New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Sunday conferred with Kuwait’s highest honour, the ‘Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer’, by Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. This is the fourth honour bestowed on Modi by Gulf nations.
“I am honoured to be conferred the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Order by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. I dedicate this honour to the people of India and to the strong friendship between India and Kuwait,” PM Modi wrote on X, after receiving the award.
PM Modi’s awards from Gulf nations
The ‘Order of Mubarak Al Kabeer,’ a prestigious Kuwaiti knighthood, is awarded to Heads of State, foreign royals, and leaders as a gesture of goodwill. Other recipients of this honour include Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, and George Bush.
Before Kuwait PM Modi also received accolades from Bahrain, UAE and Saudi Arabia. In August 2019, he was awarded ‘King Hamad Order of the Renaissance’, by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain. While receiving the award PM Modi had said: “It is an honour for entire India. This is a symbol of the close and friendly relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and India.”
Two-day tour of Kuwait
In the same month, the PM received the UAE’s highest civilian honour, the ‘Order of Zayed’, for his efforts to boost the bilateral relations between the countries. In 2016, Saudi Arabia presented PM Modi with its top civilian award, the King Abdulaziz Sash, named after the founder of the modern Saudi state, Abdulaziz Al Saud. The prime minister was presented the award by King Salman bin Abdulaziz at the Royal Court.
PM Modi began his two day visit to Kuwait, a first by Indian PM in over four decades, on Saturday. During his visit he met Indian workers at a labour camp. He also held discussions with the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, and members of the Indian diaspora.