The decision to open up the country is a step toward strengthening economic power. Observers have already noted a revival in hotel activity, and markets are beginning to see renewed energy. This decision was welcomed by a large segment of citizens. However, some voiced opposition, citing concerns such as the strain on infrastructure or the possibility that a visiting expatriate woman might give birth in a Kuwaiti hospital, arguments that reflect nothing more than narrow-mindedness and a lack of serious understanding of what it truly means to be open to the world.
Moreover, those calling for a lockdown are the same voices demanding that Kuwait become more like other Gulf states that are fully open to the world. They often compare Kuwait to these nations, especially in terms of tourism activity, revealing the inconsistency of their arguments and their short-sightedness on a strategic issue that directly contributes to boosting the gross domestic product. If the concern is that the infrastructure cannot accommodate a growing population, then we must take a realistic approach.
Kuwait’s infrastructure has not seen meaningful development since 1992. There has been only maintenance, not comprehensive upgrades. This is a responsibility that falls on past governments, but that does not justify keeping the country closed indefinitely. Second, countries strive to open up to the world to strengthen their soft power, something Kuwait has significantly lost by yielding to an extremist vision and isolating itself.
If the argument against openness is based on preserving cheap services in an attempt to prolong the welfare state, then that is both unrealistic and unsustainable, and this should not be on everyone’s mind. A closed-off country has no future to lean on, as it quickly deteriorates under economic contraction and a lack of viable outlets for tourism and industry.
This is precisely what neighboring countries have come to understand. Once closed off, they are now embracing openness. Indeed, these countries have strengthened their economies through a wide range of activities that lay the groundwork for a more advanced and sustainable future. They are actively working to diversify their sources of national income deliberately and strategically. Therefore, the narrow-mindedness and self-interest that shape some people’s insistence on maintaining the status quo are far from realistic.
They reflect a lack of understanding of the main factors that contribute to a state’s strength and resilience. Those who complain, for example, about electricity consumption, fearing that visitors and tourists will strain the system, are often the very same people who overconsume it recklessly and protest when the government attempts to adjust pricing to curb waste. So when some attempt to compare Kuwait to other Gulf states, we must ask - How is it that some of those countries welcomed over 30 million tourists in 2024, and others, smaller than Kuwait, received around 14 million, while Kuwait saw fewer than four million visitors, including transit passengers?
Does this reflect a vision that serves the country’s economic future? The decision to open up to the world has already been made. What is needed now is an open-minded view of what Kuwait can benefit from in the future. Otherwise, the country risks becoming a case of “tried, but never truly tried.” Demanding that Kuwait be like its Gulf neighbors is illogical, or, as the Levantine proverb puts it, “Don’t eat what’s broken, and if it isn’t broken, don’t break it. Or else, do as you wish.”
