02/02/2026
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02/02/2026
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Kuwait has dozens of charitable organizations, many of which are superfluous due to overlapping mandates, failure to deliver tangible results, or repeated violations that are not met with decisive action by the competent authorities.
So, what motivated or encouraged individuals and religious or sectarian groups to establish such a large number of charitable organizations? While a limited number of these organizations pursue commendable objectives, their sheer proliferation ensures their continued presence, even if the government were to revoke the licenses of some of them.
Moreover, those in charge of collecting and distributing donations – the administrators – are fully aware of the vast sums of money that can be accumulated by exploiting the naïveté of donors. I previously stated that the total donations collected have exceeded tens of billions, and I possess evidence to support this claim. Their approaches have included exploiting sectarian sentiments, issuing warnings about threats to religion, or appealing to the promise of divine reward.
The most recent attempt to collect funds without limits or oversight involved a charity that preyed on the emotions of donors seeking spiritual merit. Within just three or four days, it raised $13 million following an appeal by a Palestinian activist in Gaza, who called for $10 million to rebuild a children’s hospital destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. I intervened, and the relevant authorities cooperated with me.
The campaign was suspended because donations couldn't reach Gaza at a time its residents were being killed by the hundreds every day and were deprived of water, shelter, food and medicine. Under such circumstances, how could a hospital possibly be constructed? After the ceasefire, the young Palestinian man who led the fundraising campaign was killed in internal fighting. I hope the funds remain with the Ministry of Social Affairs, as the donations could easily have disappeared while moving from one intermediary to another.
From this incident, and from tens of thousands of similar cases, it becomes clear that donating abroad has been, and continues to be, the most advantageous option for charities engaged in international activities. I repeatedly warned about the massive abuses committed by these charities, warnings that prompted the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take the necessary steps to halt this decades-long drain on resources.
The ban on funding foreign charitable activities remained in effect for a period, during which the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reduced the number of recognized charities abroad from 1,000 to approximately 400 – a figure that remains alarmingly high. Subsequently, a decision was issued lifting the ban, on the condition that all transfers be conducted through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Recently, this measure was rescinded to avoid involving a government entity in the transfer of donations overseas. Charities were then permitted to send donations abroad through banks and money exchange companies, provided they obtained approval from the Ministry of Social Affairs. In the end, the drain will persist as though nothing has changed.
What many donors – particularly those contributing to charitable projects – do not realize is that more than one-third of their donations end up in the pockets of those running these charities. Even then, there is no assurance that the remaining 70 percent will be spent efficiently or honestly on the intended charitable purpose. The best among you is the one who directs his charity to those most in need nearby.
By Ahmad alsarraf
e-mail: [email protected]
e-mail: [email protected]
