112 Facts About Kuwait

Pre-oil Kuwait was a strategic trade port between Mesopotamia, Persia and India.

In 1990, after oil production disputes with neighbouring Iraq, Kuwait was invaded, and later annexed into one of Iraq's governorates by Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

The Iraqi occupation of Kuwait came to an end on February 26, 1991, after military intervention by a military coalition led by the United States and various other countries.

Kuwait is a developing country with a high-income economy, backed by the world's sixth largest oil reserves.

Kuwait is the fifth richest country in the world by gross national income per capita.

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In 2009, Kuwait had the highest Human Development Index in the Arab world.

Kuwait has the largest number of stateless people in the entire region.

Kuwait named the emir's son as the country's new prime minister on July 24, 2022 to replace caretaker premier Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid, who faced a combative parliament as head of cabinet in a feud hindering fiscal reform.

In 127 BC, Kuwait was part of the Parthian Empire and the kingdom of Characene was established around Teredon in present-day Kuwait.

At the time of the Sassanid Empire, Kuwait was known as Meshan, which was an alternative name of the kingdom of Characene.

The flight of many of Basra's leading merchants to Kuwait continued to play a significant role in Basra's commercial stagnation well into the 1850s.

Kuwait was the center of boat building in the Persian Gulf, its ships renowned throughout the Indian Ocean.

These and other similar British colonial policies made Kuwait a focus of the Arab national movement in Iraq, and a symbol of Iraqi humiliation at the hands of the British.

Between 1946 and 1982, Kuwait experienced a period of prosperity driven by oil and its liberal atmosphere.

In June 1961, Kuwait became independent with the end of the British protectorate and the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah became Emir of Kuwait.

Kuwait was the first of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf to establish a constitution and parliament.

Kuwait had been a regular endpoint for Palestinian plane hijacking in the past and had considered itself safe.

Kuwait was the pioneer in the Middle East in diversifying its earnings away from oil exports.

Kuwait was the pioneer in the literary renaissance in the Arab region.

Kuwait was a regional hub of science and technology in the 1960s and 1970s up until the early 1980s; the scientific research sector significantly suffered due to the terror attacks.

Tensions between the two countries increased further in July 1990, after Iraq complained to OPEC claiming that Kuwait was stealing its oil from a field near the border by slant drilling of the Rumaila field.

Kuwait's policy was a response to alignment of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and the PLO with Saddam Hussein.

Kuwait deported thousands of Iraqis and Yemenis after the Gulf War.

In March 2003, Kuwait became the springboard for the US-led invasion of Iraq.

From 2006 onwards, Kuwait suffered from chronic political deadlock between the government and parliament which resulted in multiple cabinet reshuffles and dissolutions.

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From 2006 to 2009, Kuwait had the highest Human Development Index ranking in the Arab world.

In 2014 and 2015, Kuwait was ranked first among Arab countries in the Global Gender Gap Report.

From 2014 to 2015, Kuwait was frequently described as the world's biggest source of terrorism funding, particularly for ISIS and Al-Qaeda.

In recent years, Kuwait has invested significantly in its economic relations with China.

Kuwait's economy faced a budget deficit of $46 billion in 2020.

Kuwait currently has the largest US military presence in the Middle East region.

Kuwait City is located on Kuwait Bay, a natural deep-water harbor.

Kuwait is less humid than other coastal countries in the region.

Kuwait emits a lot of carbon dioxide per person compared to most other countries.

In recent years, Kuwait has been regularly ranked among the world's highest countries in term of CO2 per capita emissions.

However, Kuwait does have several wadis, the most notable of which is Wadi Al-Batin which forms the border between Kuwait and Iraq.

Kuwait has several river-like marine channels around Bubiyan Island, most notably Khawr Abd Allah which is an estuary, but once was the point where the Shatt al-Arab emptied into the Persian Gulf.

Kuwait relies on water desalination as a primary source of fresh water for drinking and domestic purposes.

Kuwait was the first country in the world to use desalination to supply water for large-scale domestic use.

Kuwait built five groups of water towers, thirty-one towers total, designed by its chief architect Sune Lindstrom, called "the mushroom towers".

Kuwait is a semi-constitutional emirate, which is sometimes described as "anocratic".

Kuwait has an active public sphere and civil society with political and social organizations that are parties in all but name.

Kuwait has the highest public sector wage bill in the GCC region as public sector wages account for 12.

In 2014 and 2015, Kuwait was ranked first among Arab countries in the Global Gender Gap Report.

Kuwait has higher female citizen participation in the workforce than other GCC countries.

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Article 4 of the Kuwait constitution stipulates that Kuwait is a hereditary emirate whose emir must be an heir of Mubarak Al-Sabah.

Foreign affairs of Kuwait are handled at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kuwait became the 111th member state of the United Nations in May 1963.

Kuwait acted as a conduit for the Soviets to the other Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and Kuwait was used to demonstrate the benefits of a pro-Soviet stance.

In July 1987, Kuwait refused to allow U S military bases in its territory.

Kuwait is a major ally of ASEAN and enjoys a close economic relationship with China while working to establish a model of cooperation in numerous fields.

Kuwait is a major non-NATO ally to the United States and currently has the largest US military presence in the entire Middle East region.

The United States government utilizes Kuwait-based military bases as staging hubs, training ranges, and logistical support for regional and international military operations.

