Kuwait Puts Citizens Before Expats as Vaccine Push Stirs Anger

[Last Monetarist]

https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/kuwait-puts-citizens-before-expats-as-vaccine-push-stirs-anger

Kuwait’s vaccinating its citizens against Covid-19 at six times the rate of expatriates who make up two-thirds of the population, spurring claims of racism and concerns the discrepancy will delay a return to normal life. Around 119,000 Kuwaitis and 18,000 expats have been vaccinated, according to the latest data, despite more than half of those registered for a jab being foreign.

Overall, Kuwait has administered 3.7 shots per 100 people for a population of about 4.5 million. That’s a higher rate than in Saudi Arabia but way below neighboring United Arab Emirates on 48 doses per 100 among a mostly expatriate 10 million people.

The disparity in Kuwait’s campaign has triggered an online debate between those nationals defending the policy and outraged expatriates and Kuwaitis who feel the pro-citizen push is flavored by racism. There were signs of a shift on Wednesday, with expat residents of Kuwait saying that more elderly foreigners were seen at inoculation centers.

Officials at the Health Ministry couldn’t immediately be reached for comment. Kuwait has said it’s facing a second wave of infections and increased fatalities over the last two weeks. “The government is taking a political view on this, not an objective health-related view,” said commentator Hamad Al-Jasser, 59, who shares his views with 44,000 Twitter followers. “There’s been a lot of criticism of the government’s handling of the crisis, so they’re under pressure to appease the Kuwaiti population.”

The pandemic and the economic strain from a recent slump in oil prices has prompted measures to reduce the number of foreigners in Kuwait.

An initially slow vaccination program gained momentum with the opening of more inoculation centers and the arrival of doses made by Oxford University/AstraZeneca. Kuwait says it’s prioritizing all frontline workers and those in high-risk groups. Most of the population should be vaccinated by September, Health Minister Basel Al-Sabah has said.

The estimated 850,000 Kuwaiti citizens who want to be inoculated will get their shots within three months, as long as supply isn’t disrupted, he said. Unlike Kuwait, the UAE has approved use of China’s Sinopharm vaccine alongside the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca shots.

 

[Last Monetarist]

It's a sensitive issue, of course, but I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with protecting the rights of nationals ahead of expatriate workers. That's one of the pitfalls of working in the Middle East, an expatriate will never fully assimilate, and it's naive to expect that to change when it's been ingrained throughout the history of the region.

 

[MenInG]

It's a sensitive issue, of course, but I don't necessarily think there's anything wrong with protecting the rights of nationals ahead of expatriate workers. That's one of the pitfalls of working in the Middle East, an expatriate will never fully assimilate, and it's naive to expect that to change when it's been ingrained throughout the history of the region.

Agreed but only issue is that the expats and locals co exist in a way that is not seen elsewhere in the world so not treating them equally in such matters is a little odd.

But yes, their country, their choice.

 

[LongHorn]

Same thing happens in another Gulf country, but they have better PR than Kuwait so no one knows about it.

Pfizer being reserved for any citizen, regardless of age, while expats unless if they are 60+being forced to take a Chinese vaccine, whose makers refused to release trial data.
Centers making expats wait for hours while citizens are pushed to front of queue.

 

[sshakir411]

What really do you expect from the Gulf countries? Why would they vaccinate hundred of labor workers over their citizens

 

[Giannis]

Same thing happens in another Gulf country, but they have better PR than Kuwait so no one knows about it.

Pfizer being reserved for any citizen, regardless of age, while expats unless if they are 60+being forced to take a Chinese vaccine, whose makers refused to release trial data.
Centers making expats wait for hours while citizens are pushed to front of queue.

They all need to learn from India; India has some of the most xenophobic and nationalistic laws in the world but they got a good PR mob.

 

[cric_man]

My cousin in Dubai got the vaccine without any issue. He works for Emirates. He said the company had an open drive. He just walked up, showed his work ID and got the jab. It could be just Emirates though?

 

[Slog]

My cousin in Dubai got the vaccine without any issue. He works for Emirates. He said the company had an open drive. He just walked up, showed his work ID and got the jab. It could be just Emirates though?

Emirates needs all its staff back

Plus Dubai different from Kuwait

Dubai’s been really good with COVID response all over

 

[faraz39]

UAE did the same thing where the Pfizer shot was only for the locals and they were given priority (separate, much shorter lines for locals). I believe the Chinese vaccine is the one used for the masses. They just kept this fact hidden really well. It's not right but it's not surprising either in a country where even the graveyards are segregated between locals and expats.

