- In an exclusive farewell interview on the eve of his return to his home country, His Excellency Miguel Moro Aguilar, the Ambassador of Spain to Kuwait, spoke about his first day in Kuwait with his family amidst the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Ambassador Aguilar noted that he will miss Kuwaiti and expatriate friends after his departure, along with the Kuwaiti food that gave him extra weight, and the diwaniya—a traditional gathering place—where he enjoyed the company of wonderful Kuwaitis who still maintain family traditions similar to those found in Spain.
Ambassador of Spain H.E. Miguel Moro Aguilar, in a message ahead of his departure from Kuwait, stated that he was immensely proud of the large network of Kuwaiti and expatriate friends he built during his four-year tenure in Kuwait, and that the memories of Kuwait would forever remain in his heart
In a recent exclusive interview with local Arabic newspaper, Al-Jarida, Ambassador Aguilar, spoke about his four years in Kuwait noting, “It may have been four years, but it felt like it flew by. It was undeniably a beautiful part of my life.
I arrived with my family in July 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, coming from Southeast Asia. The airport was still closed at that time. Despite the challenging circumstances, I immediately sensed the eagerness of the Kuwaiti people to meet with me and discuss my country. They were particularly interested in the visa issue, as thousands of them own property in Spain. Over these years, I have had many enriching experiences, largely due to the excellent relationship I developed with the Kuwaiti people.
“In Spain, we have a saying that a person who has a friend has a treasure. I have developed very close relationships with many Kuwaitis and residents here. It has been a beautiful relationship, and I felt its depth recently, with many people wanting to say goodbye or express their gratitude for the friendship we shared in Kuwait. I cannot count the large number of friends I have made.”
Asked what he would miss most about Kuwait, the Spanish envoy said: “I think what I will miss most is the people. When I came here, it was not my first time in Kuwait. I visited twice before — once when I was working in Iraq more than 20 years ago, serving as Deputy Head of Mission at the Spanish embassy in Baghdad, and again ten years later for some political consultations. In mid-2020, I came for the third time to take up my first ambassadorial position in my career. I noticed changes, such as the tall towers that were not there during my previous visits.
“Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, people made it easy for me by inviting me to their homes and diwaniyas, allowing me to get to know them better. I will definitely miss them, and I believe we will stay in touch, especially since many of them visit Spain and own properties there.
“I will also miss the delicious food, although I will be glad to stop eating so much, as it’s easy to gain extra weight due to the great cuisine in Kuwait. I really appreciate the Arab style of hospitality in general and the Kuwaiti style in particular. I will miss the diwaniya, where we gather to talk and exchange news — a practice that is becoming rare in this fast-paced age of the Internet and social media. However, you can still attend these diwaniyas and make new friends.
“The wonderful thing about Kuwaitis is that they maintain their traditions through mutual visits with family and friends on most occasions, something that is also found among the Spanish to this day. Because of this, I never felt like I was in a foreign country.
“I have also felt that Kuwait is one of the best countries for any diplomat to serve. I had a similar experience when I worked in Panama because of the way people treated me and the fact that they spoke Spanish. In Kuwait, I felt very welcome from the beginning. I found many open doors and felt there were numerous opportunities for collaboration. So, I think Kuwait is among the best countries for any diplomat.”
Elaborating on his experience serving as an ambassador in Kuwait, the Spanish diplomat said. “This was my first time serving as an ambassador, which meant greater responsibility compared to my previous roles as deputy ambassador and counselor in different embassies. I believe Kuwait helped me significantly in building relationships and handling new experiences, especially with complex international situations due to the crises in the Middle East. We had to manage these issues with very broad diplomacy. My experience in Kuwait was very enriching, and I think the country has traditionally played an important role in several regional and international crises.
“Kuwait has been a point of reference in the crises of the Middle East, starting with the Iraqi and Syrian crises, passing through the Yemeni crisis, and reaching the Gulf rift. It also played an important role at the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war and intervened to address this issue in the United Nations General Assembly. I believe you always learn from Kuwait’s pivotal roles and diplomatic efforts.”
Ambassador Aguilar revealed that his replacement in Kuwait would be Ambassador Manuel Gamayo, whom he described as a very experienced diplomat with a long and distinguished diplomatic career. “I am sure he will do a great job, and he doesn’t need much advice from me, especially on consular matters. But if I had to say anything to him, it would be: ‘Don’t be surprised by the weather when you get to Kuwait’. I think he already knows the region well, as he was the deputy chief of mission in Saudi Arabia.
Expanding on Spain’s tourism attractions, the ambassador noted, “Spain is the world’s second most popular tourist destination, and we are on track to become number one, especially as we expect to exceed 120 million tourists in the next few years. Last year, Spain had around 86 million tourists, which is an incredible number, especially in the summer. Fortunately, we have one of the top ten infrastructures in the world. Our airports, ports, roads, and high-speed trains are fantastic. We have the second longest high-speed railway network in the world after China, and we are first in Europe in terms of kilometers. So, we have all the necessary services and facilities to host the many people who visit my country.
“However, this can be exhausting for some areas, particularly coastal regions in the summer. We will continue to promote tourism, but we aim for it to be more diverse throughout the year and not just concentrated on the beach. This year, we opened a direct line from Kuwait to Madrid and Barcelona, helping to rediscover and market Spain globally. Spain is the second most mountainous country in Western Europe, offering all kinds of sports, and our cuisine is among the top five cuisines in the world.
“We have worked hard over these years to broaden perceptions of Spain among visitors, and we have succeeded. I think people are now more aware of Spain’s diverse offerings. Promoting tourism in a more balanced way was one of the main goals for my team and me in Kuwait.”
Asked about any last words ahead of his departure from Kuwait, Ambassador Aguilar stated: “I was very happy to be among you these past years. I think Kuwait is a beautiful country, mainly because the people are so welcoming. I and my colleagues know that in other countries, it is not always easy to communicate with the locals. The Kuwaitis and residents here are very interesting, and I have managed to make wonderful friends. Spain is a very close friend of Kuwait, and I am sure that in the future we will continue to strengthen our relations, which are almost 62 years old. Personally, Kuwait will always remain in my heart as a very important part of my life.”
