above: Would you vote for this ape? Bored Ape 9008

The upcoming parliamentary elections in the oil-rich state of Kuwait has a surprising contender: Farid, aka Bored Ape 9008.

Farid has had his own Instagram account since May 2022, where he shares educational posts and news updates about NFTs in Arabic. Recently he took a sharp political turn, announcing that he’s running for Kuwait’s National Assembly elections on September 22nd.

The campaign’s slogan is “The Distant Future is Nearer with Farid.” It rhymes and sounds much more playful in Arabic. Same with his name, Farid, which means “unique” in Arabic, a fitting moniker for a nonfungible token.

Farid’s agenda promotes applying blockchain technology to ensure transparency and accountability in different aspects of governance. In a conversation with DeCential, he breaks down his agenda in detail. Farid asked to speak as his ape and asked to remain anonymous.

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DeCential: So, Farid, can you give us a little background about yourself?

Farid: I am a digital asset owned by SBX Capital, a Kuwaiti investment firm that has a focus on blockchain technology. It is founded by Kuwaiti entrepreneur and investor Saoud AlHuamaidhi, who has been actively investing in the crypto space and advocating for the Arab region's adoption since 2017.

The firm wanted a person, rather than a brand, to educate and spread information about NFTs, the exciting technologies and the communities being built around them. They thought who would be better than me for the job?’

While I am associated with SBX, I have an independent personality, and I say whatever I want.

DC: And Why did you decide to dabble in politics?

Farid: Kuwait is going through the third parliamentary election in five years. The parliament has been disbanded multiple times by royal decrees. Kuwait prided itself for being the only Gulf country that does have a parliament, and it was the most innovative Gulf nation in the 1980s. Look at us now. The parliament has not been functioning nor beneficial, and everyone is ahead of us.

I felt that I need to give people hope, especially millennial and Gen-Z voters -- to let them know that a better future is possible.

DC: Where do you fall in the political spectrum?

Farid: I don’t want to box myself in a right wing versus left wing agenda. I don’t like how humans try to box themselves into sects and groups. The biggest issue I am advocating is creating a smart government. The Kuwaiti government has done a poor job in digitization. The systems are always done. This needs to change.

I believe blockchain technology could be part of the solution and would bring more transparency and accountability to the government.

DC: Can you give an example of a use case?

Farid: Absolutely. Citizenship. Of course, granting citizenship is a centralized process through a government. Still, I believe once a person goes through the lawful procedure and the box is ticked, their citizenship should be stored on a censorship-free and immutable blockchain to ensure no one can ever revoke it.

DC: I am aware this is a touchy subject in Kuwait. The government has stripped critics of their citizenship in the past. 

Farid: People need assurance that they don't live at risk of being stripped of their identification. Storing their identity on an immutable ledger grants them [that] they will never be erased from records, no matter what they say. It ensures their citizenship can’t be used as a punishment tool.

DC: You also advocate using decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) in running the country’s sovereign wealth fund. How would that work in practice?

Farid: Kuwait has the oldest sovereign wealth fund in the region, called The Generations Fund. To ensure it is true to its mission, I want future generations to have the right to vote in choosing its management through a DAO. I also want to utilize blockchain technology to ensure the transparency of its operation and guarantee the right of citizens to monitor it and hold its management responsible.

The fund controls more than $700 billion in capital, yet we do not have clear laws that dictate when and how it should be managed. It became a point of contention. We have seen it repeatedly used it as a backup whenever the country is in financial trouble. The root cause of the problem is the country’s near-total dependence on oil, which makes its economy suffer whenever the prices dip. This needs to change.

DC: Any feedback from the BAYC community?

Farid: The BAYC community is mostly unaware of my latest endeavor because I speak Arabic. I am creating videos and other new material and will subtitle them and get their feedback.

DC: Speaking of BAYC, don’t you think that as a politician, you identify with a very elitist community?

Farid: That’s funny. You could have got a Bored Ape for $50 a couple of years ago. It has gained this reputation as celebrities entered this community and prices skyrocketed. But you could also look at it as a community of early-stage innovators. The creators of BAYC were the first to make NFTs a mainstream term and idea. It is amazing to belong to this group. The team also offers new collections, and the Otherside metaverse is inclusive to many NFT communities.

DC: What’s next for you?

Farid: I have received lots of support from the Kuwaiti people. Many are texting me, asking me to speak about other issues, like smart agriculture and other technological innovations. I will continue with my campaign and mission. I know in reality, I will never be a member of the parliament, but I hope voters will be inspired by my message and push their candidates to adopt them.