In a press statement, he asserted: “Today, I am the Minister of Interior. One of my duties is to visit all areas in the country to look into the needs of the people. His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah ordered me to do so when he said: ‘O Fahad, you must go everywhere in Kuwait, and see what the people need, or any grievance they might have so that you can report it. In this manner, the citizen does not complain in front of the public.’

His Highness the Amir told me not to write on the phone or tweet. He added: ‘Instead, he should give it to you, bring it to me and I will investigate the matter.’” Your people have demanded this, O our Amir. As per your orders to the First Deputy Prime Minister, we will have a mobile and direct grievances office that reaches Your Highness. May your glory last. We can build on this matter, because when His Highness the Amir orders the ministers to follow up on the affairs and concerns of the people; it means, firstly, that the open-door policy has begun to bear fruit.

Secondly, there is no doubt that the statement of the First Deputy confirmed, once again, that there is a ruler who monitors the challenges of the people and solves them, away from the media. This means the ruler knows that the greatest challenge comes from the smallest. Thirdly, this Amiri order has cut off all talk that the National Assembly was the voice of the people. What the past three decades have witnessed in terms of practices, that brought the country to the bottom, has proven the opposite. The parliamentarians were not the voice of the people, rather they were the voice of their interests.

This is the reason why corruption has spread and ‘wasta’ has become rampant; up to the point that they attempted to sabotage the judiciary, which is the nerve of reform and stability in any country. Fourth, diwaniyas have been the window for consultation between the people and the leadership since the founding of Kuwait. This inherited tradition was like a gauge, through which the popular mood was measured; and based on which, convictions were built. Therefore, when His Highness the Amir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad orders the First Deputy Prime Minister to convey the people’s concerns to the leadership, without exposing the needy person himself through social media; he does so to preserve the dignity of the people and the chastity of the soul that the people of Kuwait are built upon. His Highness always asks those he meets to convey to him the people’s suffering, so their grievances are not used as a means for political blackmail. His Highness’ conviction is that the individual expresses the concerns of a segment. His concerns do not stop with him.

Addressing these concerns is the basis for ending the challenges that a group of people are facing. Here is the head of the State, giving the ministers and other members of the leadership instructions to open their doors, engage with the populace, and find solutions to their problems. Simultaneously, he instructs the Council of Ministers to quickly resolve the perennial problems caused by 50 years of neglect. Without a doubt, this Cabinet must settle this as soon as possible; but not too soon. Because of this heavy burden, we implore Almighty Allah to grant His Highness the Amir health, well-being, and the capacity to carry this enormous trust. May Almighty Allah assist him in completing such a daunting task. Amen.