Gratitude to Kuwait

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Kuwait is the third smallest country in the Arabian Gulf. It is one of the countries of the Middle East. It is located in the southwest of Asia. Its capital is Kuwait City.

Kuwait is a hereditary emirate governed by the Al-Sabah family. It has a democratic constitutional monarchy, and Kuwait is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Islam is the religion of the state, and Arabic is the official language of the state.

In the past, life in Kuwait was very simple, dominated by authentic Arab customs and traditions, such as generosity. Honoring the guest is one of the indigenous traditions of the Arabs, in addition to the fact that the Islamic religion urges honoring and welcoming the guest and smiling in his face.

I was born and brought up in Kuwait, I have spent a large part of my 10 years in this world in Kuwait. The friends and the people I come through every day, though most of them are Arab, they treat me as one of their own and they never make me feel that I am a foreigner.

During the recent pandemic years, the Health Ministry of Kuwait has done it’s best to protect the people who live in this country from the dangerous virus, be it a foreigner or Arab, they treat us the same which is a very rare aspect of a country which cannot be found everywhere, they made sure that our lessons learnt in school won’t go to waste by arranging for offline classes, they also provided vaccination for free to all people residing in Kuwait. During the hardest of times in India, when there were not sufficient oxygen cylinders Kuwait along with the Middle East aided India. Not only does it help us but also provides livelihood for all of us whose parents work here. At the same time, they made sure we don’t get bored by opening parks and beaches etc.

Kuwait is known as the “Hollywood of the Gulf” because of the international popularity of its soap operas and theatres. Kuwait is the only country in the gulf with a theatrical tradition and Kuwaiti poetry film, radio, and television also flourishes in neighboring countries. Kuwaiti soap operas are particularly successful. Various popular musical genres in the region, such as sawt originated from Kuwait and music culture in other GCC countries has been heavily influenced by Kuwaiti music.

The Diwaniyas have existed in Kuwait since time immemorial. In a traditional Kuwaiti house, it is the main reception area where the host receives and entertains his guests. Diwaniyas are an indispensable feature of the Kuwaiti man's social life. Friends and business associates and other guests gather at a Diwaniya after sun set and carry on social discourse right into the late evening or early morning.

Diwaniyas are large buildings with a well decorated halls where there is quick communication and consensus on matters both trivial and critical. They are the core of Kuwait's social, business and political life. These are places where the Kuwaitis discuss matters of great interest. These are places where friends get introduced to others.

This itself shows why Kuwait should be respected for its hospitality, achievements and the way it treats us Indians In Kuwait.

Although one day I will have to leave this country to move to my motherland, the experiences that I get here will always one of the most cherished memories of my life…

Thanking you for reading this article.

Mohammed Dawood, Grade-5, India International School