Kuwait cabinet to end nationwide curfew

Kuwait’s cabinet is expected to end the national curfew today.

The nightly curfew was established in March to better combat the domestic spread of COVID-19. Kuwait has aimed to gradually ease restrictions over the past month as cases have plateaued and begun to fall; with a total of 78,767 infections and 508 deaths, economic re-opening will likely spark a viral resurgence.

As the country begins its return to normalcy, expect the Kuwaiti economy to achieve a marginal rebound from its current recession, which has stemmed largely from the global oil devaluation. In the medium-term, a full economic recovery will require a substantial rebound in the oil market, which buttresses 90% of a domestic economy and had entered a downturn prior to the pandemic.

The country’s leadership has been active in providing monetary and liquid stimulus to struggling business owners, and further measures can be expected as oil prices recover and government revenues increase. Nevertheless, many have been critical of the government’s earlier economic policies, and should the recession continue to worsen, fresh waves of protests can be expected when lockdown measures ease.