Kuwait welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his historic two-day visit, the first by an Indian prime minister in 43 years. A key highlight of the visit was a heartfelt performance by Kuwaiti singer Mubarak Al Rashed, who passionately sang the patriotic Indian song ‘Saare Jahaan Se Accha’ during the ‘Hala Modi’ event at the Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex in Kuwait.
#WATCH | Kuwaiti singer Mubarak Al Rashed sings ‘Saare Jahaan Se Accha’ after attending PM Modi’s community event #HalaModi at Shaikh Saad Al Abdullah Indoor Sports Complex in Kuwait pic.twitter.com/yJDKBHNTKD
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2024
In a December 20 video shared by news agency ANI, Mr Al Rashed also performed the iconic Indian song ‘Vaishnav Jan To’, expressing his intention to sing in front of PM Modi during his visit.
#WATCH | Kuwaiti Singer Mubarak Al Rashed sings ‘Vaishnav Jan to’ song
He says he will sing this song in front of PM Modi during his visit to Kuwait. https://t.co/HE3y8ARe8M pic.twitter.com/PFwEan2IaD
— ANI (@ANI) December 20, 2024
Mubarak Al Rashed, a prominent figure in Kuwaiti music, often sings Indian songs. He shares videos of himself performing Bollywood tracks on his TikTok account.
On Saturday, he spoke to ANI and shared his admiration for PM Modi’s remarks about Kuwait and the strengthening of ties between the two nations. “He (PM Modi) spoke about my country, Kuwait. He spoke about the relationship between the two countries… I feel proud of being Kuwaiti. He asked Kuwaitians to visit India,” said Mr Al Rashed.
The ‘Hala Modi’ event took place on the evening of December 21, the day of PM Modi’s arrival. Upon landing in Kuwait, PM Modi was greeted by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence and Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, along with Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya and other dignitaries.
In his departure statement, PM Modi expressed his eagerness to meet with Kuwait’s top leadership, including the Amir, Crown Prince, and Prime Minister. These meetings, he said, would lay the groundwork for a “futuristic partnership” between India and Kuwait.
India and Kuwait share a long-standing relationship that stretches back centuries, with maritime trade playing a significant role in pre-oil Kuwait. The Indian community is a vital presence in Kuwait, with Indians constituting 21 per cent of the population and 30 per cent of the workforce.
Kuwait is also one of India’s top trading partners, with bilateral trade valued at $10.47 billion in 2023-24. India also imports a significant portion of its energy needs from Kuwait, which is the country’s sixth-largest crude supplier.
The last Indian prime minister to visit Kuwait was Indira Gandhi in 1981.
