The name of Kuwait and the people of Kuwait has always been associated with charity work but many questions have remained unanswered as where does the charity money go, or what are the charity projects that have been undertaken by Kuwait, who are the beneficiaries of these projects and why some countries have benefited from more charity projects than the others.
The Al-Rai TV highlighted charity projects during the month of Ramadan which is part of Kuwait’s “Khair Ahli” program, and considered the largest work documenting the goodness of Kuwait and its people. The name of Kuwait has been associated with charity work since its inception, and its history is full of charity work since ancient times
The Kuwaiti Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Salem Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who speaking to Al-Rai TV, during a special interview with said the institutional work began in the sixties of the last century with the establishment of the Kuwait Fund for Development Arab Economic Development and added, “Charitable work is in our blood and we are raised in the belief of helping others and it is a great legacy that we will preserve and be proud of.”
“The Fund’s goal was initially the development of Arab countries, and then expanded to the countries of the whole world. For us, this is a great human legacy, and I believe that charitable work is part of our formation, we grow up and are brought up on it, and I believe that doing good is part of the ‘DNA’ of Kuwaitis,” said Sheikh Salem.
He went on to say, “In the beginning, we granted loans and aid through the fund to help the least developed countries, and to launch projects that help the citizens of those countries to improve their livelihood and lives.
“The Development Fund is linked to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as it is present in all countries of the world and on the ground, and it has communication with countries, their capitals and their leaders. We know the needs of countries and the extent of achievement according to which projects are proceeding to implement them,” he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been associated with charitable work due to the nature of its work, and we are present in the countries as I said, and the Development Fund is also a tool for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our foreign policy to help, and as we know, the charitable association can visit a certain country, but the ambassador, being a resident and living in this country, is more knowledgeable than the association or delegation that will pay a visit to a certain country for a period of one or two weeks, for example and we have Kuwaitis who assess the needs and follow up on the implementation of projects, which is very important.
Speaking of the areas on which the ministry focuses its activities in the countries, the Foreign Minister said, the fund registers applications in many countries, and the leadership of the fund and its board of directors consult the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on these matters — technical matters related to it, in order to take the appropriate decision by the Board of Directors, and in the event that the project amounts to entitlement to assistance, “we will continue and proceed with it”.
Sheikh Salem went on to say, Kuwaiti embassies abroad are ready to provide all the necessary assistance to highlight the Kuwaiti benevolent efforts. Humanitarian work is Kuwait’s legacy, and we will preserve it and be proud of it.
“As you know, in 2014 Kuwait was named as a center for humanitarian action by the United Nations, and the late Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad as a humanitarian leader. These designations did not come out of nowhere, and it is the first designation in the history of the United Nations to call Sheikh Sabah a humanitarian leader, and all of this only comes through hard and patient work, and a legacy that we are very keen on,” said the Kuwaiti Foreign Minister.
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