The Indonesian Embassy in Kuwait organized a blood donation campaign last Wednesday in cooperation with the Indonesian Nurses Society at the Late Sheikha Salwa Al-Sabah Stem Cell and Umbilical Cord Center, according to a press statement from Ambassador Lena Maryana. The envoy said the initiative conveyed a message of solidarity and affection from Indonesia and its community to Kuwait and its people while serving as a manifestation of their deep-rooted bilateral relations. Maryana added that the campaign demonstrated the Indonesian community’s desire to play an active role in Kuwaiti society through such humanitarian efforts that benefit those in need.
Maryana noted that the blood donation drive is held annually and this year’s event coincided with celebrations of Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day. The ambassador stated that this marked the fifth such campaign since she took up her post in Kuwait five years ago. She explained that blood donation remains an important humanitarian act because it directly helps individuals in urgent need while underscoring the value of community participation in health-related causes.
According to the ambassador, around 100 members of the Indonesian community participated in the latest drive, a number she described as significant not merely for its size but for the broader humanitarian and solidarity message it delivered to Kuwaiti society. Maryana pointed out that the campaign forms part of Indonesia’s soft diplomacy aimed at expressing the solidarity of both the Indonesian government and its people with Kuwait. The envoy confirmed that her country remains keen to stand alongside Kuwait through community initiatives that deliver tangible benefits while strengthening people-to-people connections.
Maryana announced in the statement that around 250 new Indonesian nursing professionals had recently joined Kuwait’s healthcare sector, bringing the total number of Indonesian nurses in the country to approximately 500. She added that the overall Indonesian community in Kuwait numbers around 6,000 workers with expectations of additional arrivals in the coming period as cooperation expands. The ambassador praised the contributions of these nurses both in their professional roles within the health system and through their involvement in voluntary campaigns such as the blood donation drive.
The ambassador’s emphasis on enduring ties aligns with her recent observations that the two countries are marking 58 years of diplomatic relations during which bilateral cooperation has developed steadily across multiple fields, as she noted at an independence day reception earlier in the month. Preparations are advancing for the second session of the Joint Ministerial Commission set for late November 2026 along with the first Indonesia-Kuwait Energy Forum to be held in Indonesia, according to the envoy. These steps build on existing agreements including a joint commission framework aimed at accelerating memoranda of understanding in trade, investment and energy sectors.
Maryana has highlighted opportunities to expand the presence of skilled Indonesian workers in Kuwait beyond the current numbers, targeting sectors that include healthcare, oil and gas as well as manufacturing where demand continues to grow. Kuwaiti charitable organizations have supported the construction of schools in rural parts of Indonesia, an effort the ambassador has cited as evidence of the multifaceted partnership that includes humanitarian collaboration. Such historical and ongoing exchanges reinforce the foundation for continued growth in relations that the blood donation campaign sought to illustrate at the community level.
