US approves plan to build Kuwait’s new defense ministry HQ
The $1 billion project is part of Washington's attempt to outmaneuver China's growing influence in the Gulf.
Kuwait’s new defense ministry headquarters will be designed and built by the US Army Corps of Engineers and other US-based contractors, if a $1 billion proposal approved by the Biden administration yesterday comes to fruition.
The State Department approved the proposal and notified Congress yesterday. Lawmakers have 30 days to raise an objection, but are unlikely to do so. Other contractors for the project, which is expected to take seven years, have not yet been identified.
Why it Matters: The Army Corps of Engineers has a long history of supporting infrastructure projects in Kuwait, including significant reconstruction following ouster of the Iraqi military from the country in 1991.
The latest proposal comes as American policymakers are eyeing ways to head off China’s emerging influence in the Gulf.
