KUWAIT CITY, Aug 10: Kuwait Ambassador to India Mishal Al-Shamali has confirmed that there are more than 25,000 Indian doctors and nurses in Kuwait. In a recent interview with the daily, Al-Shamali stressed that Kuwaiti-Indian relations are solid and deeply rooted in history; dating back to the ancient times when the Arabs used the trade routes to the Indian subcontinent. He affirmed the commitment of both sides to further strengthen bilateral relations, strategic partnership and cooperation in various fields. He revealed that the seventh round of political consultations will be held next year in New Delhi and the coming days will witness high-level bilateral visits between the two countries. He said there are approximately one million Indians in Kuwait; while thousands of Kuwaitis travel regularly to the Republic of India, which reflects the excellent relations between the peoples of the two countries.

Cooperation
He stated that political cooperation is a fundamental pillar of bilateral relations between Kuwait and the Republic of India. He affirmed that coordination between the two countries is of great importance in light of political instability worldwide. He added both countries always support the foundations of security and political stability at the regional and international levels, and establishing friendly relations with various countries around the world; especially since India is now moving towards strengthening its relations with Arab countries, particularly the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries with which India has a deep historical connection. He pointed out that the health sector is one of the most important aspects of cooperation between Kuwait and the Republic of India. He affirmed the sector has achieved tangible achievements over the past few years; considering the participation of Indian doctors and nurses in providing health care in the governmental and private sectors in Kuwait, specifically during the corona pandemic.

He added: The competent authorities in both countries are exerting tremendous efforts to strengthen cooperation in the field of public health. They are keen on exchanging views, experiences and visits in a way that serves mutual interests and the continuous development of health services. They also hold meetings to discuss healthcare issues; procedures for implementing agreements and health cooperation protocols; exchanging expertise; and bringing doctors, technicians and nursing staff from India to Kuwait. He stated that “there are about 1,000 doctors; 500 dentists and 24,000 nurses from India. They are highly appreciated for their contributions to the development of the country’s health system. Kuwait is also working hard to strengthen its medical partnership with India to benefit from Indian medical institutions through the exchange of expertise, and by bringing medical and healthcare staff to the country to continue developing the technical and administrative performance in the health sector and to provide the best services and healthcare to citizens and expatriates.”

Relations
He pointed out that educational cooperation and the exchange of cultural and educational programs play a vital role in consolidating bilateral relations between the two countries. “Educational ties were strengthened after the two countries signed several agreements on culture and education; such as the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Education and Higher Education (2017) and a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training (2019),” he disclosed.

He confirmed, “these agreements contribute to facilitating procedures to strengthen cooperation in various fields like student and faculty exchange, joint research, development projects, curriculum design, participation in cultural and educational events, and exchange of best practices and experience, and development of programs related to the needs of students in both countries.” He added a total of 26 schools in Kuwait follow the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum of India; revealing more than 60,000 students of different nationalities, most of whom are Indians, are enrolled in these schools. Some Kuwaitis are completing their postgraduate studies at the most prestigious Indian universities, he revealed.

He asserted that India is considered one of the most important trade partners of Kuwait. He said the trade and investment relations between the two countries have improved significantly and rapidly over the years, as the volume of bilateral trade exchange reached about $13.0 billion in fiscal 2023/2024; while Kuwait is the ninth largest oil supplier during the same period -- about three percent of India’s total energy needs. He indicated that completing the free trade negotiations between the GCC countries and India will lead to economic and trade growth in Kuwait and other countries in the region, not to mention the greater potential for a stronger trade and investment partnership between the two countries.

He said Kuwait has huge investments in India covering several fields -- the most important of which are petrochemicals, considering the total foreign direct investment from Kuwait to India amounted to $10.1 billion as at March 2023 due to the attractiveness of the Indian economy and the amount of foreign investments in India in the few years. He added Kuwait is keen on attracting more Indian investments and talents by adopting a new strategy to encourage Indian investment in a variety of promising sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing, tourism, health and renewable energy.