Beyon has officially finalised a major cross-border Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement to spearhead one of Kuwait’s largest ever digital infrastructure initiatives.
The commitment agreement, signed with Kuwait’s Ministry of Communications and the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP), formalises Beyon’s selection as the winning investor for the massive Fixed Telecommunications Network Development Project.
Expected investments are projected to exceed KD825 million over a 50-year partnership term.
The agreement was signed at the Government Communication Centre in Kuwait by Beyon chairman Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Kuwait’s Ministry of Communications acting under-secretary Mishal Al Zaid and KAPP acting director-general Asma Al Mousa.
The high-profile ceremony took place in the presence of Kuwaiti Minister of State for Communications and IT Omar Al Omar, Kuwaiti Minister of Finance Dr Yaqoub Al Rifai, and Ambassador of Bahrain to Kuwait Salah Ali Al Maliki.
The project aims to develop, design, finance, build, operate, and maintain Kuwait’s fixed telecom network through a modern wholesale infrastructure operating model. The joint venture company will completely re-engineer the national network. This includes upgrading transport and backhaul networks, deploying Next Generation Network (NGN) systems, and gradually decommissioning the country’s legacy copper network.
Crucially, the project company has committed to delivering high-speed fibre connectivity to 90 per cent of Kuwaiti plots within the first five years, offering symmetrical network speeds of up to 10Gbps. This rollout will serve as the technical backbone for Kuwait’s future cloud services, artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, smart cities and digital government platforms.
Because the project will be fully financed and developed by the project company, it will impose zero financial burden on the Kuwaiti state budget.
Beyond generating solid financial returns for Kuwait, the enterprise will create specialised tech employment opportunities for Kuwaiti nationals.
Furthermore, once full operational status is achieved, Kuwaiti citizens will be given the opportunity to participate directly in the ownership of the strategic asset via a public offering of 50pc of the company’s shares. Kuwaiti public sector entities will also retain an institutional shareholding.
Mr Al Omar affirmed that the project reflects the state’s direction towards building a diversified digital economy. “This extends beyond the development of a conventional telecommunications network and establishes strategic infrastructure that will serve as the backbone for future digital services,” he added.
Dr Al Rifai added that the agreement underscores the success of the PPP model in attracting top-tier regional investment that yields long-term economic and technical advantages for both the state and society.
Mr Al Zaid noted that Beyon was selected following an exhaustive financial, technical, and legal evaluation process involving intense competition among international consortiums. He stressed that Beyon’s extensive regional experience in managing large-scale fibre infrastructure and implementing structural separation models made them the ideal partner.
Commenting on the milestone, Beyon chairman Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa highlighted the historic, deep-rooted ties between Bahrain and Kuwait as a prime model of Gulf unity and strategic co-operation.
“Beyon will leverage its deep technical and operational expertise to develop an advanced national network that supports Kuwait’s future ambitions,” Shaikh Abdulla said, noting that the network aligns closely with the infrastructure pillars of the Kuwait National Development Plan.
The multi-stage selection process was supported by project advisers Tri International Consulting Group (TICG), Kamco Invest, and Al Tamimi and Company.
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