Kuwait: Kuwait on Sunday conferred its highest honor – ‘The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabir’ – on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his role in strengthening cordial relations between the two countries. Prime Minister Modi received the honor from the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Mesal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah at Bayan Palace here.
“I am honored to be awarded the Mubarak Al-Kabir Order by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Mesal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah. I dedicate this honor to the people of India and the strong friendship between India and Kuwait,” Modi said in a post on X.
The ‘Order of Mubarak Al-Kabir’ is a Kuwaiti order of knighthood.
In a post on X, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described it as a “testament to the longstanding India-Kuwait friendship”.
“The Prime Minister has dedicated this honor to India-Kuwait relations, the Indian community in Kuwait and the 1.4 billion people of India,” Jaiswal added.
Kuwait’s official news agency Kuna has given the award to Prime Minister Modi for strengthening the cordial relations between the two countries.
This is the 20th international honor bestowed by a country on Prime Minister Modi, officials said.
The order is awarded to heads of state and foreign sovereigns and members of foreign royal families as a mark of friendship.
The award has previously been given to foreign leaders such as Bill Clinton, Prince Charles and George Bush.
Modi arrived in Kuwait on Saturday for a two-day visit. His is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the Gulf nation in 43 years.
His statement was formally welcomed and guarded at the palace.
Modi had earlier received honors from Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain.
In November, Guyana and Dominica conferred their top awards on Prime Minister Modi for his contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic and his extraordinary contribution to the global community and efforts to strengthen bilateral ties with the two Caribbean nations.
In the same month, Nigeria presented its national award – the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger – to Prime Minister Modi for his outstanding contribution to the state and the promotion of bilateral relations, making him the second foreign dignitary to receive the honour.