Singaporean community in Kuwait celebrates National Day, strengthening bonds of friendship
The Times Kuwait Report
The Singaporean community in Kuwait came together to mark Singapore’s National Day on August 9, bringing together members of the community, friends and well-wishers for an evening filled with national pride, friendship and a strong sense of belonging.
The gathering was hosted by Barathan Pasupathi, Chief Executive Officer of Jazeera Airways, himself a Singaporean who has developed a close connection with Kuwait since taking up his position as CEO of the airline in March 2024.
For Barathan, celebrating Singapore’s National Day in Kuwait carries a personal significance. Living in Kuwait, he said, has given him a deeper appreciation of Singapore’s own journey and of the qualities that smaller nations can draw upon to build successful, globally connected economies.
“Living in Kuwait makes me appreciate Singapore’s journey even more. Both are small nations that understand the importance of aviation, connectivity, trade, openness and global partnerships,” he said.
Singapore’s National Day commemorates its independence in 1965 and is a celebration of the city-state’s journey from its early years of nation-building to its emergence as a major global centre for business, finance, aviation and trade.
For Singaporeans in Kuwait, the occasion offered an opportunity to celebrate that journey far from home. Although the Singaporean community is relatively small, its members contribute to a wide range of professional sectors, including aviation, banking, hospitality, food and beverage, property management and other businesses.
The evening was also a reflection of the growing relationship between Singapore and Kuwait. The two countries share several characteristics. Both are relatively small states that have placed a strong emphasis on economic development, international connectivity, human capital and engagement with the wider world.
Over the years, these shared priorities have created opportunities for cooperation across a range of sectors. Last year’s National Day celebrations were particularly significant, as Singaporeans in Kuwait marked Singapore’s 60th National Day alongside the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Singapore and Kuwait.
At that gathering, Barathan spoke about the considerable potential for greater cooperation between the two countries, particularly in areas such as aviation, tourism, artificial intelligence, smart-city development, banking, transport and logistics.
His experience over the past two years has also given him an increasingly positive view of Kuwait’s potential. “I have been impressed with the progress and developments in Kuwait in the last two years that I have been here, and I see enormous opportunities for diverse development and growth,” he said.
He believes aviation and tourism can play an important role in supporting Kuwait’s economic ambitions, creating new opportunities for businesses while contributing to employment and connectivity.
“Aviation and tourism can play a huge role in economic progress and job growth,” he said.
That vision is closely connected to his current role at Jazeera Airways, where he sees the development of Kuwait as an aviation hub as an important opportunity.
“I feel privileged to live and work in Kuwait now, and at Jazeera Airways we believe in the opportunity to grow the hub in Kuwait, serve Kuwait by developing direct connections to new cities and importantly support growth and jobs ,” Pasupathi said.
His comments underline how aviation can serve not simply as a means of transportation, but as a bridge between economies, communities and cultures. For the Singaporean community, however, the National Day gathering was ultimately about something more personal.
It also demonstrated how expatriate communities can preserve a strong connection to their national identity while becoming an important part of the societies in which they live.
The gathering was therefore both a celebration of Singapore’s journey and a reflection of the friendship between Singapore and Kuwait.
For Singaporeans in Kuwait, National Day provided a chance to look back with pride at how far their country has come while also looking ahead to the opportunities that lie in building stronger connections with the country they now call home.
In that sense, the evening captured something larger than a national celebration: the ability of people, communities and institutions to build bridges between nations, one friendship at a time.
