What's Hot

    CYNK – Africa’s first verifiable carbon market launches in Kenya

    September 22, 2023

    Ionic Rare Earths engages DRA Global to advance Makuutu Development

    September 20, 2023

    Turkey Exporters Assembly plans Saudi-Turkish trade summit

    September 18, 2023
    Gulf Africa ReviewGulf Africa Review
    • Industry
    • Infrastructure
      1. Airport
      2. Hospitality
      3. Ports
      4. Power
      5. Rail
      6. Roads
      7. Transport
      Featured

      Osun seeks to capitalise on infrastructure momentum

      Infrastructure May 21, 2018
      Recent

      India reveals expansive rail and ports corridor for Middle East and South Asia

      September 13, 2023

      Green energy – UAE funds African projects through $4.5 billion initiative

      September 6, 2023

      West African ports benefit from international investment

      September 1, 2023
    • Business & Trade
      1. Agri-Business
      2. Entrepreneurship
      3. FDI
      4. Legislative
      5. MEA
      6. Telecoms
      7. Properties
      Featured

      Analysts predict bullish future for Nigeria’s REITs market

      Business Business & Trade January 21, 2018
      Recent

      CYNK – Africa’s first verifiable carbon market launches in Kenya

      September 22, 2023

      Ionic Rare Earths engages DRA Global to advance Makuutu Development

      September 20, 2023

      Turkey Exporters Assembly plans Saudi-Turkish trade summit

      September 18, 2023
    • Finance
      1. Banking
      2. Islamic finance
      Featured

      MENAT to see investment flows increase substantially

      Business Business & Trade Finance September 4, 2023
      Recent

      MENAT to see investment flows increase substantially

      September 4, 2023

      Ballim – GGC can play a major role in Africa

      July 17, 2023

      Africa50 invests USD 6.6bln in infrastructure over 6 years

      July 7, 2023
    • Innovation
    Gulf Africa ReviewGulf Africa Review
    Culture & Society

    Kuwait offers Comoros citizenship to stateless Bidoon

    November 10, 20143 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Kuwaiti government official reveals furtive foreign citizenship fix for the decades-long controversy surrounding its stateless population

    Tens of thousands of stateless people in Kuwait, known as the Bidoon, will be offered citizenship in the Comoros Islands; a senior interior ministry official was quoted as saying.

    According to the BBC, Kuwait has more than 100,000 Bidoon, many of whom claim Kuwaiti nationality but are officially considered illegal residents by the government; despite being mostly descended from nomadic Arabic Bedouin, according to the Human Rights Watch. Comoros has strong ties to the Middle East, recognising Arabic as one three official languages, with Comorian and French.

    Major-General Mazen al-Jarrah told Al-Jarida daily that Bidoon would be offered economic citizenship in the Comoros and that those who accepted would receive residency permits in Kuwait and qualify for free social services including education and healthcare in Kuwait.

    The process is expected to start with the opening of a Comoros embassy in Kuwait this year.

    The Union of the Comoros has strong ties to the Middle East, recognising Arabic as one three official languages, alongside Comorian and French, and boasting membership within the Arab League.Related article How clean energy is kickstarting sustainable development in east Africa

    A new UN-backed clean energy initiative looks set to change the outlook for Namacurra

    Geographically, Comoros is a sovereign archipelago of islands in the Indian Ocean, located between north-eastern Mozambique and north-western Madagascar. The country is the third-smallest African nation by area, with an estimated population of just 798,000 people.

    The country is also frequently highlighted as being one of the world’s poorest, and despite having a nominal GDP per capita of $894, about half of the population was living below the poverty line of $1.25 a day in 2009, according to the UN Development Programme.

    It is as yet unclear what financial arrangement Kuwait might have regarding the Bidoon.

    Never naturalised

    The controversy regarding the status of the Bidoon has persisted for decades in Kuwait, and while some government restrictions on Kuwait’s stateless persons were reduced in 2010 and 2011, the Kuwaiti population has in the past reacted angrily to any naturalisation attempts.

    In recent years, the Bidoon have held protests demanding Kuwaiti citizenship that have been dispersed with force with many arrested. In December 2009, Kuwait did then grant Kuwaiti citizenship to 4,000 Bidoon, but worded the process as the “naturalisation of foreigners”.

    Kuwait’s government has said that only 34,000 of the Bidoon qualify for consideration for Kuwaiti citizenship, labelling the others as either the paperless citizens of other countries who migrated to Kuwait after the discovery of oil, or as the descendants of those migrants.

    Faisal al-Duwaisan, a Kuwaiti MP and member of the parliament’s human rights committee, has already objected to the Comoros proposal, describing the move as “very grave”.

    He criticised the assertion that the Bidoon held foreign nationalities, commenting: “If this is true, the government should deport them to their home countries and not to Comoros.”

    Comoros has strong ties to the Middle East, recognising Arabic as one three official languages, with Comorian and French.

    Africa Arab League Arabic Bedouin Bidoon Comoros Islands Kuwait Madagascar Middle East Middle East Africa mozambique Union of the Comoros
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
    Previous ArticleDubai’s Thuraya launches portable satellite broadband with Airtel
    Next Article Top 10 deals between the GCC and Sub-Saharan Africa, Q3 2014

    Related Posts

    Business & Trade Innovation

    CYNK – Africa’s first verifiable carbon market launches in Kenya

    September 22, 2023
    Business & Trade Energy Metals & minerals

    Ionic Rare Earths engages DRA Global to advance Makuutu Development

    September 20, 2023
    Agri commodities Agri-Business Business & Trade Commodities

    Ugandan agritech startup Emata secures USD 2.4 million in seed funding

    September 15, 2023
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    LATEST STORIES

    CYNK – Africa’s first verifiable carbon market launches in Kenya

    September 22, 2023

    Ionic Rare Earths engages DRA Global to advance Makuutu Development

    September 20, 2023

    Turkey Exporters Assembly plans Saudi-Turkish trade summit

    September 18, 2023

    Ugandan agritech startup Emata secures USD 2.4 million in seed funding

    September 15, 2023

    India reveals expansive rail and ports corridor for Middle East and South Asia

    September 13, 2023
    • Business
      • Agri-Business
      • Entrepreneurship
      • FDI
      • Legislative
      • MEA
      • Properties
      • Telecoms
    • Infrastructure
      • Airport
      • Hospitality
      • Ports
      • Power
      • Rail
      • Roads
      • Transport
    • Finance
      • Banking
      • Islamic finance
    • Commodities
      • Agri commodities
      • Metals & minerals
      • Precious metals
    • Culture & Society
      • Education
      • Energy
    GAR logo
    © GulfAfricaReview.com 2014-2022, All Rights Reserved.

    Gulf Africa Review is a trade news and future networking platform for businesses leaders and trade organisations, established to first inform and secondly assist in facilitating the ongoing business and trade relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to provide an apolitical voice for this channel of economic activity in a way that benefits both geographies by improving the availability of information about market events, developments and opportunities, while publicising the successes achieved by this ever-broadening regional relationship.

      Subscribe to our newsletter

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.