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Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah delivering his main address Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

Dubai: Developing a knowledge economy and leveraging the latest technology can empower governments to solve challenges and strengthen people’s trust, Sheikh Sabah Al Khaled Al Hamad Al Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait, told the World Government Summit at Expo 2020 Dubai on Wednesday.

In his address, Sheikh Sabah said: “The world is developing rapidly in line with huge use of technology and advanced networks that can transfer data at high speed. It will create a new world that we have never seen; the speed, engagement and connectivity that put the world’s governments on the front line.”

He added: “Governments have major challenges such as climate change, lack of water, geopolitical conflicts, poverty, health and economic crises.” In response, the world needs a unified front to tackle the challenges and transform them into opportunities to enhance people’s lives, the Prime Minister said.

Clean energy

“Enabling technology and expansion in sustainable cities and clean energy will help people to have a better life.” He said that despite environmental warnings, some countries still highly consume their current resources.

Sheikh Sabah said Kuwait has pledged at the COP summit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Paris Agreement. “Kuwait has a pack of economic projects and sustainable plans on the national level. Kuwait adopted plans to diversify power resources and reduce emissions by 2030,” Al Sabah added.

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He said that the challenges encouraged governments to put proactive plans in place to develop societies. “Using technology and digital solutions will enhance and develop the business environment and economic, social and environmental structures.”

He added that Kuwait has focused on developing a roadmap to restructure the government in line with digital transformation. The country has launched the National Knowledge Economy Centre tasked to build the knowledge economy in line with the national Vision 2031.