Situated in the southern part of the State of Kuwait, Al-Ahmadi Governorate is a strategically important administrative area with a long coastline that faces the Persian Gulf. Al-Ahmadi, which was formally founded in 1946 and named for the late Emir Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, is the central hub of the country's oil sector. Beyond its economic prowess, the province is a singular cultural crossroads that is integrated and governed by national administrative organizations that successfully strike a balance between modern urbanization, social freedoms, and the preservation of long-standing Gulf heritage values.
Former Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Huynh Cach Mang and Former Consul General Khaled Al-Mutairi cut a cake to celebrate the National Day of the State of Kuwait- Photo: Electronic Information Portal of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee
With regard to its economy, Al-Ahmadi features the Mina Al-Ahmadi Refinery—a massive core energy complex spanning 10.5 square kilometers with a crude processing capacity of up to 346,000 barrels per day, operated by the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC). Currently, the province is executing the strategic "Clean Fuels Project" aimed at upgrading refining capabilities to eco-friendly Euro 4 and Euro 5 standards. Over the years, the cooperative achievements between the two localities have proven highly substantive within the framework of the enduring friendly diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Kuwait. In terms of investment and trade, Kuwait stands as one of Vietnam's top trading partners in the Middle East, with bilateral turnover reaching billions of USD annually and contributing significantly to the strategic crude oil supply chain for the Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical mega-project. The relationship between Ho Chi Minh City and its Kuwaiti counterparts has continually marked meaningful milestones through energy investment promotions, Halal product trade, and high-level delegation exchanges. In particular, regularly held MoUs and economic forums have unlocked a solid legal corridor, driving capital flows from Kuwait's sovereign wealth funds into infrastructure and green energy across the southern region.
Looking toward the future, particularly in the context of Ho Chi Minh City's newly expanded sustainable development space, the City is expanding its partnership networks to attract direct investment and forge strategic alliances with partners from Al-Ahmadi Province across five key areas:
Clean Energy and Green Transition: Partnering in the technology transfer of petrochemical refining with high ecological standards; promoting joint research on renewable energy, carbon emission reduction in heavy industries, and the application of circular economy models.
Specialized Seaport Infrastructure and Logistics: Optimizing international maritime transport infrastructure systems; exchanging management solutions for smart oil, gas, and cargo ports; and enhancing the capacity of cross-border logistics supply chains connecting the Gulf region with Southeast Asia.
Halal Product Trade and High-Tech Agriculture: Collaborating on building supply chains, certification, and export mechanisms for Vietnamese agricultural, aquatic, and food products meeting Halal standards to enter the Kuwaiti market through the Al-Ahmadi commercial gateway.
High-Quality Human Resource Supply and Training: Expanding the scale of joint training, deployment, and management of high-quality Vietnamese technical personnel (petroleum engineers, infrastructure construction specialists, healthcare professionals) to work on key projects in Al-Ahmadi.
Urban Governance and Digital Infrastructure: Cooperating on sharing experiences in developing new mega-cities (such as the Sabah Al-Ahmad smart city model), digital urban governance systems, and sustainable social welfare infrastructure solutions.