Kuwaiti Cooperative Societies as the Principal Retailers in the National Economy

Abstract

In comparison with the progress of the cooperative movement elsewhere in the Arab world and internationally, the Kuwaiti Cooperative Societies have achieved considerable success in a short period as the principal retailers in the Kuwaiti national economy, providing consumers with about 70 per cent of all services and commodities in the local market. Over the past 25 years, the Kuwaiti cooperative movement has succeeded in maintaining stability in the prices of essential commodities and services, in preventing artificial increases and in winning the confidence of consumers. The goals of the cooperative movement in Kuwait are both economic and social. The economic goal is to co-ordinate individual efforts and public interests within the framework of the cooperative society, while the social goal is to protect low income groups from exploitation, to spread democratic concepts and to consolidate social links, thereby promoting social harmony and solidarity among the various sections of society. The current aims of the cooperative movement in Kuwait are to overcome obstacles to progress and to enhance the efficiency of its operations.