First of all, His Excellency the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, I must appreciate you for the ‘Kuwait Visa’ platform. It is a step in the right direction toward opening Kuwait to the world. It is in line with the move of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which preceded us years ago when they opened their borders to everyone, enabling them to benefit from this by enhancing trade and building projects, while consolidating a service-based economy. For those who do not realize its importance, this economy is a major contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP).
The Gulf countries’ reliance on oil, without diversifying their sources of income, could ultimately lead to what happened to Nauru – a once-wealthy country, thanks to its phosphate reserves. Nauru got accustomed to rapid wealth without planning for the future, which led to its transformation into a failed State. It is now dependent on international aid. This warning crisis has alerted many countries regarding the need to diversify their sources of income; a step that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Bahrain have taken. Kuwait, however, has lagged due to parliamentary interventions when the National Assembly, in one form or another, was in power.
Despite the excellent steps taken by the Ministry of Interior, those wishing to visit Kuwait for a project, family visit, or tourism continue to face obstacles. This means that the ministry entered through the door of openness, but exited through the window of secondary restrictions that do not exist in the same system of other Gulf states. Previously, a woman wishing to visit her family was required to obtain a ridiculous ‘not pregnant’ certificate (for which Kuwait is unique among all other countries in the world). It also required visitors to present a university degree certificate, among other things that are still in effect, and some complications seem even more absurd.
For instance, expatriates are prevented from bringing certain family members, like grandchildren, because the ‘Kuwait visa’ does not have a box for grandchildren, does not require a set of documents, or has no ‘box’ for uploading such documents to the application. Without a doubt, this means that the effort applied is zero. When someone submits an application and is rejected under the pretext of ‘security restrictions’, there is no explanation for this restriction.
In reality, and other countries around the world, this is clarified in detail, so that people can understand the violation. Perhaps, there is a similarity in names, which deprives Kuwait of the capital that one intended to invest in. Your Excellency, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, no one doubts your commitment to doing everything beneficial to the country.
Nevertheless, we must speak frankly. This is not how things are done. The correct move is for us to see the benefits available in the world and work towards them, so that we can be the best. If we want visitors to come to us, we must make things easy.
However, if the intention is to make things difficult, that is another matter! Your Excellency, the Minister, we address our message to the entire government: Enough with the closure of the country, a result of the approach followed during the time of the National Assembly. Today, Kuwait has about five million people, including four million expatriates. If each of them brings a relative to visit, this means significant economic activity, as well as a GDP that is almost equal to the income of a poor country.
Therefore, facilitate and develop the ‘Kuwait Visa’ platform, following the example of other Gulf countries whose GDPs are many times greater than Kuwait’s. Your Excellency, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, facilitate, do not complicate, so that the flag can visit Kuwait. What matters is that your security is strong and your eyes are open.
