First Deputy PM honors officers behind historic drug bust

31/08/2026

First Deputy PM honors officers behind historic drug bust

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 31: First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah honored the Drug Control General Department (DCGD) personnel who thwarted the largest drug operation of its kind in the history of Kuwait – the manufacture and distribution of the psychoactive substance, Lyrica. In a press statement, the Ministry of Interior revealed that Sheikh Fahad Al- Yousef granted an incentive to the honorees in recognition of their security efforts and the efficiency and vigilance they demonstrated, which led to the discovery of the intricacies of the case and the arrest of those involved. According to Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, the full support of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al- Sabah is an incentive for the ministry personnel in their fight against criminals.

I had earlier proposed solutions to the Bedoun issue, such as granting them passports without conditions, enabling them to travel freely and look for employment in other countries that could give them citizenship. These solutions also apply to the chronic problem that has long caused Kuwait a headache due to international reports.

Frankly speaking, the percentage of bachelor residents in Kuwait has reached 65 percent, which is a huge demographic imbalance, and majority of the violations are attributed to them. Replacing expatriates with Bedouns under long-term contracts could be one of the long-awaited solutions to the demographic imbalance issue.

Despite the fact that reform cannot be achieved overnight, several problems will be solved once it begins. Expatriate remittances last year reached around KD5.1 billion. Would it not have been better if these funds were spent domestically? If other ministries and government institutions follow the steps of the First Deputy Prime Minister, it will be a source of social stability. If the government decides to provide limited subsidy to the private sector when it employs Bedouns, it will be like killing many birds with one stone. It is now time to solve this problem that has been going on since the 1970s.

By Munif Naif Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff