In a suburb off the coast of Alexandria in Egypt, a rehab centre is helping dozens of Kuwaiti citizens and expatriates overcome a problem that official figures show is increasingly plaguing the small Gulf country: drug addiction.
Established in 2017 by a Kuwaiti couple, who witnessed how lack of support for addiction could devastate a family, the rehab centre provides comprehensive care away from any potential judgment addicts may experience in their home country.
“Almost every Kuwait household has had to fight this epidemic that has seeped into their personal lives,” Ahmed Al Eisa, one half of the duo that founded Al Mustaqbal rehab centres, told The National.
“This is where we step in.”
Over the first six months of 2021, more than 1,200 citizens and residents reported their children to Kuwaiti authorities for addiction. And between 2015 to 2020, the Ministry of Interior arrested more than 11,000 people for drug possession.
The statistics are staggering among a population of a little over 4.3 million according to World Bank estimates for this year, with expatriates making up a little over 60 per cent of the population.
Kuwait has long worked to keep drugs off its streets, having signed the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances in 1988 and enrolled its specialised office in drug control training sessions and seminars.
Mr Al Eisa and his wife Suhare Al Mahmoud co-founded Al Mustaqbal — the Arabic word for future — after they were unable to get their family member the inpatient support they needed to overcome their substance abuse.
“Even sending my relative to London to get the help he needed and get treatment didn't work,” said Ms Al Mahmoud.
“The centres outside of the region couldn't possibly begin to comprehend the societal and cultural variables — ingrained in a more Muslim and a more traditional culture — that may play into this unhealthy relationship between an addict and their addiction.”
Their centre in Egypt aims to help Kuwaiti citizens, expatriates living in Kuwait, and GCC nationals overcome their addiction and set them up for a stable and productive future.
The couple initially tried to establish the inpatient centre in Kuwait but Ms Al Mahmoud said they were turned down after “the government insisted there was no need for a private clinic or centre when there was a government-funded one”.
Law 14 of 2019 on all mental health cases, including substance addiction and abuse stipulates that the period of time required for psychological evaluation does not exceed 72 hours from the date of the evaluation request or entry in a government mental health facility.
Following the assessment, the patient may then stay in only government paid facilities for up to three months and in some cases six months, but no longer.
For many drug users, that may not be enough time to kick the habit resulting in the likelihood of a return to addictive behaviour, say the couple.
Until 2015, addicts in Kuwait would be treated at the only government inpatient psychiatric hospital that contained 130 beds.
As addiction became more prevalent, the government opened the Addiction Treatment Centre, which has 350 beds for “first timers” and 200 beds for “more advanced rehabilitation stages”. Of these, 25 beds are reserved for women addicts in each section.
But Mr Al Eisa and Ms Al Mahmoud says despite efforts to increase capacity, these centres do not contain enough beds and facilities to tackle the country’s growing addiction issue.
Since its establishment, Al Mustaqbal has opened two centres for detoxification and two more for rehabilitation and recovery in Alexandria, with plans for opening an all-women's centre in the next year.
Though most centres focus on recovery of male addicts, statistics show that women are equally susceptible to substance abuse in Kuwait.
“Women have been struggling in silence with addiction stemming from numerous problems within the confines of their home, whether it be family strife or pain management for chronic pain,” Mr Al Eisa said.
“Out of every five addicts in Kuwait, three of them are female.”
Official figures show that between 2010 and 2021, more than 800 people died of narcotic and psychotropic abuse in Kuwait. The death rate from overdose rose by about 67 more people with each passing year, compared to the year prior.
Alexandria and Al Mustaqbal: An unlikely but perfect fit
The couple chose to open their centres in Egypt, a country with experienced doctors and a long history of successfully treating cases of addiction.
Doctors in Egypt would also be familiar with Middle Eastern cultural norms and understand the pressures Kuwaiti addicts may be feeling.
“Alexandria seemed like a good fit. the nature of the people are calmer here, the place is calmer, a perfect place for people undergoing symptoms of withdrawal, which is usually the state we receive outpatients [in],” said Ms Al Mahmoud.
A former patient of Al Mustaqbal praised the centre as being a hub where “many nationalities and walks of life came together to overcome this dark cloud in their life”.
The former addict, who asked not to be named, said he had previously tried to overcome his substance abuse at other international rehab centres but was not successful. Another advantage of opening the centre in Egypt was to remove patients from the path of potential scrutiny from some members of Kuwait’s conservative society.
The centre accepts both Kuwaitis and residents of Kuwait, as well as GCC nationals, by offering a refuge for people who may worry about being stigmatised if they seek treatment at one of the country’s government centres.
“I heard about [Al Mustaqbal] from a friend, who had been through a similar experience,” said the former patient.” It was a plus to go through treatment outside of Kuwait. To avoid seeing people I know.”
Al Mustaqbal has a small centre in Kuwait, where patients who received treatment in a centre in Alexandria can go for follow-up consultations with Dr Shaimaa Abdellatif.
A certified psychiatrist for 19 years, Dr Abdellatif joined Al Mustaqbal in 2019.
“Al Mustaqbal is a success story, and it's not a one-man show,” she said. “I found my own way to apply the many strategies at hand to provide the right treatment plan for each of our patients with the help of the team — especially when they relapse.”
Relapse is common among recovering addicts, even with hands-on treatments and careful medical attention. This makes every success story all the more special for Dr Abdellatif.
“The best moment where I felt a sense of accomplishment, is when I attended the graduation ceremony of one of my patients who had had multiple relapses,” she said. On graduation, or successful completion of treatment, the centre sends a medical team to recovering addicts' homes in Kuwait to follow up the treatment.
One of the greatest challenges is to prevent relapse on return to Kuwait.
Official statistics showed a significant increase in the activity of drug and psychotropic promoters during the first half of 2022, with more than 822 drug seizures reported during the same period. Authorities frequently caution against drug use, saying the rise in addiction has changed the pattern of crimes. According to local statistics, 72 per cent of murders, aggressive behaviour and thefts are caused by drug addiction.
“Boredom is the number one reason many of Kuwait's youth resort to drugs,” said Mr Al Eisa.
“That and societal pressure to have the best and the most out of your peers, whether it be possessions or fame.”
Another graduate of Al Mustaqbal said his addiction grew from what he thought was innocent, casual use.
“I started my relationship with addiction as a recreational user, in social gatherings and when I travel,” he said. In the end, it was his family that realised he had become addicted and referred him to Al Mustaqbal.
Success stories such as these are what keep Ms Al Mahmoud and Mr Al Eisa dedicated to their work and in expanding their treatment centres, despite many challenges.
“We are currently losing money, Many of the medications are out of stock so we have to look for pricier alternatives, and some of our patients can no longer pay for our services, either due to their family rescinding payments or other reasons,” said Ms Al Mahmoud.
“But we determined to stick by them and see their journey through.”
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
THE%20HOLDOVERS
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The biog
Hometown: Birchgrove, Sydney Australia
Age: 59
Favourite TV series: Outlander Netflix series
Favourite place in the UAE: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque / desert / Louvre Abu Dhabi
Favourite book: Father of our Nation: Collected Quotes of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
Thing you will miss most about the UAE: My friends and family, Formula 1, having Friday's off, desert adventures, and Arabic culture and people
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
The specs
Common to all models unless otherwise stated
Engine: 4-cylinder 2-litre T-GDi
0-100kph: 5.3 seconds (Elantra); 5.5 seconds (Kona); 6.1 seconds (Veloster)
Power: 276hp
Torque: 392Nm
Transmission: 6-Speed Manual/ 8-Speed Dual Clutch FWD
Price: TBC
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
WISH
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
THE SPECS – Honda CR-V Touring AWD
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Power: 184hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 244Nm at 3,900rpm
Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
0-100kmh in 9.4 seconds
Top speed: 202kmh
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
Price: From Dh122,900
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CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
RESULTS
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.