KUWAIT CITY// A gift from the emir has given all Kuwaitis more to celebrate than the country's 50th anniversary of independence from the United Kingdom today.
"We stay in Kuwait for the celebration every year, but it's even better this year; it's Liberation Day plus 1,000 KD [Dh13,155]," said Ali Jawad, a mechanical engineering student, as he shopped for a new television in the Electrozan electronics store in Salmiya this week.
"I was going to go to Barcelona and Madrid to watch football, but my wife doesn't like sport, she loves to shop, so we're going to London instead, and I'm also going to buy a television," Mr Jawad said. "It's a gift; you should enjoy it."
Sceptics say "the gift" comes at a convenient time to placate the population when unrest is spreading in the region, but the practice has a much longer tradition in Kuwait. Emiri grants are just one of the methods employed by the rulers to distribute the state's prodigious oil wealth.
The electronics shop's tills were busy checking out plasma televisions, digital cameras and kitchen appliances. It is a scene that is being repeated in shops all over the country. This week, every Kuwaiti man, woman and child were gifted 1,000 Kuwaiti dinars from the emir to celebrate National Day, Liberation Day and the emir's coming to power.
Hamad al Turkait, 24, a Shuaiba Port employee who was carrying a new laptop and camera, said: "It's a large amount, it's very good. It's more than my monthly salary."
"The money has helped people with loans to pay off their debt and others to build extensions to their houses. My friend and his wife have six children, they're going to buy a Chevy Tahoe with the 8,000 dinars," Mr al Turkait said. "It's right that we should get gifts now and then, because we have so much oil."
Citizens are entitled to free education, health care and generous pensions. A vast array of subsidies allows Kuwaitis to purchase water, electricity, petrol, material to build houses and even bread at prices well below the market value.
"It's not like the countries of Africa, where the oil rent doesn't reach the people," said Bassam Fattouh, a professor at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. He said even thought the systems of distribution have created inefficiencies, "it's a positive story".
Generous salaries and benefits have made jobs in the country's ministries and authorities more attractive than the private sector. Ninety one per cent of Kuwaitis work for the government. Productivity is believed to be much lower in the overstaffed public sector.
Another method the government employed to enrich its citizens from the 1950s to the 1980s was state purchase of private land at inflated prices.
Abbas al Mejren, the director of Kuwait University's energy and environment unit, said: "It's a big change in the standard of living. Though the prices went up, they are still able to afford more." He estimated that salaries have quadrupled in 30 years, giving locals twice as much spending power.
The money used by the government comes, of course, from oil. Since oil was discovered in Kuwait in 1938, it has become the world's 10th largest producer. It produced about 2.5 million barrels per day in 2009, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
"It has changed our society enormously," said Bodoor Sayed Omar, a member of Kuwait Oil Company's information team at the company's offices in Ahmadi, a city that was originally built to house British oil workers. "We're definitely a richer country. When I was younger, there wasn't as many high buildings and fancy cars."
As Kuwait's wealth increased, the benefits trickled down to the population. In 1975, the literacy rate among adults was 59.6 per cent, according to statistics from the World Bank. By 2007, this figure had increased to 94.7 per cent, one of the highest in the Arab world. Life expectancy at birth, which was just under 60 in 1961, had climbed to 78 in 2008.
Despite the improvement in living standards Kuwaitis have witnessed since independence, many believe the country's economy has failed to keep up with its neighbours. In the Gulf Co-operation Council, Kuwait is the least popular destination for foreign investment, ranked lowest in the World Bank's 2011 ease of doing business index.
"We did not have a new hospital built over the last 30 years, we are still teaching in schools that were built 40 years ago," Mr al Mejren said. "The major [infrastructure] expansion we had was in the 1970s after the oil-price increases."
The government is trying to reverse the trend with a four-year plan to boost investment in a range of sectors including transport, health care and energy.
Mr al Mejren said the economy is waiting for the government to start implementing the plan "because this is the only way to exit from the situation we are in".
jcalderwood@thenational.ae
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company Profile
Company name: Fine Diner
Started: March, 2020
Co-founders: Sami Elayan, Saed Elayan and Zaid Azzouka
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and food delivery
Initial investment: Dh75,000
Investor: Dtec Startupbootcamp
Future plan: Looking to raise $400,000
Total sales: Over 1,000 deliveries in three months
HEADLINE HERE
- I would recommend writing out the text in the body
- And then copy into this box
- It can be as long as you link
- But I recommend you use the bullet point function (see red square)
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- That's about it
Asia Cup 2018 Qualifier
Sunday's results:
- UAE beat Malaysia by eight wickets
- Nepal beat Singapore by four wickets
- Oman v Hong Kong, no result
Tuesday fixtures:
- Malaysia v Singapore
- UAE v Oman
- Nepal v Hong Kong
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Visa changes give families fresh hope
Foreign workers can sponsor family members based solely on their income
Male residents employed in the UAE can sponsor immediate family members, such as wife and children, subject to conditions that include a minimum salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh 3,000 plus accommodation.
Attested original marriage certificate, birth certificate of the child, ejari or rental contract, labour contract, salary certificate must be submitted to the government authorised typing centre to complete the sponsorship process
In Abu Dhabi, a woman can sponsor her husband and children if she holds a residence permit stating she is an engineer, teacher, doctor, nurse or any profession related to the medical sector and her monthly salary is at least Dh 10,000 or Dh 8,000 plus accommodation.
In Dubai, if a woman is not employed in the above categories she can get approval to sponsor her family if her monthly salary is more than Dh 10,000 and with a special permission from the Department of Naturalization and Residency Dubai.
To sponsor parents, a worker should earn Dh20,000 or Dh19,000 a month, plus a two-bedroom accommodation
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
THE SPECS
Touareg Highline
Engine: 3.0-litre, V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 340hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh239,312
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 2 Bournemouth 1
United: Sharp (45 2'), Lundstram (84')
Bournemouth: C Wilson (13')
Man of the Match: Jack O’Connell (Sheffield United)
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight Championship AJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
