Kuwait launched on Monday the HORECA Kuwait 2020 exhibition at the Kuwait International Fairground in Hawalli Governorate to promote the development of food service and tourism industry.

At the opening ceremony, Khaled Mahdi, secretary-general of Kuwait's Supreme Council for Planning and Development (SCPD), said that the exhibition has been held for nine years, contributing to the growth of the most vital sectors for the Kuwaiti.

The exhibition is in line with the development plan of Kuwait that focuses on mobilizing all efforts to transform Kuwait into a leading regional financial, commercial and cultural hub by 2035.

Mahdi noted that the tourism sector is one of the non-oil revenue-creating sectors, a status bound to improve with time according to the projections of the World Travel and Tourism Council of a 4.8 percent annual growth until 2028.

The rate will be enhanced with the transformation of the country into a financial and commercial hub and development of cooperation with China under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

For her part, Nabila Al-Anjari, head of HORECA Organizing Committee, said that the exhibition has made a qualitative and quantitative leap and defied many obstacles.

This leap is more valuable because it was achieved at a time when tourism in Kuwait, unlike all countries in the region and the world, was not receiving sufficient attention, she noted.

Kuwait must keep up with the large investments of the private sector and high hopes are pinned on it to realize the ambitions of development plan of the country, she said.

Companies specialized in hospitality, catering and hotel equipment, including international companies which are interested in the Kuwaiti and Gulf markets, participated in the three-day event.