"Kuwait has shown exceptional generosity under the leadership of its Emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad. Despite its small size, the heart of this country was greater than crises, poverty and epidemics."

These were the words of former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon when he called Sheikh Sabah a "humanitarian leader".

On the ninth of September 2014, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad obtained this title, which a ruler had not previously attained, and Kuwait was called a “center for humanitarian work” in recognition of the aid and charitable work it provided to all parts of the world.

Charitable work is one of the main pillars of Kuwait's foreign policy, as it has been known for its humanitarian initiatives since before its independence, which targeted several regions in the world, far from the geographical, religious and ethnic determinants.

Sheikh Sabah has expanded this activity since assuming the reins of power in 2006, thus increasing the volume of relief aid significantly, as 10% of total humanitarian aid was allocated to countries affected by natural disasters or wars, and then followed by official decisions to double the fixed annual voluntary contributions. For a number of international agencies and organizations.

Since 2014, Kuwait has launched humanitarian activities that started with the annual Kuwait International Humanitarian Forum, with the participation of governmental, civil and international bodies, to achieve common goals to serve humanitarian work.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon granted Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad the title of "humanitarian leader" (Al-Jazeera)

Donor conferences


Kuwait also hosted the first three international donors ’conferences to support the humanitarian situation in Syria. The first was held in January 2013, in which Kuwait donated $ 300 million, while the value of Kuwaiti donations increased at the second conference held in January. 2014, to $ 500 million, and donated a similar amount at the third conference held in March 2015.

Kuwait also participated in the Fourth Donor Conference for Syria, which was hosted in London in February 2016, in which Kuwait provided $ 300 million over a period of 3 years.

The role of Kuwait was not limited to the official side and participation in international conferences. Rather, local charitable societies and organizations contributed to supporting government efforts in this aspect, so they launched relief campaigns and delivered aid to those affected by the Syrian people, and the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society and the International Islamic Charitable Organization also contributed great efforts. Relief for the displaced in the countries neighboring Syria.

In Iraq, Kuwait was keen to extend a hand of aid and relief to the displaced and Iraqi refugees, until it is now one of the largest donors, prompting the Iraqi government to praise the Kuwaiti humanitarian efforts aimed at alleviating the human suffering of the Iraqi people.

In July 2017, Kuwait hosted the "Kuwait International Conference for the Reconstruction and Development of Iraq," and the pledges of the countries participating in the conference reached 30 billion dollars, through loans, credit facilities and investments. Kuwait provided Iraq with two billion dollars, which is what they pledged at the conference.

The Kuwaiti political and humanitarian interest was not lost on Yemen, and in 2015 Kuwait announced its donation of $ 100 million, to alleviate the human suffering of the Yemeni people.

As for the Palestinian issue, it is still receiving great Kuwaiti attention, especially with regard to the relief of the Palestinian people for decades, and while the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was constantly complaining about the low level of donations it received, Kuwait used to make donation after donation to cover the needs The agency, in 2009, provided $ 34 million, followed by $ 15 million in 2013.

During the reign of Sheikh Sabah, Kuwait hosted donor conferences for Syria and the reconstruction of Iraq (Al Jazeera)

A charitable march The


head of the Kuwait Center for Documentation of Humanitarian Action "Fanar" - Dr. Khaled Al-Shatti - confirms that Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad's humanitarian march is an extension of the charitable march of the rulers belonging to the Al-Sabah family, which dates back about 400 years, as they had white hands not only inside Kuwait, but also To neighboring regions and tribes.

Al-Shatti added, in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, that the role of the Kuwaiti people and their humanitarian contributions since ancient times through societies, charities and charitable committees attest to this, the popular initiatives and the continuous support they provided for many humanitarian projects in Asia and Africa, and the good hands that extended to many Of the needy in all parts of the world, especially during famines and natural disasters.

He explained that Sheikh Sabah was known for his charitable and humanitarian work, which accompanied his diplomatic work spanning nearly 50 years, as he headed many humanitarian organizations inside and outside Kuwait.

In the fifties of the twentieth century, Sheikh Sabah headed the Department of Social Affairs (equivalent to the Ministry of Social Affairs now), and also headed the Kuwait Fund for Development, which authorized him to extend a helping hand to many afflicted countries that suffered from wars and natural disasters.

In his capacity as Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah honorably headed the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, which is the executive arm to deliver donations and humanitarian aid to those who deserve it, whether inside or outside Kuwait, since its establishment in 1966.

The association’s vice chairman, Anwar al-Hassawi, tells Al-Jazeera Net, Sheikh Sabah’s interest in listening to a detailed explanation from the association’s board of directors, after every task we were doing in the countries we provide aid to, which exceeded 90 countries around the world.

Al-Hasawi says that Sheikh Sabah focused during each meeting on education and the establishment of schools, the importance of introducing volunteer work into the curriculum, and distributing educational materials, because he believed that if the student was not educated and looked after, he would turn to extremism as an alternative.

He added, in response to this, the Kuwait Red Crescent was focusing its attention on the axis of education during the distribution of its aid to needy countries, and education campaigns inside and outside Kuwait were considered essential, in addition to relief and medical materials.

Al-Hasawi demonstrated this by establishing 5 schools at the expense of the Kuwaiti Red Crescent in the Iraqi city of Erbil, as well as maintaining schools that host Syrian refugees in Jordan, in addition to distributing school bags in the Gaza Strip.

Also, the association takes care of the costs of education for Palestinian, Lebanese and Syrian students. Inside Kuwait, the Red Crescent sponsors 5,000 poor families, teaching their children up to university level, by paying them fees.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad embraced the Kuwaiti charitable work that extended to dozens of afflicted countries around the world (agencies)

Harnessing the capabilities of the state


in turn, Saleh Al-Mutairi, the head of the Al-Madar Center for Political Studies, affirmed that Kuwait has put all its capabilities, whether the aircraft of the Ministry of Defense, or the fleet of Kuwait Airways in the service of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society, the best evidence of the importance of Kuwaiti charitable work, and the speed of aid reaching those who deserve it. In the affected areas around the world.

Al-Mutairi said in his interview with Al-Jazeera Net, that the best proof of this is the arrival of a Kuwaiti aid plane in the aftermath of the explosion in Beirut port in August 2020, to be one of the first shipments of aid that extended a helping hand to the Lebanese people.

Al-Mutairi explained that the branches of the Kuwaiti Zakat House are spread in many Arab countries, to provide aid to those in need.

Al-Mutairi explains that the Kuwaiti Red Crescent and the Zakat House are among the arms of the Kuwaiti government that is rushing to donate to countries in need, which is what made charitable work an approach established by the state, apart from charitable societies and committees with various names, whether they are Islamic or liberal and others, all of which are supervised by the government. Through the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.

Regarding the history of Kuwaiti charitable work, Al-Mutairi explains that Kuwait was a pioneer and one of the first countries in the region in supporting the Palestinian cause, supporting Egypt during the tripartite aggression against it, and standing by the Algerian revolution, so there were compulsory and non-compulsory financial deductions to collect donations, including, for example, what He was charging a movie ticket.

Al-Mutairi also listed the date of the establishment of what was known as the "Al-Jazeera and South Association", which was devoted primarily to caring for and educating the people of Yemen.

Al-Mutairi considered that the title of "humanitarian leader" that the United Nations granted to Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and calling Kuwait a "center for humanitarian work" deserves what Kuwait and Kuwaitis have done and are doing in this field, after the country's rulers have established this culture in Kuwaiti society over time, To be the best aid to their Arab and Muslim brothers and citizens of the afflicted countries of various ethnicities, nationalities and religions.