The Emir of Kuwait is the commander-in-chief of all defense forces by default.

Kuwait follows the "civil law system" modeled after the French legal system, Kuwait's legal system is largely secular.

Kuwait has the most secular commercial law in the Persian Gulf region.

Kuwait is divided into six governorates: Al Asimah Governorate; Hawalli Governorate; Farwaniya Governorate; Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate; Ahmadi Governorate; and Jahra Governorate.

Human rights in Kuwait has been the subject of significant criticism, particularly regarding the Bedoon.

Kuwait has the largest number of stateless people in the entire region.

Kuwait is one of the world's worst offenders in human trafficking.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic vaccination rollout, Kuwait has been regularly accused of implementing a xenophobic vaccine policy toward foreign nationals.

Kuwait was detained after a complaint against him was issued by the office of Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

In 2020, Kuwait ranked fourth in the MENA region in startup funding after the UAE, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Kuwait was the world's biggest exporter of sulfonated, nitrated and nitrosated hydrocarbons in 2019.

Kuwait was ranked 63rd out of 157 countries in the 2019 Economic Complexity Index.

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In recent years, Kuwait has enacted certain measures to regulate foreign labor due to security concerns.

Kuwait is currently considered the region's most oil-dependent country with the lowest share of economic diversification.

Kuwait has a leading position in the financial industry in the GCC.

The Emir has promoted the idea that Kuwait should focus its energies, in terms of economic development, on the financial industry.

Kuwait has a large wealth-management industry that stands out in the region.

Kuwait is a major source of foreign economic assistance to other states through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, an autonomous state institution created in 1961 on the pattern of international development agencies.

Between 2010 and 2014, Kuwait registered the highest growth in patents in the Arab world.

Kuwait was ranked 72th in the Global Innovation Index in 2021, down from 60th in 2019.

Kuwait was the first country in the region to implement 5G technology.

Kuwait is among the world's leading markets in 5G penetration.

Kuwait has an emerging space industry which is largely driven by private sector initiatives.

In July 2021, Kuwait University announced that it is launching a national satellite project as part of state-led efforts to pioneer the country's sustainable space sector.

Kuwait had the highest literacy rate in the Arab world in 2010.

The Kuwait National Cultural District is a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network.

Kuwait has one of the largest shipping industries in the region.

Kuwait is the only GCC country besides Bahrain to have a local Christian population who hold citizenship.

Kuwait has a large community of expatriate Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Sikhs.

Kuwait has the oldest performing arts industry in the Arabian Peninsula.

Kuwait is the main production centre of the Gulf television drama and comedy scene.

Kuwait is frequently dubbed the "Hollywood of the Gulf" due to the popularity of its television soap operas and theatre.

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Kuwait is the only country in the Gulf Arab region with a theatrical tradition.

Theatre in Kuwait is subsidized by the government, previously by the Ministry of Social Affairs and now by the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters.

Kuwait is the main centre of scenographic and performing arts education in the GCC region.

Kuwait is the birthplace of various popular musical genres, such as sawt and fijiri.

Kuwait is widely considered the centre of traditional music in the GCC region.

Kuwait is home to various music festivals, including the International Music Festival hosted by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters.

Kuwait has several academic institutions specializing in university-level music education.

Kuwait has a reputation for being the central music influence of the GCC countries.

Kuwait has the oldest modern arts movement in the Arabian Peninsula.

Kuwait is regarded as the founder of portrait art in the region.

Kuwait founded a new art theory in the early 1960s known as "circulism".

The Kuwait National Cultural District is a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network.

In contrast to the top-down approach in other Gulf states, museum development in Kuwait reflects a greater sense of civic identity and demonstrates the strength of civil society in Kuwait, which has produced many independent cultural enterprises.

Kuwait stands out in the region as the most liberal in empowering women in the public sphere.

Kuwait produces more newspapers and magazines per capita than its neighbors.

Kuwait's media is annually classified as partly free in the Freedom of Press survey by Freedom House.

Since 2005, Kuwait has frequently earned the highest ranking of all Arab countries in the annual Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.

In 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014, Kuwait surpassed Israel as the country with the greatest press freedom in the Middle East.

Kuwait is frequently ranked as the Arab country with the greatest press freedom in Freedom House's annual Freedom of Press survey.

Kuwait has 15 satellite television channels, of which four are controlled by the Ministry of Information.

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State-owned Kuwait Television offered first colored broadcast in 1974 and operates five television channels.

Government-funded Radio Kuwait offers daily informative programming in several languages including Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and English on the AM and SW.

Kuwait has in recent years produced several prominent contemporary writers such as Ismail Fahd Ismail, author of over twenty novels and numerous short story collections.

Kuwait is home to many football clubs including Al-Arabi, Al-Fahaheel, Al-Jahra, Al-Kuwait, Al-Naser, Al-Salmiya, Al-Shabab, Al Qadsia, Al-Yarmouk, Kazma, Khaitan, Sulaibikhat, Sahel, and Tadamon.

Kuwait first joined the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1985, but was expelled in 1992 due to a lack of ice hockey activity.

In February 2020, Kuwait held for the first time a leg of the UIM Aquabike World Championship in front of Marina Beach City.

In May 2022, Kuwait hosted the Third Gulf Cooperation Council Games at the 360 Marina.