KUWAIT CITY, Jan 8: In a recent announcement, Dr. Faisal Al-Awadhi, the Director of the Funeral Affairs Department in Kuwait Municipality, unveiled a comprehensive development plan aimed at enhancing cemeteries across the region. The plan encompasses the installation of surveillance cameras for monitoring purposes and a significant expansion of the Sulaibikhat Cemetery.

Dr. Al-Awadhi clarified that Islamic law permits the reuse of a grave after complete decomposition of the remains, but emphasized that in Kuwait, given the availability of vacant lands, such measures may not be necessary. He officially declared the initiation of the cemetery tender, outlining key aspects such as the installation of surveillance cameras and the expansion of the Sulaibikhat Cemetery from the Jahra Road side. These initiatives are integral components of the broader development plan currently underway.

In efforts to streamline administrative processes and improve coordination, Dr. Al-Awadhi disclosed ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Health and the Public Authority for Civil Information. The focus is on establishing an electronic link with the municipality to facilitate the issuance of death certificates, burial permits, and other administrative procedures related to the deceased. Furthermore, he indicated an imminent update to the municipality's Kuwait Funerals application within the next two days.

Exclusive statistics obtained by Al-Rai shed light on the burial landscape in Kuwait over the past 15 years (from 2009 to 2023). During this period, a total of 103,980 deaths were recorded, averaging 6,932 per year. In 2023, the number of deaths reached 6,852, compared to 7,648 in 2022. Notable peaks were observed in 2020 and 2021, attributed to deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic - 10,011 in 2021, 10,198 in 2020, and 6,861 in 2019.

The data revealed that non-Muslim deaths over the 15 years amounted to 3,745. Among the cemeteries, Sulaibikhat registered the highest number of burials at 55,045, followed by Subhan with 21,749, Al-Jaafariyah with 14,751, and Al-Jahra with 8,796.

Here is a breakdown of the yearly death toll from 2009 to 2023:

• 2009: 5,805
• 2010: 5,745
• 2011: 5,847
• 2012: 6,222
• 2013: 6,269
• 2014: 6,396
• 2015: 6,461
• 2016: 6,487
• 2017: 6,623
• 2018: 6,555
• 2019: 6,861
• 2020: 10,198
• 2021: 10,011
• 2022: 7,648
• 2023: 6,852

These developments mark a significant stride toward modernizing and optimizing the funeral affairs services in Kuwait.