KUWAIT, July 20 (KUNA) — The Kuwait Ministry of Health, through its Healthy Cities Office, recently hosted a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) event focused on the final evaluation of shopping centers participating in the “Muazzaz” initiative, which identifies malls that promote health and wellness for visitors.\nThe event served as a precursor to the official announcement of designated healthy malls across GCC nations.\nDr. Amal Al-Yahya, director of the Healthy Cities Office, stated on Sunday that the evaluation was coordinated and overseen by the Joint Gulf Committee for Healthy Cities, under the guidance of the Gulf Health Council based in Riyadh.\nSince the initiative’s launch in Kuwait in 2023, six shopping centers have been recognized as healthy environments. Currently, evaluators from Kuwait and other GCC countries are reviewing three additional malls that have opted to participate in the “Muazzaz” certification process: Promenade, the Avenues, and 360-mall.\nAmeera Al-Uraimi, representing Oman during her third visit to Kuwait for this initiative, highlighted that Kuwait had developed the framework and guidelines for the program. She also noted that the “Muazzaz” initiative has received endorsement from the World Health Organization (WHO).\nAbdullah Al-Thaman, director of Al-Othman Dar, described Promenade — part of the late Abdullah Abdulatif Al-Othman’s estate — as one of Kuwait’s premier destinations for shopping and recreation.\nHe explained that Promenade received “golden accreditation” in the first round of the initiative, when four malls were certified for a three-year period beginning in June 2024.\nThe certification was awarded based on factors such as safety standards, visitor comfort, availability of nutritious food options, walking paths, a skating rink, and facilities catering to infants, children, the elderly, and individuals with special needs.\nAdditionally, the mall regularly organizes blood donation drives, health awareness campaigns focusing on diseases like cancer, and maintains a first aid station for visitor assistance.\n— news from Kuwait News Agency\n\n— News Original —\nKuwait holds activity for designating healthy shopping malls\nKUWAIT, July 20 (KUNA) — The Ministry of Health, represented by the Healthy Cities Office, has organized a GCC gathering as part of the final assessment of health-enhancing shopping malls engaged in the “Muazzaz” initiative. \nThe meeting was held as a prelude to declaring names of the malls, designated as healthy for visitors in the GCC member countries. \nDr. Amal Al-Yahya, the office director, said in a statement on Sunday that the gathering was organized and supervised by the Joint Gulf Committee for Healthy Cities, under auspices of the Riyadh-headquartered Gulf Health Council. \nUp to six shopping malls had been designated as healthy since the initiative was launched in Kuwait in 2023, Dr. Al-Yahya said, indicating that at present, jurists from Kuwait and the other GCC countries would assess three commercial complexes that accepted to be enrolled in the “Muazzaz” designation — Promenade, the Avenues and 360-mall. \nMeanwhile, Ameera Al-Uraimi, representing Oman in the activity during her third visit to Kuwait for the task, noted that Kuwait had worked out guidelines for the initiative. \n”Muazzaz” has been adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO), Al-Uraimi added. \nMeanwhile, the director of Al-Othman Dar, Abdullah Al-Thaman said the Promenade, the largest of the late Abdullah Abdulatif Al-Othman ‘s inheritance properties, is a one of the most attractive mecca for shopping and leisure in Kuwait. \nHe indicated that the Promenade had been accorded the “golden accreditation” in the first edition of the initiative when four malls had earned the designation for a three-year term starting in June 2024. \nThe Promenade had been selected for safety, visitors ‘ comfort, availability of healthy food, walking lanes, a skating hall in addition to facilities for babies, children, the elderly and special challenges cases. \nMoreover, the shopping complex hosts throughout the year campaigns for blood donations and promoting awareness against disease such as cancer and a first aid section. (end) r nmrv.rk