The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) signed a declaration of intent on strategic cooperation in aviation with Airbus on Monday, one of eight agreements Kuwait and France concluded during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
The agreements, memorandums and declarations of intent were signed at Bayan Palace in the presence of Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and Macron, the Amiri Diwan said.
KIA Managing Director Sheikh Saud Salem Abdulaziz Al-Sabah signed the aviation declaration with Benoit de Saint-Exupery, Airbus executive vice president for commercial aircraft sales.
The sovereign wealth fund also signed a joint declaration of intent on cancer care with Kuwait’s Ministry of Health and France’s Gustave Roussy cancer institute.
Sheikh Meshal Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, director general of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA), signed a declaration of intent on encouraging direct investment with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot.
Kuwait’s Ministry of State for Communications and Information Technology Affairs signed an exploratory agreement on data and artificial intelligence with France’s Bertin IT.
The package also includes a letter of intent on defense cooperation, a declaration on civil aviation cooperation, a declaration on academic, scientific and technical cooperation, and a memorandum of understanding between the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and Airbus.
No financial terms or specific projects were disclosed.
The agreements build on a Kuwait-France Strategic Investment Partnership for 2025 to 2035, which identified aerospace, artificial intelligence, digital technology, healthcare and energy transition as areas for expanded investment.
