PRIME Minister Hun Sen will sign three bilateral agreements with Kuwait, during his visit this week, that are expected to boost tourism and investment with the oil-rich Gulf nation, officials said Sunday.

A Cambodian delegation will visit Kuwait from today to Friday.

The three agreements include a tourism agreement, an agreement to initiate direct flights and a memorandum of understanding for the construction of an irrigation system and a hydropower project in Kampong Thom province.

"The memorandum of understanding on irrigation and hydropower projects will be worth more than US$300 million," Minister of Foreign Affairs Hor Namhong told reporters.

He said Hun Sen will only visit Kuwait on this trip, adding that he will visit other countries in the Middle East later. Cambodia is exploring lucrative land-lease agreements with Kuwait and Qatar.

Kuwaiti Premier Sheikh Nasser Mohammed al-Ahmed al-Sabah visited Cambodia last August to sign trade deals.

Kuwait granted Cambodia an agricultural loan of $546 million in return for food supplies and agreed to provide Cambodian officials with technical training for the petroleum industry.

The loan was the second-biggest aid pledge ever received by Cambodia.

Kuwait reportedly signed investment agreements with nine Asian countries that month.