Beyond the Arabian Sea

Bridging the gap between Kuwait and China

24 min read

A joint initiative by Research Journey and KPMG in Kuwait

China and Kuwait have been allies for decades and their partnership is getting stronger with time. What’s to note is, this relationship has expanded across multiple dimensions in the last few years. We have witnessed transformations in the business, economic, and cultural landscapes, as China and Kuwait continue to take bigger steps towards forging stronger relationships.

This thought leadership is an accumulation of personal stories and economic studies that attempt to give a holistic view of Kuwait’s history and cultural and economic landscape. The paper also touches on the involvement, growth, and expansion of Chinese businesses in Kuwait — something that, we as KPMG Kuwait, have witnessed by working closely with numerous Chinese companies in Kuwait over the years.

Under the umbrella of our China Business Desk, which was established in 2021, KPMG in Kuwait has supported multiple Chinese companies across sectors to help strengthen their presence in Kuwait, the GCC region, and the wider MESAC (Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia and Caucasus) region.

For this report, we joined hands with Research Journey, a homegrown research organization that aims to bridge any gaps and strengthen the ties between China and Kuwait by providing common platforms that people from both nations can leverage to connect and grow.

With Research Journey’s support, we were able to reach out to many individuals who shared with us their experiences relating to China and Kuwait and opinions on how the existing partnership between the two countries can be fortified.

We would like to thank Hu Hanming, Counselor of Economic and Commercial Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait, Zhang Yongda, President — Kuwait Chinese Associations, Dr. Baisen He, Executive General Manager, China Gezhouba Group International Engineering Co.,Ltd., and Xia Jianfeng, Director — China Cultural Center in Kuwait for providing us with their insights and helping us deepen the impact of this publication.

We hope you enjoy reading this report as much as we did piecing it together.

We also hope that we were able to represent the individuals and present the stories they shared with us in the right manner.

If you wish to discuss this report further, want to learn more about the opportunities for Chinese businesses in Kuwait, or simply wish to speak with us, please feel free to reach out to us.