In the name of Allah

“Work and soon God will observe your work, and his messenger, and the believers.  And you will be brought back to the world of unknown and testament, then God will show you all that you have done”

Since my sister and brothers were given the privilege of taking over the management of the Kuwait Football Association (KFA), a year has passed and it has been filled with both challenges and achievements. However, since our election on May 20th, 2022, we have been determined to look to the future with optimism, disregarding any previous conflicts or differences, and to serve as an example of how earnest cooperation and sincere determination are the finest predictor of triumph. It was our conviction from the start that the path to success involves diligent planning, detailed analysis of the challenges, and the development of strategies and remedies for them.

And despite the fact that we have barely finished the initial year of fulfilling this enormous responsibility, my fellow Board members and I have already begun to see the results of our tireless efforts in advancing the game of football in Kuwait.

From the start of my campaign for the presidency of the KFA, I’ve stated that I have a vision for development that awaits the approval and accepted of the elected Board of Directors, and thereafter work would start to realize this vision in a variety of ways.  In fact, this is exactly what took place.  The results of the first hundred working days since the election of the Board of Directors included a real organizational growth in all sectors and various activities of the KFA which were announced in various media outlets, as well as discussed with football specialists.

And now, a year later, we have witnessed actual results and outcomes that represent a qualitative improvements in the football ecosystem in Kuwait.  These are facts that cannot be denied by any reasonable or fair person.

We have sought to bring onboard highly talented technical staff with significant experience in Portugal as well as utilizing all available local talent.  This has energized all national teams in all age categories which was reflected in the level of performance and our international ranking, as well as the return of the fighting spirit and the winning culture that was lacking from our national teams.

It is no secret that the improvement in the refereeing system has helped to elevate the level of all competitions, which resulted in higher competitiveness and excitement in the pursuit of winning titles and championships. At the level of club competitions, we all witnessed the highly competitive level of play of the Zain Premier League with its new format.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Kuwait Sports Club on winning its 18th Premier League championship, making them the league’s dominant winner during the toughest and most competitive season in the competition’s history. The league during this season was conducted with greater professionalism thanks to all players being under pro contracts with their clubs, marking an actual transition from the amateur to professional era.

The Board of Directors has made significant strides in the fields of enhancing the efficiency of all communications and workflows through the use of proprietary electronic platforms. The Board has also taken major steps in protecting the intellectual property rights for all KFA competitions and activities in addition to utilizing all available media tools in improving the coverage of local competitions in a way that is commensurate with the quality of play in these events.

This is all on top of the marked improvement in governance and internal management of the KFA and the transition from paper to electronic correspondence in most matters.  As a result the KFA managed to upgrade its international relations with its counterparts from football federations and regional/international sports bodies.  This also lead to the establishment of warm relationships with local governmental organizations, particularly the General Authority for Sports and all national sports organizations.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of achievements and activities that took place during this year. More information will follow and will be made public in the form of a comprehensive report to be presented during the General Assembly of the KFA, which is scheduled to take place at the end of June. We think there are still a lot of obstacles and challenges in our way. Whatever we aim for can only be accomplished if we work together as one team working towards our common purpose.

I can only conclude by expressing my sincere gratitude to the Board of Directors and my two deputies as well as to all the staff members of the KFA and the General Assembly on their continuous trust and support, and to everyone who has backed the KFA’s initiatives.  I reinforce my commitment to working towards the continued advancement, development, and accomplishment in Kuwaiti football.

Abdullah Ahmad Al-Shaheen Al-Rabee

President of Kuwait Football Association

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