Rich visitors turn beggars in Kuwait

• On the face of it, the caption looks like self contradictory, absurd and funny and even may not appeal not to you only but me as well but yet let me pen it quite emphatically and categorically that it is neither a self cooked story nor an imaginary fantasy but a ground reality duly punctuated with facts and figures resulting in that it can not and should not be disbelieved in any case. The phenomena and the problem will be tackled and discussed in length from variety of angles so that it can be understood in crystal clear terms without any shadow of doubt and or ambiguity.

• Ramadan is the holiest month in Islamic almanac and the Muslims all over the world, irrespective of their topographical situation, race, gender and age etc do observe it with full fervor and sanctity and Kuwait being an Islamic country simply can not be an exception to the internationally accepted principle and practice. The holy month has nothing but lot of blessings for the Muslims and therefore quite naturally each of the Muslim tries to cash the same in any form and manifestation. Allah Almighty has promised Muslims to reward them manifold during the month as against the efforts they do during the month which itself has its own magnetic force for the followers.

• Kuwait is a highly placed as per CIA World Fact Book showing per capita income of US $ 54,100 which quite automatically attracts lot of expatriates both male and female from all over the globe to visit the tiny oil exporting country and earn whatever they can either permanently or temporarily. The country has more expatriates than Kuwaitis itself proves beyond any shadow of doubt that in Kuwait one earns quite handsomely either on long term employment or short period employment. Quite a sizeable people from US, UK and European countries substantiate to the point that had Kuwait not been a monetarily attractive place the lot under reference had not expatriated here which is a dry place in any case and attractions like drinking and night clubs etc do not exist. No denying the hard fact that all those who, one way or the other, are toned and tuned to such colorful and gay life will not instantly leap towards Kuwait unless and unless such feelings and attractions are taken over and overpowered by extra monetary gains and this is what is the bottom line.

• Any expatriate wishing to come to Kuwait needs an entry visa which can be either an employment visa and or a visit visa. The employment visa which ensures employment for the visitor in the country with the sponsor who gets the visa issued is not that easy in any case so the other alternative which is comparatively a bit easier to some extent in a codified manner is to get a visit visa to come for a shorter period. Innumerous people are visiting the country each and every year on visit visas for various reasons from each continent which is decades old practice and there in nothing wrong or fishy in any case. However, for quite many years, it has been observed by the immigration authorities who are responsible to issue visit visas that quite a good number of visitors are coming to Kuwait from certain countries before or during the Holy Ramadan month and it naturally alerted the concerned official quarters.

• Kuwait is not only an Islamic country but Arabic speaking as well and consequently Holy Ramadan has a special meaning and attraction for those outsiders who are expert in playing with the religious sentimental attachment of others particularly in this month. These visitors who not only very well understand but also know the art to arouse the inner feelings of others so why not to practice the same over Kuwaitis who carry big purse. They very well plan all the logistics of the game which includes as to who to contact and when to so that the visit visa is obtained right on dot, neither much before nor after otherwise their purpose is at least dented partially if not fully spoiled. From the point of the visitors, it is a project of huge investment both in terms of time and money and consequently it demands of very minute and strict evaluation if the trip can be monetarily viable beneficial otherwise it is nothing but folly to trip all the way to Kuwait unless some one is interested to see Kuwait Towers, Ice skating rink, sand dunes and green houses of Wafra etc.

• First and the foremost hurdle they face is that of getting a visa which could be either obtained free or against some payment but the baffling question is how to get a visa which itself is an uphill task to a great extent. Kuwait too like may other countries has a policy to issue visa on arrival at airport but only to very limited categories of people like citizens of US, UK, European countries and or those who are certified managers and hold resident permits of GCC which include Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates and not otherwise. Of course, Kuwait does issue visit visas to businessmen and businesswomen but then they are to be certified as such and the company which is interested in them will get business visas issued to them. Even hotels, particularly expensive ones can obtain visit visa for those who are to stay with them during their stay in Kuwait, Resident expatriates like me are entitled to sponsor blood relatives to visit them for few weeks to meet their loved ones provided they are earning handsome money and therefore quite a lot of visitors do come and trip to the country under this category.

•  In all fairness, each and every aspirant sitting back home but wishing to visit Kuwait during Ramadan for begging only is to sit down quietly and work out all plus and minus before embarking upon the venture. He or she, as the case may be, is to keep in mind as to how much to spend on getting a visa, in case if it is not free, then add the cost of air return ticket from their country to Kuwait and back and lastly the local expenses during their stay in Kuwait. Once they know how much will be the total expenses they are to audit how much they can earn during Ramadan and if they find out that their income will be much more than their expenses then it is prudential and worth to make hay while the sun shines.

• It has been reported this year like each year that many beggars both male and female are not residents of the country but instead they are visitors. The so called ‘poorest of the poor’ visitors who are not poor back home but pose to be so over here in Kuwait do know Arabic so verbal communication is not am impediment for them. They even have memorized some verses from Holy Quran wherein it is ordained as to how the philanthropists are blessed by Allah. Some of them even falsify stories that he or she did not have enough to eat early morning to keep the fast. Others will propagate that their family is dying of hunger and or some one is on death bed and one can advance as many reasons as needed to suit the situation and it is quite but natural that very negligible, may be 1% only, do not pay any money to the beggars.

• Beggars spread around very fertile places namely mosques and expensive shopping malls for very obvious reasons. Undoubtedly, mosques are the most favorite and lucrative spot for the beggars simply because all those who come to mosque are only believed but even proved to be much stronger Muslims than those who did not pray in the mosques. Any one who is entering or coming out from mosque is very much stirred religiously and emotionally hence if any beggar approaches any such Muslim and asks for alms, with some pathetic appeals or without, one can very safely say that the prey simply can not help dishing out some money since he or she believes that whatever money is given as alms fetches far too many blessings from Allah. Who will miss such a profitable bargain, none, I very strongly believe and profess? The beggar not earns but mints money at mosques. Those who come to expensive and exotic shopping malls are carrying big purse in any case and, therefore, as and when some one begs in the name of Allah during the month can not and will not be left high and dry, rather on the contra, he or she may get more than what he or she could think of. The affluent shopper still remains affluent even after dishing out alms so why to loose the opportune to get the prayers of the beggar.

• Last week it was reported in the press that some beggars mint KD 50 in just one hour particularly at some mosques which is an astronomical figure if compared with what a university Ph D and or a post graduate can earn in the same one hour. I just leave it your own judgment to envisage and visualize as to what could be monthly intake of the ‘visiting poorest of the poor’ in Kuwait during the month of Ramadan. This time also like past years, Government officials are taking strict punitive actions on two counts against the beggars and their sponsors. The beggars are first of all put behind the bars and eventually blacklisted, finger printed and deported back home so that they can not re-enter the country. On the other hand, the companies and or individuals who have sponsored these beggars are also penalized and they not only pay heavy fines but also their right to sponsor new individuals is snatched away.

• Concluding, it is said that due to affluence and I repeat affluence only, beggary is very much thriving and it is doubted if the menace can be eliminated in the coming years from Kuwait.