Kuwaitis’ Free Food Grant to Cost $818 Million, KUNA Reports

Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s is granting free food rations to all Kuwaiti citizens at a cost of 230 million dinars ($818 million), state news agency KUNA reported.

The grant, which is being given to citizens on the 20th anniversary of Kuwait’s liberation from occupying Iraqi forces and which also marks the 50th anniversary of the state’s independence, is effective from Feb. 1 until March 31 next year, KUNA cited Commerce Minister Ahmed al-Haroun as saying.

The Kuwaiti ruler has also given every Kuwaiti citizen a grant of 1,000 dinars. The country’s population of 3.6 million included 1.12 million Kuwaiti citizens as of June 30 last year.

Kuwait’s national and liberation days fall on Feb. 25 and 26, respectively.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dahlia Kholaif in Kuwait at dkholaif@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Shaji Mathew at shajimathew@bloomberg.net.