VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKU #0106/01 0351304
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 041304Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY KUWAIT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4535
INFO RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN 2060

UNCLAS KUWAIT 000106 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES, NEA/ARP, EPA FOR INTERNATIONAL, EMBASSY 
AMMAN FOR ESTH HUB OFFICER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON KU SENV
SUBJECT: KUWAIT SCENE SETTER FOR SCIENCE ENVOY DR. ZERHOUNI 
 
REF: A. KUWAIT 09 1037 
     ¶B. KUWAIT 49 
 
¶1. (SBU) Ambassador and Mission Kuwait warmly welcome the 
February 17-18 visit of Science Envoy Elias Zerhouni. 
Meetings have been requested with the following officials: 
H.E. Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer, the Minister of Health; Dr. Naji 
Al-Mutairi, the Director General for the Kuwait Institute for 
Scientific Research (KISR); Dr. Ali Al-Shamlan, the Director 
General for the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of 
Sciences (KFAS); Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Awadi, the Executive 
Secretary for the Regional Organization for the Protection of 
the Marine Environment (ROPME) and Dr. Kazem Behbehani, the 
Director General for the Dasman Institute for Research. 
 
Kuwait Snapshot 
--------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Kuwait is a Gulf emirate whose small size (about the 
size of New Jersey) and population (approximately 1.1 million 
Kuwaiti citizens and 2.3 million expatriates) belie its 
geostrategic importance.  Politically, Kuwait is a 
constitutional emirate with a freely-elected parliament 
(including four women MPs, all U.S. PhD holders) and is home 
to one of the freest medias in the region; many Kuwaitis, and 
particularly the Kuwaiti elite, have studied or traveled to 
the United States and visa numbers, after a post 9/11 period 
of decline, are again on the rise.  Our strong bilateral 
relationship is founded upon close security ties that have 
endured since the 1991 liberation of Kuwait from Iraq, and 
are manifested today in Kuwait serving as a key military 
training and logistical support hub.  A major exporter of 
both capital (over USD 34 billion in outward FDI over the 
past five years) and oil (with the fifth largest proven oil 
resources in the world), Kuwait also punches above its weight 
economically. 
 
Indigenous Scientific Expertise 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Kuwait's scientific research history started 
relatively early, with the founding of Kuwait Institute for 
Scientific Research (KISR) in 1967 as part of the Arabian Oil 
Company's responsibility in exchange for its oil concession. 
The Regional Organization for the Protection of Marine 
Environment (ROPME) was established in 1973 to host 
inter-governmental meetings of the GCC states to protect the 
environment and collaborate with the United Nations 
Environmental Program (UNEP).  The Kuwait Foundation for the 
Advancement of Science (KFAS) was founded in 1976 and 
receives a mandatory contribution from Kuwaiti shareholding 
companies of one percent of net profit, which it uses to fund 
research in basic and applied sciences.  In recent years, 
both Kuwaiti scientific dynamism and U.S. Kuwaiti cooperation 
appear to have tapered off somewhat, though KFAS has a strong 
research relationship with the Massachusetts Institute for 
Technology (MIT), which is manifested in the Kuwait-MIT 
Center for Natural Resources and the Environment.  Over the 
past few months, however, KISR officials have expressed their 
interest in re-energizing that cooperation, especially in the 
area of renewable energy. 
 
Shared Interests: Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and 
Nuclear Power 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Kuwaiti officials have expressed interest in 
renewable energy and energy efficiency cooperation to address 
Kuwait's growing power demand, projected to increase at a 
rate of 6% to 8% per year (ref A).  Dr. Naji Al-Mutairi, 
KISR's Director General has said that he hopes Kuwait will 
generate at least 10% of Kuwait's power from renewable energy 
by 2020, and has outlined a plan to evaluate wind and solar 
power as options.  KISR is currently evaluating a proposal by 
the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab, but is concerned 
about the cost.  For its part, the Kuwait Petroleum 
Corporation is in the initial phases of evaluating carbon 
capture technology as a commercially viable reservoir 
management tool, which would both reduce CO2 emissions and 
enhance Kuwait's oil recovery. Despite these initiatives, 
however, we understand that Kuwait, following GCC consensus, 
does not plan to associate itself with the Copenhagen Accord. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Kuwait has set up a committee, headed by the Prime 
Minister, to examine the potential for developing peaceful 
nuclear power.  The Kuwaitis are taking a very careful 
approach to evaluating the siting and economic needs for a 
nuclear power plant and the human resources that would be 
required to regulate and run a nuclear power program.  Even 
if Kuwait decided not to develop its own domestic capability, 
the steps would be important for any GCC nuclear power 
projects. 
 
GoK-USG Planning First-Ever Arab Region Frontiers of Science 
Program 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The National Academies of Science, Engineering and 
Medicine is currently planning a co-sponsored symposium with 
KISR and KFAS to present the first-ever Arab Region Frontiers 
of Science Program (ref B).  The Frontiers Program has an 
interdisciplinary approach that challenges young leaders from 
the scientific and engineering world to forge partnerships. 
The National Academies, KISR and KFAS are planning the first 
event in a five-year program commitment for December 2010. 
 
Kuwait's Challenges: Environment and Health 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Kuwait grapples with environmental challenges, 
including water, air and oil pollution.  Almost all water is 
desalinated from the Arabian Gulf, meaning that ensuring a 
dependable water supply and controlling marine pollution go 
hand in hand.  Marine pollution is a major concern, caused by 
ocean dumping, oil spills, and the existence of untreated 
sewage in the Gulf.  Air pollution comes from automobiles, 
oil sector facilities and power plants fueled by high-sulfur 
fuel oil.  Kuwait's petroleum sector contributes to air 
pollution through refinery emissions and marine pollution 
through leaks at refining and export facilities.  The 
clean-up of remaining oil lakes left over from Iraq's 
ignition of oil wells in 1991 was slated to begin in 2009 
under a 10-year UN program, but this has not yet happened. 
 
Healthcare -- Obesity and Diabetes: Twin Epidemics in Kuwait 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Arguably, Kuwait is not getting full value from its 
healthcare system.  In a country where the government funds 
many patients to travel overseas for treatment, the GoK has 
not built a new public hospital in over 20 years.  Although 
there are currently plans for new hospital construction, 
tendering rules are likely to delay implementation. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Obesity and diabetes are considered to be growing 
health concerns in the country.  With an estimated 75% of the 
population clinically obese and childhood obesity on the 
rise, Kuwait has the highest level of obesity in the world, 
according to the American Public Health Association. 
Additionally, diabetes was found to be the fastest growing 
disease in Kuwait.  The World Health Organizations states 
that 26% of the Kuwaiti population has diabetes.  To combat 
the disease, Kuwait set up the Dasman Center for Research and 
Treatment of Diabetes to be the largest research and 
treatment center in the Middle East.  The center went through 
some major "growing pains" and was clearly not fulfilling its 
mission.   It is currently undergoing restructuring and the 
new director is working with Harvard and the Joslin Diabetes 
Center to develop a more credible program. 
 
********************************************* ********* 
For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: 
visit Kuwait's Classified Website at: 
 
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Kuwa it 
********************************************* ********* 
JONES