Charting New Horizons: Aviation Strategies to Propel Economic Growth & Diversification in Kuwait

It is important to understand Kuwait Airways (KA) regional position in relation to other Middle Eastern, especially Gulf-based, carriers as this has changed over the last 2-3 decades. Clearly Qatar Airways (QR) and Emirates Airlines (EK) have quickly risen to prominence, taking advantage of their physical position that enables them to serve as global hubs. Both of those airlines (like KA too) are able to rely – for now – on a substantial amount of government funding, which lessens some of the market pressures they face. But QR and EK have taken quite divergent paths from each other in terms of participating in larger airline alliances (QR is in Oneworld with British Airways, American Airlines, etc) or going solo (EK’s insistence on limited, bilateral agreements with specific other airlines on certain routes).

Recently, Saudi Arabia has rapidly advanced its aviation sector to reflect the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthen economic diversification, increasing competition for KA and others in the Middle East. In this regard, various airlines in the region have leveraged their hub airports and home cities to different degrees as a unique selling point, often playing a large role in promoting their cities as destinations to passengers who might otherwise only transit on connecting flights. Given Kuwait’s similar geostrategic position to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia – which means that, with current aviation technology, and especially with future, greener improvements, it is possible to have nonstop flights from Kuwait to most parts of all inhabited continents – it seems that there is far more scope for Kuwait to develop its airline and airport in these regards.

As this is already a regional field with powerful, well-positioned players, it would be key for KA to strategise carefully on how to do this differently but intelligently, in ways that enhance Kuwait’s global position, infrastructure, administrative and bureaucratic reforms, and economic diversification in line with the New Kuwait Vision 2035. This study aims to provide a strategic planning framework that examines governance, leadership, and competitive strategies, as well as options for infrastructural development along KA’s future trajectory that serve Kuwait’s broader economic and national objectives, and enhance KA’s position as a national emblem. 

This project forms part of Kuwait Programme, funded by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science (KFAS).

_{‘Air Conditioners in Kuwait: A Glimpse into Cooling energy Dependency’ - (C) Alexandra Gomes (2020)}