KUWAIT, Aug 4 (Kuwait Times): The Kuwait Municipality has signed a contract with an international consultancy firm (W S Atkins) and a local consultancy office to execute a construction project named 'Kuwait City 2030. ' This project will take an estimated 13 months to be completed at a total cost of KD 1,286,388. In a press conference held at the Municipality's premises yesterday, Dr Fadhel Safar, the Minister of Public Works said, "It's expected that in the year 2030, Kuwait's population will touch five million. We have to
be prepared for this increase to avoid complications.

The main purpose of the project is to develop a complete future plan for the city's expansion in tandem with the economic changes that the country has been experiencing. A specialized study will be held to transform the city into a world financial center. In addition, the project will pave the way for implementing more development projects in the city.

It also aims to study the network of roads that lead to the city, in addition to undertaking traffic studies. The size of traffic jams, concentration, entrances, crossing will be identified in detail. Furthermore, the project will study the public transportation system such as buses, metro and others. The plan will classify the usage of property in the city to five: Commercial, public, housing, entertainment, and infrastructure. The study will be broadly divided into six phases. The first will be to coll
ect and analyze information, the second will be dedicated to detailed planning studies, the third will be set aside for planning alternatives. In the fourth phase , a detailed blue-print will be drawn up, proper area planning will be done during the fifth phase, and in the sixth and final phase documentation will be done.

Construction work will commence 13 months after the completion of the study, "In the end, we will submit the final results of the study to the Municipal Council, once we receive the Council's approval, we will begin work. Delay in executing the study set in owing to bureaucratic obstacles faced in the public sector," Dr Safar pointed out.

Saad Al-Muhailbi, Head of the Structural Planning Department highlighted the importance of carrying out additional studies to follow up with what was previously provided, "According to the structural plan, Kuwait City will become an international city for business and finance. This needs some modification and the redistribution of some land that have not yet been developed in the city. In few cases, it will need to be reorganized in some areas, which may affect blocks. So some necessary procedures should
to be taken," he noted.

To develop infrastructure like water, electricity and sewage systems, it is necessary to make ample investments in development programs so that present situation can be rectified, "The roads and services should be developed according to proposed ideas. Also, the projects and services should be directed and marketed in a way that has international appeal, and compete with neighboring countries," he added.

To realize this, we should prepare a detailed study that follows a previous structural study of Kuwait City, "The study will highlight the importance of Kuwait City, including activities that have been planned for its future," concluded Al-Muhailbi.