 

[Giannis]

Emirates needs all its staff back

Plus Dubai different from Kuwait

Dubai’s been really good with COVID response all over

Not really, like others have said the UAE has been discriminating between locals and migrants when it comes to vaccine type and availability

 

[golagunda]

At least they are treating all expats equally. Given how these countries operate, one would have expected them to give the Pfizer vaccine to western expats and Chinese one to South Asians.

To be honest, you just have to be happy that you are at least getting the vaccine for free. What would you have done had the Sheikh decided to spend those vaccine dollars on buying a new yacht for himself? Something is better than nothing.

 

[MenInG]

Bahrain has been exemplary in this - all treated same - from office cleaners to CEOs - all getting in line. regardless of nationality.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I thought most people were aware of how things work in gulf countries, those who choose to go to work there usually do so because they are getting paid a lot more than they would at home, not because they think they are suddenly going to become full fledged Kuwaiti citizens.

 

[LongHorn]

UAE did the same thing where the Pfizer shot was only for the locals and they were given priority (separate, much shorter lines for locals). I believe the Chinese vaccine is the one used for the masses. They just kept this fact hidden really well. It's not right but it's not surprising either in a country where even the graveyards are segregated between locals and expats.

Very true
And even when Chinese vaccine was given, expats in many areas had to wait a few hours (leading to higher infection risk in queues), while citizens could walk in to the front of the queue

 

[LongHorn]

At least they are treating all expats equally. Given how these countries operate, one would have expected them to give the Pfizer vaccine to western expats and Chinese one to South Asians.

To be honest, you just have to be happy that you are at least getting the vaccine for free. What would you have done had the Sheikh decided to spend those vaccine dollars on buying a new yacht for himself? Something is better than nothing.

Officially they are giving the vaccines for free
But many times more that amount is being recouped from phantom fines and other ways (fining poorer workers left and right 800$ for mask dropping under nose)

 

[LongHorn]

My cousin in Dubai got the vaccine without any issue. He works for Emirates. He said the company had an open drive. He just walked up, showed his work ID and got the jab. It could be just Emirates though?

Yes, if the employer is good they would have dedicated vaccination spots.
The masses have to face queues

 

[LongHorn]

Emirates needs all its staff back

Plus Dubai different from Kuwait

Dubai’s been really good with COVID response all over

Yes, but countrywide cases and deaths are at an all time high, this at a time when most countries are seeing reduction in cases

All Gulf countries have reduced testing the same way India Pakistan, Japan, and others have

 

[golagunda]

Officially they are giving the vaccines for free
But many times more that amount is being recouped from phantom fines and other ways (fining poorer workers left and right 800$ for mask dropping under nose)

Hmm. I know the fines are really high but at least here in Dubai, I haven't heard of many such incidents. I doubt most of the poorer workers can afford to pay such fines anyway. I have heard many horror stories of people (almost exclusively south asians) being forced to quarantine in govt facilities upon arrival at the airport though.

 

[LongHorn]

Hmm. I know the fines are really high but at least here in Dubai, I haven't heard of many such incidents. I doubt most of the poorer workers can afford to pay such fines anyway. I have heard many horror stories of people (almost exclusively south asians) being forced to quarantine in govt facilities upon arrival at the airport though.

The quarantine in govt facilities is only in Abu Dhabi, and you are right, only for South Asians. Not for anyone coming from actual Covid hotspots like USA or UK. At least now it is only single men being sent there, few months back even 70+ grandparents and single women were sent to those places, where you are treated worse than in jail, no toiletries, made to share room and bathrooms and so on

There are different types of fines. The mask fine is given to everyone, but of course "simpler expats" are targeted more

There is also a fine for not doing a test after visiting Dubai, which surprise, surprise is given to people who actually did the tests. No effective way of appealing these unfair fines, so it is all an effective tax

 

[LongHorn]

People in the west have no idea of how politically incorrect the Gulf can be

1)When Covid started, a famous Kuwaiti actress said Expat Covid patients should be sent to the desert and not taken care of, many people actually supported her

2) Sharjah is the most Islamic of the 7 states in the UAE. Many years back when they had issues with power supply and had load shedding in peak summer, the govt actually announced that only expat areas will be targetted for load shedding and not areas where citizens live.

Just imagine the uproar if some city in the US says they will cut off power only in black dominated areas

 

[ManFan]

The arrogance of the Gulf countries against expats is unmatched from anything I have seen in the modern world.