Beyond Box-Ticking: Rekindling Kuwait’s Ethics of Excellence for Vision 2035

By Sarah Al Sabah
Government Advisor & Communication Strategist
Special to The Times Kuwait

Governance and Integrity: From Fear to Ownership: Another pillar of Vision 2035 centers on improving governance and institutional performance. How well our government runs and serves the people. This is where the ethic of excellence (or lack thereof) becomes most visible to the public. The issue is not merely procedural when: A business owner encounters endless paperwork or delays to get a license, or a patient spends hours navigating hospital bureaucracy. The issue becomes cultural. Someone, or many people, in the chain are choosing to stick to the comfortable routine instead of asking “How can we do better?”.

Vision 2035 calls for a modernized, efficient civil service that cuts through such inefficiency. Indeed, it seeks to make Kuwait’s public sector a model of transparency, digital innovation, and high performance. Reforms have shifted services online. Processes are being simplified, and oversight bodies like Nazaha (the Anti-Corruption Authority) are making an impact.

In fact, Kuwait’s recent rise in global competitiveness rankings, jumping from 69th to 36th, was attributed in part to strengthening institutions and making integrity ‘a measurable dimension of public sector performance’ . These steps are encouraging, but lasting change will come only when accountability is embraced at every level.

A positive trend is emerging. Accountability is slowly shifting from a feared punishment to a shared value. One groundbreaking initiative in 2024 was the launch of an accreditation system by Nazaha (with international partners) to reward government entities that uphold high ethical standards. Instead of simply catching wrongdoing, this program publicly acknowledges agencies that are “dedicated to strict standards of professional and ethical conduct,” fostering a culture of accountability within Kuwait’s public sector. In other words, integrity and excellence are being incentivized, not just expected.

Such initiatives send a clear message: doing the right thing will earn recognition, and ultimately that builds pride among public employees. Transparency enhances trust in public service delivery, which in turn creates a ripple effect attracting companies and investors who value a clean, efficient environment. When people see real accountability and results, they are more likely to trust and support their institutions.

Top leaders, too, are signaling that the era of laxity must end. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah emphasized the political leadership’s commitment to combating corruption and preserving public funds, backing words with actions. In the past year alone, we saw the government hold officials accountable for scandals (like forged citizenships), activate the Financial Investigations Unit, and even secure judicial convictions against some ex-ministers and senior employees for abusing public office.

These unprecedented moves in Kuwait’s recent history are a clear indication that governance is tightening up. They also serve as a wake-up call throughout the civil service: if you shirk responsibility or misuse it, there will be consequences. Fear of consequences alone is not the ideal motivator, but it is a necessary baseline. It establishes that accountability is real. The next step (and the harder one) is to make accountability welcomed. Accountability is needed to cultivate an environment where administrators and staff willingly own their decisions, admit mistakes, and fix them, rather than hide issues or pass the buck.

How do we reach that point? We must change the narrative around accountability from blame to continuous improvement. Instead of an employee thinking, “If something goes wrong, I will be punished,” they should think, “If I see something wrong, I am empowered to address it.” This requires leadership by example at the very top.

Managers and ministers should candidly set performance targets and report the results, good or bad. When goals are not met, instead of public shaming or scapegoating, there should be transparent analysis and a plan to do better. When innovations are tried, even if they fail, the effort should be acknowledged so that officials do not feel safer doing nothing new. In short, learning and adapting must trump fearing and avoiding.

As one expert noted, embedding data and feedback loops in government can help by making progress (or lack thereof) transparent and measurable, turning government into a “learning state… that rewards innovation rather than inertia”. Tools like real-time dashboards, performance KPIs, and citizen feedback are indeed useful, but the metrics will not change the mindset unless people buy into the purpose behind them.

We need public servants who see a delayed permit not as someone else’s problem but as a personal failure to be fixed. We need public servants who treat citizens’ complaints not as annoyances but as opportunities to improve services. That is the ethos of excellence we seek. Excellence ethos cannot be programmed by software or decreed by law. Excellence must be lived by individuals.

A National Ethos of Accountability: Everyone’s Role: To truly restore a culture of responsibility and excellence, every stakeholder in Kuwait must play a part. From the high offices of government to the everyday interactions at work, each of us can help turn the tide. Here is how different groups can lead the change:

Policymakers and Leaders: Set the tone at the top. Articulate clear standards and live by them. Champion transparency: publish targets and report outcomes honestly. Reward ministries and teams that deliver real results, not just those who avoid mistakes. Most of all, demonstrate humility: when things go wrong, acknowledge it and show a path forward. Leaders who take ownership of challenges create an atmosphere where everyone else will do the same.

