investment in a series of ambitious projects to accelerate its development.
IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
Adel Abdul Wahab Al-Majed , Chairman, Kuwait Banking Association (KBA)
Through a broad array of information, specialized committees, staff expertise, and other resources, KBA supports Kuwait's banks as they perform their critical role in energizing the economy and helping communities thrive.
read articleInterview
Sheikh Dr. Meshaal Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Director General, Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA)
KDIPA adopts a proactive approach to attract value-added direct investments supported by an integrated promotional strategy serving Kuwait's developmental goals in line with its National Vision 2035.
read articleCommuniqué
Legal Reform and Infrastructure Projects Spell Opportunity for Foreign Investors
Along with the introduction and modernization of new laws and regulations, the vision of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to transform Kuwait into an international center for commerce and industry by 2035 is already being implemented through Kuwait's National Development Plan. Coupled with the promulgation of progressive FDI regulations, these new opportunities spell positive news for foreign companies looking to conduct business in Kuwait.
read articleFocus: Developing connectivity
Connecting the Dots
Today, connectivity is hardly indispensible for individuals and the companies where they work. Kuwait's smart cities, considered elsewhere in the book, will thrive on it, and meanwhile the nation continues to register notable business deals from the informatics sector.
read articleInterview
Khalid Abbas , Country Manager-Kuwait, Unilever
Contributing to the improved health and wellbeing of communities and reducing environmental footprint are key priorities for Unilever, which is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of up to 1 billion people globally by 2020.
read articleInterview
Mohammed Yousif Soud Al-Sabah , Board Chairman & Director, Public Authority of Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR)
PAAAFR has adapted a package of policies to face challenges inherent to deserts, hot climate, and water scarcity, bringing Kuwait closer to achieving national food security, one step at a time.
read articleInterview
Yang Chunsen, Vice President/ Chief Representative, China State Construction Engineering Corporation Middle East (CSCME) Kuwait
CSCME is a technology-driven company that leverages its R&D and long-standing partnership with the government to increase its participation in the future development of Kuwait.
read article