The aerial photo taken on Jan. 1, 2020 shows employees from China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) taking part in a walkathon in the desert in Jahra Governorate, Kuwait. China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) held a walkathon on its construction site in Kuwaiti desert to celebrate the New Year on Wednesday. More than 1,000 Chinese and foreign employees of CGGC participated in the event. (Photo by Chen Cichao/Xinhua)
KUWAIT CITY, Jan. 1 -- China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) held a walkathon on its construction site in Kuwaiti desert to celebrate the New Year on Wednesday.
More than 1,000 Chinese and foreign employees of CGGC participated in the event.
At the opening ceremony, 240 trucks and other construction machines were arranged in the desert to form the English abbreviation of the group "CGGC."
The participants wearing colored T-shirts with CGGC's logo, held their national flags while running along the road.
Despite the cool wind, the Chinese and foreign employees cheerfully finished the walkathon. Some foreign employees delightedly shouted "Happy New Year" to each other during the walkathon.
Li Minggang, Chinese ambassador to Kuwait, said at the opening ceremony that the walkathon shows the healthy spirit of Chinese companies.
CGGC is contributing to the construction of Kuwait's livelihood project, Li noted. "I hope that our team will achieve greater achievements in the new year."
He Baisen, general manager of CGGC's infrastructure networks at the AL Mutlaa Residential Project, said that the employees are whole-heartedly working at the construction site.
"In the new year, our team will continue to work hard to help the Kuwaiti people in pursuit of a better life," he noted.
Mohammed Abd ELbaky Aabbas Zalhaf, a foreign engineer of CGGC, said that it is the third time for him to participate in such activities organized by CGGC.
"I am very happy to celebrate the New Year with my Chinese brothers," he said.
"It will be a beautiful and prosperous year and I wish all our brothers and CGGC a happy New Year," he said with a smile.
Sherif Salah, another engineer of CGGC, told Xinhua that he loved the activity very much.
"The new year has come and I hope that CGGC will achieve outstanding achievements in Kuwait and other parts of the world," he added.
CGGC's infrastrure network is part of the Kuwaiti AL Mutlaa Residential Project, an important welfare project able to accommodate 400,000 people upon completion.
The construction site of CGGC covers nearly 30 square km and the construction was started in April 2017.