Managers and Supervisors: Create a culture that rewards initiative. Encourage your teams to innovate and solve problems, even if it means challenging old protocols. Do not punish employees for well-intended mistakes made in pursuit of improvement. Instead, treat mistakes as lessons and coach your staff to do better. Celebrate employees who go above and beyond, and make it known that ethical conduct and hard work are the surest routes to advancement. Weed out any hint of favoritism, let merit be the currency of success.

Employees and Civil Servants: Take pride in your service. Whether you are processing applications at a counter, teaching in a school, or managing a department, understand the impact your diligence (or lack of it) has on your fellow citizens. Do not be that official who hides behind ‘procedures’, be the one who finds solutions. If you see inefficiency or corruption in your midst, have the courage to speak up or suggest a better way. Your job is not just a salary. Your job is a contribution to Kuwait’s progress. Embrace training opportunities to upgrade your skills and mentor younger colleagues in the values of integrity and excellence.

Citizens and Community Members: Demand excellence, and embody it. Hold your government accountable by staying informed and giving constructive feedback. Support media and civil society efforts that shine light on public performance. At the same time, reflect on your own civic duties. Follow laws and regulations, whether on the road, in business, or in daily interactions. Volunteer in community initiatives; show that Kuwait’s famous sense of solidarity and generosity is alive and well. By expecting more from ourselves, we can justifiably expect more from our institutions.

From Vision to Reality: Reclaiming National Pride: Kuwait has a bold Vision 2035 roadmap, abundant resources, and examples of positive change. Yet, as one commentator described, we have endured a “paradox—an era of reform without reform” in which long-term plans were drafted but implementation repeatedly faltered. We cannot afford another cycle of vision without execution. The missing ingredient is not money or ideas.

The missing ingredient is accountability and pride. It is the intangible resolve that turns plans into outcomes. It is the determination that ‘good enough’ will no longer suffice.

We need to rekindle the spirit that once made Kuwait a pioneer. In the decades after independence, Kuwait was renowned for its forward-looking planners and nation-builders. People took personal responsibility for the country’s development, fueled by fierce national pride. Over time, easy oil wealth may have shifted some focus from performance to patronage, and a sense of entitlement diluted the urgency to excel.

But that trend can be reversed. Indeed, it must be reversed if we are serious about a future beyond oil. The entire purpose of Vision 2035 is to build a new Kuwait. A Kuwait with a vibrant private sector, a knowledge economy, and sustainable prosperity. None of that can be achieved if old attitudes prevail.

Let this be a wake-up call. Kuwait will only become a ‘vibrant diversified economy’ with strong institutions (as Vision 2035 envisions) if we match ambition with accountability at every turn. This means calling out under-performance and celebrating excellence, no matter how small. It means that a clerk processing paperwork diligently and helpfully is as much a hero as the minister unveiling a grand project. For both are delivering on our promise to ourselves. It means making integrity our national brand, so much so that doing things the right way becomes part of Kuwaiti identity. No KPI or development metric can fully capture the importance of that shift. It is a change in mindset: from ‘I just work here’ to ‘I am contributing to my country’.

As we push forward, we should take heart from signs that Kuwaitis want this change. Our youth, especially, hold high expectations shaped by global best practices. They do not understand why a simple service here should take days when it takes minutes elsewhere, or why mediocrity should ever be tolerated. Their frustration can be a positive force if we channel it into constructive reform and civic engagement. When people see genuine reforms, such as a licensing process sped up, a corrupt official held accountable, a teacher going the extra mile, it validates their hope that Kuwait can indeed reach the heights to which it aspires. We owe them, and ourselves, nothing less.

In the end, reclaiming the ethic of excellence is about rediscovering who we are. Ours is a nation that has overcome adversity before through unity, faith, and hard work. From rebuilding our country after the invasion, to earlier generations who toiled so that their children could enjoy education and opportunities. Kuwait’s story has always been one of resilience and pride. Let us tell that story again, not as nostalgia, but as a rallying cry for the present. Let us make accountability a source of confidence, not fear. Let us ensure that when each of us signs our name to a piece of work—be it a policy, a project, or a day’s labor—we do so with the conviction that it represents our very best effort.

The road to Kuwait 2035 will not be paved by half-measures or hollow compliance. Vision 2035 is achieved by genuine commitment and excellence in every field of endeavor. If we all choose to go beyond box-ticking and hold ourselves to the highest standard, there is no limit to what Kuwait can achieve. The reward will be more than economic growth or international rankings. The reward will be a renewed sense of national pride grounded in real progress and integrity. That is the Kuwait we all want. It is the Kuwait we can build, together, starting now.

Editors Note: This op-ed examines the cultural foundations required to realize Kuwait Vision 2035, arguing that national transformation depends as much on responsibility, accountability, and pride in public service as it does on policies and investments. The article invites reflection across leadership, institutions, and society on how excellence is practiced, and experienced, in everyday governance.