Al-Muwatin: The True Measure of Development Success
Every time a new project is announced, attention focuses on the contract value, the speed of completion, the scale of spending, and the number of projects that have entered the implementation phase. These figures are presented as evidence of development success. Undoubtedly, large-scale projects constitute a fundamental pillar in nation-building, but the most important question remains: Do citizens truly feel that this development has reflected positively on their daily lives? Development is not a race in the number of projects, nor a competition in the volume of spending; rather, it is a process whose primary goal is to improve human life. If citizens do not perceive a tangible impact from these projects in the quality of services, ease of mobility, access to housing, healthcare, and education, then these figures, no matter how large, will remain achievements on paper rather than in reality.
In Kuwait, development is often viewed through the lens of what projects are being executed, while less attention is paid to the results these projects have had on people’s lives. The success of any road is not measured by the number of kilometers built, but by its ability to reduce congestion and shorten travel time. The success of a hospital is not measured by the number of beds or the size of the building, but by the speed with which patients receive treatment and the quality of healthcare provided. Similarly, a school’s success is not determined by the size of its building or the modernity of its facilities, but by the level of its educational outcomes. A housing project does not achieve its purpose unless it reduces waiting years and provides stability for Kuwaiti families.
Many advanced countries have begun to adopt a more comprehensive concept of development, based on indicators directly related to human beings, such as the level of satisfaction with public services, average healthy life expectancy, environmental quality, the time individuals spend commuting, work-life balance, safety levels, and even feelings of happiness and belonging. These indicators reveal the true impact of government policies because they measure outcomes rather than inputs, and the quality of human life rather than the volume of spending. This does not diminish the importance of large projects, which are indispensable for supporting the economy and developing infrastructure. However, a project should be a means to achieve an end, not an end in itself. How many projects have cost millions yet failed to deliver the expected impact, and how many lower-cost projects have brought about a real transformation in citizens’ lives?
Perhaps the next phase requires rethinking the way we measure developmental success. Instead of merely announcing the number of completed projects, it may be more beneficial for government authorities to also report on the impact of these projects on people’s lives: How much has travel time decreased? How much have waiting lists declined? How much has beneficiary satisfaction increased? These are the indicators that give numbers their true meaning. Development is not what is written in annual reports, but what citizens feel when they leave their homes, visit a hospital, send their children to school, or wait for their right to housing. Only when human life becomes easier, more stable, and of higher quality can development truly be described as successful.
The question that should accompany every plan and every project remains: Will citizens feel the fruits of this achievement? If the answer is yes, then we are moving in the right direction. But if the impact of development remains confined to figures and reports, the question will remain valid: Is development that citizens do not feel really development?
Waleed Ibrahim Al-Khubzi
