August 3, 2016—We are sad to share that Mijbil Almutawa, Vice Chairman and CEO of the Kuwait Scientific Center since it opened in 2000, has died. Mr. Almutawa was a loyal member of GSCA and an ardent supporter of the giant screen community. Abdullah Alshetail, IMAX Theater Manager at the Kuwait Scientific Center, shared the following with GSCA:

“Kuwait Scientific Center, one of the bodies of the of the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, announced the death of its Chairman & CEO, Mijbil Suleiman Almutawa on 27th July 2016 following a sudden heart attack. He was 62 years old. The Scientific Center’s Public Relations and Marketing Manager, Nawaf Al-Rudaini, said the center was saddened by the death of Almutawa, especially since he was at work on Tuesday with his usual vibrancy. Rudaini said Almutawa, who was head of the center since its establishment in 2000, was known for his politeness and encouraging Kuwaiti youth in order to create a generation able to take over future responsibilities and enhance the scientific and knowledge level in Kuwait. He said efforts of Almutawa and his outstanding administrative skill enabled the center to cover its operating expenses from its own revenues, to be the only center of its kind in the world to make this achievement. He added the Scientific Center did not only place itself on the map of Kuwait and the Middle East, but it also left a mark on the world map as an advanced scientific center during the reign of Almutawa.”

Mr. Almutawa was born in Kuwait City and received a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering in 1977 from the West Virginia University at Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. He was president of the North Africa and Middle East Science Centers Network (NAMES) and a member of the American Society for Civil Engineers, American Concrete Institute, Kuwait Engineers Society, and Council of Tall Buildings & Urban Habitat.  

In an article for Ecsite, the European network of science centers and museums, Sawsan Dalaq, Director of the Children’s Museum Jordan, said, “There are not enough words to describe what a unique man he was and how well he represented our part of the world.” Read the full Escite article on Mr. Almutawa here.