The Kuwaiti NGOs : their role in aid flows to developing countries

There is evidence of a substantial amount of Kuwaiti private aid flows to developing countries,although reliable estimates are not yet systematically collected. There is also some evidence that this amount could expand to form a larger portion of Kuwait's development assistance. Following are the key points that emerge: (A) Two factors, Islam and Arab heritage, are the most important contributors to the growth of Kuwaiti private aid giving; (B) Whatever the motivation, the emphasis in external giving has been on developmental projects with geographical distribution favoring Africa, the Middle East and South-East Asia. (C) Most nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have moved from a single sector approach to a more multi-faceted approach that focuses on education, health and agriculture. (D) Because Kuwait is a small country with a homogenous endogenous population, individuals do not face the problem of choosing a reliable organization for their donations. (E) Kuwaiti private giving is not tightly controlled by the government, nor is there tension between public/private linkages. (F) In the absence of some government regulation, a Kuwaiti NGO weakness could be diffusion and duplication of aid efforts. Kuwaiti NGOs place emphasis on individual projects that seem to be designed and implemented in isolation of broader development recipient country strategies.