Nicaraguan Ambassador to Kuwait Mohamed Mohamed Farrara Lashtar has urged Kuwaiti investors to consider opportunities in Nicaragua, emphasizing the country’s tax incentives and streamlined procedures designed to attract foreign investment. Speaking during Nicaragua’s 205th Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday, the ambassador highlighted sectors such as agriculture, livestock, and tourism as promising areas for investment.
Lashtar noted that Gulf nationals can enter Nicaragua without a visa, and investors benefit from tax exemptions that can extend up to 20 years for those in tourism. He added that Nicaragua offers simplified processes for acquiring land and business licenses along with the ability to transfer investment capital and profits freely in and out of the country. These measures are intended to encourage greater economic engagement between Kuwait and Nicaragua.
Tourism was a focal point of Lashtar’s remarks, with the ambassador describing Nicaragua as a nation with strong potential due to its geographic access to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Currently attracting roughly two million visitors annually, most tourists come from Central America, the United States, and Canada. However, tourism from Arab countries remains limited, in part due to a lack of direct flights. Lashtar suggested that travelers from Kuwait could reach Nicaragua via connecting flights in Mexico or through hubs in Qatar, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
The call for expanded investment and tourism builds on diplomatic relations established in 1990, when Nicaragua opened its embassy in Kuwait—its first in the Gulf and wider Arab region. Despite a relatively small Nicaraguan expatriate community in Kuwait, numbering about 10 nationals, official ties have grown through diplomatic, development, and health cooperation. Kuwait covers Nicaragua diplomatically across several Gulf and Arab countries, while Nicaragua also maintains an embassy in Algeria.
Economic cooperation has been bolstered by support from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, which has contributed approximately $100 to $120 million to Nicaragua. Funded projects include the opening of a major hospital in western Nicaragua serving around 700,000 people, as well as recent infrastructure initiatives such as bridge construction aimed at improving connectivity between the Pacific and Caribbean regions. Lashtar indicated that additional proposals for health, education, and transportation projects are under preparation, with Fund officials recently conducting site visits to assess further investment opportunities.
Addressing regional developments, Lashtar expressed concern over continuing tensions in the Middle East, commending Kuwait’s approach characterized by diplomacy, patience, and restraint. He emphasized that dialogue remains the only viable pathway to peace.
On the issue of Palestine, the ambassador reaffirmed Nicaragua’s longstanding support for Palestinian rights. Nicaragua severed diplomatic ties with Israel in October 2024 and has continued to engage in international efforts related to the Gaza conflict, including participation in proceedings before the International Court of Justice. Lashtar reiterated that backing the Palestinian cause remains integral to Nicaragua’s foreign policy stance.