KUWAIT

The official language of Kuwait is Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), however, Kuwaiti Arabic is the main dialect spoken in everyday conversation. Kuwaiti Arabic goes by different names such as Khaliji, Khamseh, or Al Hasaa [i]. The Kuwaiti dialect differs between rural and urban areas in the country. Moreover, Kuwaiti Arabic takes on some words from Southern Indian languages, English, Persian, Turkish, and Italian because of their trading history. English is also widely spoken in Kuwait [ii], because of business and it is taught compulsorily in schools. Due to the high expatriate population in Kuwait, many of the workers speak Farsi, Urdu, and Tagalog [iii].

Much of Kuwait’s culture is influenced by Islam which is seen in its culture and traditions. One important aspect of Kuwaiti culture is the diwaniyas [iv] (“To gather together”), an area in the home dedicated to entertaining guests. The diwaniyas additionally now serve as space for men to talk politics, debate, and election campaigns. Throughout history, Kuwaiti’s have had a great love for the arts. Kuwait is the only Gulf nation with a theatrical tradition [v]. In addition, Kuwait produces the most-watched soap operas in the Gulf region. This led the nation to be dubbed “Hollywood of the Gulf” for its artistic productions.

Kuwait is a majority Muslim country where over 74.6% [vi] of the population is practicing Islam. The nation allows Sharia Law [vii], to govern family law with Muslim residents, while non-Muslim residents have secular family law. The majority of Kuwaiti Muslims are Sunnis at 70 percent, while the Shia make up 30 percent. Though there is also a sizable Christian population of 18.2%, while the other 7.2% of religious practices are unspecified. Despite Kuwait being under Sharia Law, the Kuwaiti Constitution does promote the freedom of religion. Kuwait is also the only Gulf country to have relations with the Vatican.

Kuwait is a constitutional emirate system, where the monarch known as the Emir [viii] is the head of state. This is an inherited position, where one must be a descendant of the Al-Sabah family. Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah became the emir on September 30, 2020, and has large oversight of the government and appoints the prime minister and deputy prime ministers. Kuwait’s legislative branch called the National Assembly has 66 seats, 50 of these seats are elected by popular votes, while the other 16 members are appointed by the Prime Minister. Kuwait is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Kuwait’s economy is dependent on oil-exporting, with over 100 billion barrels [ix] of oil in reserve. The oil sector represents 48.4% of the nation’s GDP and over 90% of the country’s exports. While the industrial sector contributes to the other half of the GDP and employs over 25.4% of the workforce. Despite the strong economy from oil Kuwait has failed to diversify [x] its economy and the private sector. The country is a founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Kuwait has the strongest currency in the world due to its economic stability from its oil exporting.

Founded as al-Quarin and was under the control of the house of Khaled. It was not until 1752 [xi] when the Al Sabah family gained dominance and they formally established themselves as the rulers of Kuwait. Due to neighboring countries’ power struggles, fear led Kuwait’s rulers to enter into an agreement with Britain and the area became a British protectorate in 1899 [xii], which gave the British control of Kuwait’s foreign affairs. Officially in 1961, Kuwait became an independent nation. In August of 1990, Kuwait was invaded by Iraq until 1994, Iraq officially accepted Kuwait’s sovereignty and the UN implemented a demarcated border.

Kuwait is located on the northwestern corner [xii] of the Persian Gulf, which shares borders with Saudi Arabia in the south and Iraq to the north and west. The country is approximately 6,879 square miles (17,820 square kilometers). The majority of the Kuwaiti population lives in Kuwait City, the capital of the country. One of the most prominent geographical features is the Kuwait Bay [xiv], which is forty kilometers and makes up one-half of the nation’s shoreline. The climate of Kuwait is a dry desert, where there are long summers and sandstorms that occur in the months of June and July.