The Charities Aid Foundation released their yearly World Giving Index and Kuwait scored pretty high in the “Helping a stranger” category coming in 3rd place world wide. Overall though Kuwait barely made it in the top 20 coming in 19th place mostly because of a really low score in the “Volunteering time” category (83rd place). You can check out the full index at the CAF website [Here]
Spoiler: Myanmar came first overall.
Thanks Omair
22 replies on “Kuwait is Super Kind to Strangers”
But very bad with their local expats.
I don’t believe it.
Or rather, the negative experiences quickly pave over those brief but apparent kind-stranger interactions.
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Totally agree, stop focusing on the negative experiences so much…
It makes sense when you consider that this includes zakat.
It also makes sense when you consider that they asked people and people lie… (I’m looking at you Iraq: the “friendliest nation in the world” is kinda hard to believe)
Actually thats very believable. I’ve noticed poorer people are generally kinder when it comes to giving. A quick google reveals this to be a common thing. https://www.inquisitr.com/173189/poor-people-inherently-kinder-than-wealthy-people-study-finds/ (just a random link don’t know how reliable it is).
+1
I can vouch from first hand experience in non-Gulf Arab countries that the people are, by and large, kinder and more open. Sure, yes, there are sour people everywhere, as well as kind people. And those who more poor, yes, are kinder and more giving.
Totally disagree.
I’ve been to:
Lebanon
Jordan
Egypt
& Every GCC state
All of them multiple times and over a long timespan
BY FAR the nicest and kindest are Omanis. They’re actually probably the nicest people of any country I’ve ever been to, it’s shocking how nice they are. Bahrainis are also very nice.
True, Very True.
Omani’s are awesome
+1
How would they possibly ask people and base their survey results on that? Use your head please. I am sure when someone asks you are you kind, yo’re not going to reply, ‘no i’m an evil c*nt’. The survey must be based on experiences, and not by simply asking people in the selected countries if they’re kind or not.
Having said that, why is it hard to believe that Iraq is a friendly nation? Is it because they had a devil of a dictator ruling them for 35 years? Or because for the past 13 years all they’ve been experiencing is bloodshed and no progression? Does that make Iraqis evil people? I’ll have you know, that despite everything Iraqis have been through and are currently going through, they are very optimistic and happy people. Regardless of what is going on around them, they are always laughing and joking and trying to make their situation better by being positive themselves. Look at the 40th pilgrimage in Iraq that happens annually, where 20 million people head to Iraq. Just do a simply google search and read what is written about the hospitality people receive there. Infact, go to iraq yourself, and tell me if you are attacked with any racist or rude comments. Do not make judgments based on a countries past or what it is going through. It is really sad that everyone links Iraqis with Saddam, when infact, they were the first to be persecuted on his list and the ones that suffered the most.
You clearly haven’t been to Iraq bro… stop basing everything on the media mate
Once, I and a group of friends were lost. We had no idea where the nearest bus stop was. A Kuwaiti walked over to us, and offered us a lift to the nearest stop. There was literally no reason for him to walk over and ask what’s wrong. It’s been years but I still remember that kind soul.
Kuwait is Super Kind to Strangers . like seriously !
very less kindness i saw lol
Yeah, right.
This region is very generous with strangers when it comes to hosting for example. I don’t know how US made it to the list!
Its all about charitable donations. As I stated earlier, this part of the world is high up on the list because having to give 2.5% away. In the US there is a caveat that charitable donations are tax deductible. So quite often people give away money to go into a lower tax bracket. So its not really that the people are amazing on the inside, its because there is an external force compelling them to do it.
Having said that, Americans tend to be very generous with their own time for many causes (even coaching kids sports etc..)
Trust me zakat is not forcing/compelling people. I don’t know the exact numbers but I that there are many Kuwaiti Muslims who are too cheap to give a small fraction of their salaries
Its compelling to those who believe in it, and yes there might be ones who don’t pay, but many others do pay, so overall it does have a very positive effect on charitable donations. It’s been well studied and documented in the past, with huge spikes around Ramadan time. Similarly charitable contributions in the US spike around Christmas time (but not because of the baby Jesus, its because the IRS insists the contributions are done before Dec 31 of the same year.)
Not all Kuwaitis are generally hostile towards expats.. This is my experience speaking as an expat , stranger if you will treated by a Kuwaiti. My vehicle had broken down of a side street in the middle of the summer, and I was waiting for a tow truck that I had called. This was on a Friday in the middle of the afternoon and freaking hot as hell. While I was waiting, this SUV pulls up driven by this really nice Kuwaiti gentleman who asks me if I need any help .I tell him thank you but I have already called for help and I am just waiting. I totally expect him to drive away at this point. But, this gentleman is so kind that not only did he offer me a bottle of water from a cooler that he had but also volunteered to wait with me for the tow truck so that I could sit in his vehicle in the A/c rather than roast out in the sun. This man & I till date are very good friends and its amazing to think how we met. Conclusion..yes the politicians make all these crazy declarations against the expats and blame them for everything that is wrong in the country but I’d safely say that the majority of Kuwaiti’s are generally very nice and kind people. At least those who were raised right and taught right.
Don’t believe this at all.
kuwait is probably one of the kindest countries you can find… I’ve traveled a lot and the more I travel the more I appreciate this land… learn to focus on positives and not generalize your negative experiences… I swear to god there are diamonds of souls here and it’s a shame to label every Kuwaiti as a racist and condemn this land as anything but generous and beautiful..