Despite the recent scandals, resulting protests and the dissolution of Parliament, expats in Kuwait report still feeling relatively confident in the stability of the country and continue to feel safe residing here. The recent uprisings in the region have received extensive media coverage as protestors rallied against, and even brought down, their governments. With much of the Middle East hosting large expatriate communities of professionals residing and working in their countries, the question does arise as to how secure they feel when tensions arise. Unlike many others, they have the option to flee to their home countries for as long as needed should the situation worsen.

However, problems have been known to spread quickly throughout the region, which can cause considerable anxiety. American expatriate Natalie said of her time in Kuwait during the Arab Spring: "I wasn't anxious over anything happening here. There have been issues before but they are usually resolved without the use of excessive violence, and Kuwait cannot be compared to other countries involved in uprisings.

She added, "Plus, the country and the people have a close relationship with America. So I've never worried about being targeted based on my nationality. I think Kuwait is the most hospitable country to Americans in the Middle East." Brandon, who is also American, agreed. "Kuwait felt like a separate entity from what was going on. Of course, we stayed up to date on everything, but it's never felt unsafe." He continued, "We get messages from the embassy about any possible issues, so we're always informed but I haven't felt fear among the expat community.

While some have felt secure, others began asking questions as the situation worsened elsewhere. Abdullah, the HR manager of a prominent company here in Kuwait which hires many expatriates, said "Many of the expats came and asked me if it was safe for them to stay here. They weren't sure of whether or not problems would start erupting here like they had elsewhere.

He continued, "I didn't know, of course, what the future would hold but I told them to seek advice from their embassies. There's a sense of responsibility when you've brought these people from their home countries to work here, but sometimes you just don't know the answer to the questions being asked.

Abdullah added, however, that expats who came to him for advice and information seemed more curious than fearful. "They wanted to know if it was safe, but it seemed more like a long-term query than an immediate 'let's all evacuate now' one. They seemed more worried about the entire region deteriorating than Kuwait specifically." Interestingly, some staff enquired about religious differences within the region. "Some expats weren't so well versed regarding the different groups, and when they saw religion becoming involved in different disputes, they wanted to understand it more.

What's more, some expats have been in Kuwait for extended periods of time and feel it would be difficult to leave even if there had been more of a threat of unrest in Kuwait. "My whole life is here: my job, my home, and my car. My kids are happy in schools here. Leaving would be extremely difficult. Being an expat doesn't mean you can disappear whenever you want; it just means that you have another country to go to if you decide you have to," said English expat, Jeffrey. He added, "Plus, you have to consider the situation as a whole. There may be political problems in the region, but it's still more desirable economically than any other place in the West at the moment.