Italy honours Sheikha Intisar with top civil award

If you follow humanitarian work coming out of Kuwait, here’s a name worth knowing: Sheikha Intisar Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah. Italy has just given her one of its highest honours, and the story behind it says a lot about the kind of community work happening quietly in Kuwait.

The Italian Republic awarded her the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, at the rank of Commendatore. It’s a civilian honour given by Italy’s president for outstanding work in humanitarian, social and cultural fields. You can find more local news from Kuwait like this on our site.

What exactly did she receive, and why?

The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was set up in 1951. It is Italy’s top national merit award, given to both Italian and foreign citizens who have made outstanding contributions to society and humanity. Italian President Sergio Mattarella personally granted the Commendatore rank to Sheikha Intisar.

Ambassador Morini told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Saturday that the award recognises her generous and ongoing commitment to supporting people living in fragile social conditions. He added that her focus on Arab women, combined with her leadership skills, initiative and organisational ability, made her an inspiration not just in Kuwait but internationally.

He also said the Italian embassy felt proud to take part in the ceremony, calling it recognition of her achievements and of her role in strengthening ties between Italy and Kuwait.

The work behind the award

Much of Sheikha Intisar’s recognition centres on Intisar Foundation, which she founded to support Arab women affected by war and violence. The foundation runs specialised programmes using drama therapy, a method that helps women process trauma, rebuild self-confidence, and take a more active role in their communities.

Her broader approach treats mental health and personal empowerment as the starting point for any lasting positive change. In her own words to KUNA, she said real change begins with the individual, and that more peaceful, stable societies are built by caring for people’s mental health and belief in their own value.

She thanked Italy for the honour, describing it as a renewed responsibility rather than a finish line, and said humanitarian work isn’t only about giving help. It also means giving people the tools to overcome challenges, regain confidence, and discover their own potential.

Nawair: the initiative behind much of this work

In 2013, Sheikha Intisar founded Nawair, an initiative that started by promoting positive thinking in Kuwaiti society. It has since grown into a wider development project, aligned with Kuwait’s New Kuwait 2035 vision, aiming to build a more aware and sustainable society.

Nawair’s work spans several areas: community development, education, health, sustainable employment and environmental protection. The goal across all of these is long-term positive impact rather than one-off projects.

One of its flagship programmes, Women of the Future, focuses on building self-confidence, leadership skills, decision-making and communication abilities. The programme recently graduated 35 participants after a four-month training journey.

Nawair’s work also reaches children and young people through community and sports activities. One notable project, Football for Humanity, launched with international and diplomatic partners, including the Italian embassy in Kuwait. Its first edition carried a message of solidarity with children in Palestine, using football to teach cooperation, respect, tolerance and responsibility, while promoting safe and positive sporting environments for children.

Why this matters for people in Kuwait

For residents and citizens alike, stories like this show a side of Kuwait’s community work that doesn’t always make headlines: programmes focused on mental health, women’s empowerment and youth development, built from within Kuwait and now recognised internationally.

It also reflects warmer diplomatic ties between Kuwait and Italy, with the Italian embassy directly involved in some of these local initiatives, including the football project. For anyone interested in volunteering or following humanitarian work in Kuwait, Nawair and Intisar Foundation are two names now carrying international recognition.

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