On July 6, the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine and Kuwait held an online conference with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait, attended by approximately 50 business representatives from both countries.
The event was co-chaired by Gennadiy Chizhikov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Firas Al-Oda, Acting Director General of the Kuwaiti Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting marked the first practical event of this kind between the chambers after a hiatus of more than six years.
The main goal of the event was to establish direct contacts between Ukrainian and Kuwaiti entrepreneurs. The parties presented current trade and investment opportunities and identified promising areas for cooperation.
In his remarks, Maxim Subkh, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Kuwait, emphasized the importance of revitalizing the business component of bilateral relations, particularly in the context of involving Kuwaiti businesses in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction projects.
Gennadiy Chizhikov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, urged Kuwaiti businesses to view Ukraine not only through the lens of the war, but first and foremost as a country of opportunities and a future member of the European Union.
Conference participants discussed the possibility of systematic cooperation through working groups in priority sectors, including agriculture, the food industry, construction, energy, IT, and logistics. The parties also exchanged contact information, presentations, and commercial proposals.
According to the data provided, trade between Ukraine and Kuwait amounted to $336.6 million in 2024 and $90.8 million in 2025. In the first five months of 2026, bilateral trade had already reached $102 million, exceeding the figure for the entire year of 2025.
BUSINESS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, INVESTMENTS, KUWAIT, UCCI, ЧИЖИКОВ
Kuwaiti authorities are preparing to launch a new residency visa for freelancers that will allow foreign specialists to work for themselves without the traditional employer sponsorship system (kafala). The plans were announced by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef Al-Sabah, who noted that the initiative is aimed at combating illegal trade in residence permits and “visa brokers.”
According to media reports, the annual government fee for the new residency category will amount to KD 750–1,000 (in some publications, the equivalent is estimated at about $2.45–3.26 thousand), and the launch is expected within the next two months—roughly in March–April 2026.
As specified, in the first phase, the program may be limited to “simple”/low-risk professions, with preliminary requirements including registration of a confirmed residential address, provision of valid contact details and correct personal information. The full list of areas, application mechanics and final selection criteria are to be announced separately by the competent authorities.
Kuwaiti authorities expect that the new scheme will legalize independent employment, reduce the scale of grey practices in the labor market, and increase budget revenues through direct payment of fees to the state.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree appointing Maksym Subha Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the State of Kuwait.
The corresponding decree No. 534/2025 was published on the President’s website.
In 2013-2017, Maksym Subkh served as Counselor of the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Qatar. In 2018-2022, he was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.
Since 2022, he has been working as Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa.
Oleksandr Balanutsa has been dismissed from the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the State of Kuwait.
The corresponding decree of the President of Ukraine No. 251/2024 was published on April 30 on the official website of the President of Ukraine.
Source: https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/2522024-50513
The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (SSUFSCP) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has opened a new market in Kuwait for Ukrainian producers of poultry meat and poultry products, the press service of the agency reported.
According to the report, the relevant form of international certificate is published on the official web portal of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection in the section “International Cooperation”, in the section “Veterinary and Safety”, in the subsection “Certificates for Export from Ukraine”, as well as in the section “Requirements of the countries of the world”.
The State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection emphasized that the market operator is responsible for food safety and compliance with the requirements of the country of destination, while state supervision and control is a function and competence of the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection.
The first step for exporting food products is a request from the market operator to the territorial body of the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection at the location of the facilities, the agency explained.
As reported, the markets of Azerbaijan and North Macedonia have already been opened for Ukrainian livestock products in 2023.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who is on an official visit to Kuwait, held talks with Walid Al-Bahar, head of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, about projects to rebuild Ukraine.
“In Kuwait, I met with Walid Al-Bahar, acting director of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, to invite Kuwait to participate in the reconstruction of Ukraine. We discussed social and humanitarian projects, in particular the construction of schools and hospitals,” Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
According to the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Walid Al-Bahar said that his foundation is ready to participate in the International Conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine, which will be held in late June in London. He also stressed that cooperation with Ukraine will be one of the fund’s priorities.
The interlocutors paid special attention to the social projects, in particular the construction of new hospitals, schools and kindergartens in Ukraine, as well as the implementation of programs of psychological support and rehabilitation of Ukrainians who suffered during the war.
Minister and the head of the Fund agreed to organize in the nearest future a meeting of experts from Ukraine and Kuwait in order to discuss in detail the prospects of cooperation.
As Kuleba noted that “in the general perspective of post-war reconstruction, Ukraine is likely to become the largest construction site in the world”.
Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development is a state financial institution of Kuwait, which participates in development projects in 105 countries of the world with the total amount of $21,8 billion.
