Kuwait: 2020 in review

Kuwait City: Like the whole world, Kuwait was not immune to the roller coaster ride that we can call 2020. While we still do not know what 2021 has in store for us, many people, myself included, are wondering: what curve balls will be thrown at us this year, are any life altering changes going to occur and how many more ‘historic’ events will we witness in the coming year?

Trying to not cast such a doom and gloom vision on the last year might be hard due to several struggles we had to endure both on a personal level and as a society/country. The past year Kuwait went through many difficulties from the notorious COVID-19 pandemic to the passing of the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah.

It can be argued that the pandemic shed light on multiple injustices, scandals and years of mismanagement that were taking place in Kuwait, thus forcing a probe into the various cases that dominated the local, as well as international press.

While the year brought about sadness, loss and hopelessness it was also a year of reflection, growth and change, on multiple levels.

On a personal front, many people lost loved ones and their jobs, in addition to being deprived of basic human rights like the right to housing, food and education.

In terms of society, we endured both positive and negative challenges. Some negative outcomes include but are not limited to, being strayed from family members and friends for a long period to celebrating birthdays and holidays online because of lockdowns and travel restrictions.

On the flip side, we saw the power that can occur when we come together and work hand in hand as a collective. While there are several instances of society coming together, I will name a few. We witnessed at the start of the pandemic the overflow of people, from all walks of life, that volunteered to help in whatever way possible, both financially and physically. In addition, we still see the effort by several groups to continue to provide food and essential items to those in need.

As a country, one facing an economic crisis, Kuwait continued its legacy of providing humanitarian assistance in many ways. Help was sent to those near, from the millions in financial contributions that were sent to Lebanon after the horrific Beirut port blast to the ongoing financial support contributed to the Iraqi and Yemeni refugees that continue to suffer due to conflict. While Kuwait handed out a brotherly hand to its neighbors, it also provided assistance to those far as it donated 12 million Kuwaiti dinars to the World Health Organization (WHO), which was distributed to countries that were in dire need of medical and financial support

Looking back at this year, it is easy to say that it was full of surprises and while we all have our own definition of ‘surprise’ here is what would consider some of the main events, good or bad based on your own judgment, of 2020:

January 3

Qasem Soleimani, one of Iran’s top military commanders, was killed by the United States in a drone strike. While the event did not directly affect Kuwait, the heightened tension between the US and Iran created an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear within Kuwait, given the close proximity of Kuwait to Iran and the large US military presence in Kuwait.

February 24

Kuwait reported its first COVID-19 case.

March 22

The first partial curfew was put into place to reduce the spread of the virus. Several businesses, including their employees, were affected since that day as strict measures were put into place limiting everything from operating hours to mobility and accessibility.

May 10

The government imposed a 20-day nationwide lockdown. Everybody was expected to stay indoors, except from 4:00pm-6:00pm where citizens and residents were permitted to walk/exercise outdoors within their neighborhood.

June 8

Bangladeshi MP, Mohammed Shahid Islam, was arrested on charges of human trafficking, money laundering and bribery. The arrest was seen as a step towards dealing with the issue of illegal permit trading which has plagued Kuwait for the past decade and has created multiple problems ranging from the demographic imbalance to human rights violations.

August 1

The airport resumes commercial flights after a five-month halt.

August 30

Curfew is lifted. Kuwait was recorded as the country that underwent the longest consecutive curfew lasting a total 161 days.

September 29

Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, passed away at age 91. His passing was a huge loss to Kuwait as he played a key role in establishing and shaping Kuwait’s foreign policy. He has been applauded as one of the Arab world’s leading diplomats and a global humanitarian, earning him the title ‘Emir of Humanity’.

September 30

Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah, the former Crown Prince, was sworn in as the sixth Emir of Kuwait.

October 8

After the Kuwaiti National Assembly (parliament) unanimously approved Sheikh Nawaf’s nomination for Crown Prince, Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmed Al Sabah was sworn in as Crown Prince.

December 5

Elections for Kuwait’s parliament took place. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the bad weather, voter turnout was high around 70 per cent. The results of the election yielded an all male parliament and 60 per cent change, as only 19 of 44 MPs that ran were re-elected.

December 20

Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah passed away, 80 days after the death of his father the late Emir Sheikh Sabah. His death came as a heavy loss to the people of Kuwait as he was regarded as a staunch visionary, patron of the arts and a key player in battling corruption.

December 21

Kuwait closed its airport, including its land and sea borders, over growing concern of the new COVID strain that was emerging in the United Kingdom and Europe.

December 24

After the arrival of the first batch of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Kuwait launched its COVID-19 vaccination campaign.