From Wikitravel

Kuwait is a country in the Middle East. It is located at the head of the Persian Gulf, with Iraq to the north and west, and Saudi Arabia to the southwest.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 History 4.2 Climate 4.3 Terrain 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By car 5.4 By bus 5.5 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Work 13 Stay safe 14 Stay healthy 15 Respect 16 Contact

Regions

• Al Ahmadi
• Al Farwaniyah
• Al 'Asimah
• Al Jahra'
• Hawalli

Cities

• Kuwait - the capital

Other destinations

Understand

If you intend to tour Kuwait, it is really only best to do so if you will stay with friends or family. Aside from having a place to stay and a person to show you around, this country is really quite boring. Also, it is nice to have a Kuwaiti around when you get stopped at nightly roadblocks; they can be quite unnerving.

History

The Kuwaitis trace their roots to the Al-Anisa and the Al-Utub tribe from the Najd province, in modern Saudi Arabia. They moved to Qatar and then to Al-Qurain (derived from Koot, the Arabic word for fortress), which is in modern day Kuwait bay around 1710. By 1752, the long term residents of Al-Qurain decided that the instability of the region, caused by warring tribes, called for the establishment of a stable government. The Al-Sabah tribe was chosen to rule, and the first Sheikh was Sabah ibn Jaber, who ruled as Sabah I, from 1752 to 1756. The Sabah's were skillful diplomats, and weathered out religious and tribal strifes successfully. They dealt with the Ottomans, the Egyptians and the Europeans. Mubarak I signed an agreement with the British making Kuwait a British Protectorate in 1899. The British were in Kuwait for quite a while by then, and as early as the 1770's Abdullah I had a contract with the British to deliver mail for them up to Allepo in Syria. The agreement gave the British control of the Kuwaiti foreign policy in exchange for military protection. In the 20's and the 30's, the chief source of revenue was pearls. But around that time the Japanese started flooding the international market with cultured pearls and this source of income was in decline. In 1938, oil was first struck at the Burgan oil field in Kuwait, and by 1946, they started exporting it. In 1961, Kuwait nullified the treaty of 1899, and became an independent nation. Kuwait was attacked and overrun by Iraq on 2 August 1990. Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led UN coalition began a ground assault on 23 February 1991 that completely liberated Kuwait in four days; Febuary 26 is celebrated as Liberation Day. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-91. It is currently ruled by Sheik Subah Al Ahmad AL Jaber Al Subah after the demise of Sheikh Jaber al Ahmed al Jaber al Subah in January 2006.

Climate

Dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters. Natural hazards : sudden cloudbursts are common from October to April; they bring heavy rain which can damage roads and houses; sandstorms and dust storms occur throughout the year, but are most common between March and August.

Terrain

Flat to slightly undulating desert plain. Highest point: 306 meters.

Get in

By plane

Kuwait International Airport is well connected to almost all the important world airports. All the major airlines have stops here, barring El Al.

By train

Kuwait has no railway system.

By car

Kuwait shares its borders with only 2 nations - Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The political situation in Iraq is volatile currently, so it's advisable not to use that route.

By bus

By boat

Scheduled ferries to and from Iran.

Ports and harbors:

• Ash Shu'aybah
• Ash Shuwaykh
• Kuwait City
• Mina' 'Abd Allah
• Mina' al Ahmadi
• Mina' Su'ud

Get around

Talk

Arabic (official), English widely spoken.

Buy

The national currency is the Kuwaiti dinar. There are 3.4238 US dollars in 1 dinar (24 Jan 2006). Kuwait is a tax free country. Custom-made items, imported items, and shipping out of the country can be expensive, so shop wisely.

• Western style malls: Souk Sharq (Kuwait City) and Marina Mall (Salmia) are both on the coastal Gulf Road and offer excellent shopping.

• Traditional markets: A famous destination is the Souk Al Mubarakia in the heart of downtown. Middle Eastern and Oriental items abound as well as a gold and jewellery market. Souk Al-Jom'aa is a Friday market with very low-priced mass-produced goods. The Mahameed markets in Behbahani complex have similar selection and pricing as well.

• A more Oriental atmosphere can be found on the other side of town also in a western-style mall called Souk Al-Watiya or Al-Watiya Complex, located beside the Sheraton Hotel and 4 Point Sheraton. This place is also called the Adidas Building by local Filipinos. Situated close to churches the whole area can look like a mini India Town and Filipino Town during Friday and Sunday. Many restaurants also serving either fast food or oriental traditional foods. This is also a good place to buy any gold or jewelry.

Eat

Drink

• Alcohol is illegal in Kuwait.

Sleep

Western chains are prevalent in Kuwait, with JW Marriott and Sheraton as the largest five star hotels in the downtown business district. Additional resort hotels are located on the coast.

A Four Seasons hotel is current being constructed in Kuwait.

Work

IO Centers (formerly Gulf Business Centre) is the only premium serviced office provider in the country. They offer flexible terms and all business related services and are located in two locatoins: on the 28th and 29th floors of the Arraya Center in the same tower as the Marriott Courtyard hotel and in the new Dar Alawadi Center. http://www.iocenters.com/

Stay safe

Kuwait is a very safe place and one would have to try very hard to get hurt. It is generally recommended to respect the dominant religion (Islam) and local customs; women should wear decent modest clothing at all times to avoid suspicious looks and lewd comments. Many Kuwaiti drivers are extremely reckless.

Stay healthy

Public health is entirely supported by the government at local clinics and hospitals, with a 5KD fee paid by foreigners visiting Kuwait and 3KD for locals. Private non-governmental clinics are available as well, but charge much more at 30KD.

Respect

Kuwaitis are very respectful and hospitable people who will lend a helping hand when ever they can.

Contact

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