Ad-Dir'ah.. There is none like Ad-Dir'ah
When do you realize that the phrase “Kuwait… its dirham is unlike any other dirham” is not merely a slogan repeated on occasions, but a truth we must believe in with all our senses and emotions? You do not discover the value of Kuwait while you are living in it; rather, you discover it when you leave it for a period beyond short-term tourism. When traveling, you are a tourist for a few days. But when your stay abroad lengthens, and you live for weeks or months, beginning to navigate the details of daily life—needing a doctor, a pharmacy, a laboratory, a health center, transportation, a grocery store, a bank, government services, and security—the beautiful tourist image falls away, revealing the reality of life. When you compare this reality with the situation in Kuwait, a general feeling of gratitude for your country, Kuwait, awakens within you. At that moment, we realize that the phrase “Kuwait… its dirham is unlike any other dirham” is not just words you recite on special occasions, but a truth you must embrace with all your being.
Many advanced countries possess strong economies but lack easy access to healthcare. In such places, you may wait weeks or months for a doctor’s appointment, pay exorbitant amounts for basic services, or get caught in a cycle with insurance companies before even seeing a physician. In Kuwait, despite all the criticism—and here I am speaking about the health sector as an “example”—healthcare services have recently seen clear development in organization, digital transformation, ease of scheduling, and the expansion of hospitals and specialized centers. This progress extends to other aspects as well.
In Kuwait, security is no longer news-worthy because it has become part of daily life. We go out and return, considering peace of mind a natural state, whereas for millions around the world, it remains a dream. In Kuwait, too, society still maintains its human bonds. The family is close, parents are present, neighbors know each other almost intimately, and social relationships remain warm. Even the standard of living, (despite the price increases we complain about), remains in many respects more compassionate than in countries where people pay most of their income for rent, insurance, healthcare, taxes, and transportation, leaving little of their salary remaining. I am speaking here in general terms.
Our problem in Kuwait is that we have become accustomed to these blessings, to the point where they seem ordinary to us. We do not notice them until we lose them, and we do not compare them until we experience life elsewhere firsthand. None of the above means that Kuwait is without flaws or in need of reform. Every nation requires continuous development, and every service can become better. However, there is a significant difference between someone who criticizes because they seek reform, and someone who speaks as if their country possesses no merits whatsoever. Fairness demands that we acknowledge what has been achieved, thank God for what we have, preserve it, and call for its development rather than its destruction. Nations are not measured by perfection, but by the security, dignity, stability, and decent life opportunities they provide for their citizens.
Perhaps the most beautiful lesson we learn from travel is not only getting to know others, but returning having rediscovered our own country. Yes… after every long journey, certainty grows that this small land holds blessings that many of its own people do not fully recognize, and that gratitude to God for them is always obligatory. The blessings of homeland—security, care, stability, and social cohesion—are not guaranteed; they are great favors deserving of our thanks to God morning and evening, and of our preservation, just as we preserve what is most precious to us.
Iqbal Al-Ahmad
