Who Fills the Void... From 'Saddle Your Horses' to 'Put on Your Bishut'!

It may be useful to reflect on the unintended consequences of some major social shifts, apart from positions supporting or opposing them.

During a dinner hosted by a foreign dignitary in Kuwait, with a visiting delegation in attendance, I was surprised to see some guests watching with bewilderment a growing phenomenon on social media, wondering about its causes.

Short clips show sheikhs and social figures stepping out of their cars or entering diwaniyas (traditional gathering spaces), filmed in slow motion and accompanied by songs praising majesty, courage, and the beauty of eyes. The creator of such clips may be a man in his twenties or someone over seventy. One female guest even wondered whether this was a means of self-promotion for the purpose of marriage.

I laughed, and when the guest asked for my interpretation of this phenomenon, I told her that I had no definitive explanation, but that it might be linked to the void that has emerged in Kuwait’s public landscape. A country accustomed to the noise of around fifty parliamentarians, hundreds of news services, statements, and competing personalities vying for attention now faces a different reality.

I added that the anti-corruption campaign, along with the judicial rulings that affected figures who once wielded influence and prominence, may have contributed to reshaping traditional circles of power, leaving space for new faces to emerge.

Perhaps the convergence of these shifts has paved the way for a style of visibility that presents the individual as an event in itself, rather than as someone with achievements worthy of coverage.

We are not dealing with a person who delivered a paper at an international conference or presented a community initiative, but with someone who simply dressed up, got into his car, and headed to a social gathering, turning the details of his attendance into a video set to music such as “Ya Bu Aynayn Sud wa Waasaa” and “Zayed ‘alayhim zawad ya sayyidi.”

The irony is that verses of poetry once sung about courage, sacrifice, and giving up the precious and the rare now accompany scenes of a figure who vanishes, then gets into his car and heads to a diwaniya. It seems that the heroism of yesterday, which once merited praise, is now equated merely with arriving safely at an event and stepping out of the car in front of the camera with composure!

Strikingly, this style is no longer limited to figures with official positions or known public presence; it has extended to unknown individuals in the public sphere who seek to introduce themselves in the same way.

Some of these clips are published without compensation, while others have turned into promotional services with their own prices. There is no harm in accounts charging fees for their services, but the irony lies in those who pay money to appear before the public, as if their presence automatically attracts media attention, when in fact they are paying for that coverage.

I see nothing wrong with a person’s desire to be visible; it is legitimate, especially under normal circumstances. However, the insistence on these ceremonial displays now, while we are amid threats that affect Kuwait’s security, the region’s stability, and the country’s future, raises questions about the prioritization of issues.

At a time when current challenges demand responsible stances and efforts to strengthen the homeland and support our brothers, scenes of stepping out of cars and entering diwaniyas, accompanied by songs of praise, seem out of step with the gravity and seriousness of the moment.

Perhaps what this phenomenon reveals is not merely a void in the public landscape, but a deeper void in the priorities of some who seek prominence.

After all this explanation, the guest said, “I disagree with you. I think some of them just want to get married!”