Kuwait

Continent

Asia

Best States to Visit

Kuwait city
Mangaf
Ahmadi
Al jahra
Mahboula

Best Cities to Visit

Fahaheel
Sabah al Salem
Mubarak Al- kabeer
Abu Halifa
Salmiya

Size

17,818 KM²

Population

4,270,571

GDP

$108

Spending Budget

$1,575 - $1,582

Famous For

Largest economy
Oil reserves

Best Time to Visit

January
February
March
November
December

History

The tiny country, which was a British protectorate from 1899 until 1961, drew world attention in 1990 when Iraqi forces invaded and attempted to annex it. A United Nations coalition led by the United States drove Iraq’s army out of Kuwait within days of launching an offensive in February 1991, but the retreating invaders looted the country and set fire to most of its oil wells (see Persian Gulf War). Kuwait has largely recovered from the effects of the war and again has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. Its generally conservative government continues to provide generous material benefits for Kuwaiti citizens, and, though conservative elements in its society resisted such reforms as women’s suffrage (women were not enfranchised until 2005), it has remained relatively stable. It has been called an “oasis” of peace and safety amid an otherwise turbulent region.

Present Day

A small emirate nestled between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait is situated in a section of one of the driest, least-hospitable deserts on Earth. Its shore, however, includes Kuwait Bay, a deep harbour on the Persian Gulf. There, in the 18th century, Bedouin from the interior founded a trading post. The name Kuwait is derived from the Arabic diminutive of the Hindustani kūt . Since the emirate’s ruling family, the Āl Ṣabāḥ, formally established a sheikhdom in 1756, the country’s fortunes have been linked to foreign commerce. In time and with accumulated wealth, the small fort grew to become Kuwait city, a modern metropolis mingling skyscrapers, apartment buildings, and mosques. Kuwait city has most of the country’s population, which makes Kuwait one of the world’s most-urbanized countries.Slightly larger in area than the U.S. state of Hawaii, Kuwait is bounded to the west and north by Iraq, to the east by the Persian Gulf, and to the south by Saudi Arabia.Kuwait is largely a desert, except for Al-Jahrāʾ oasis, at the western end of Kuwait Bay, and a few fertile patches in the southeastern and coastal areas

Future

Kuwait, a haven of stability at the northwestern tip of the Gulf, is embarking on a bold mission to remodel its economy into a business and financial powerhouse. A colossal programme of investment, with $100 billion (£80 billion) already earmarked for development projects, is central to the plan for a “New Kuwait”.The ambitious transformation will be accomplished by 2035 with a focus on seven clearly defined pillars: efficient public administration, a diversified economy, state-of-the-art national infrastructure, sustainable living, healthcare, human capital and a growing international reputation.While Kuwait’s leaders are confronting the challenges presented globally by Covid-19, the pandemic has not shaken their commitment to draw on the country’s great hydrocarbon wealth to reshape its economy.

Must Visit Places ------------

Tareq Rajab Museum

Housed in the basement of a huge villa, this beautiful ethnographic museum shouldn’t be missed. You can find inlaid musical instruments suspended in glass cabinets, Omani silver, and Saudi gold jewelry, headdresses in the humble prayer cap into the Mongol helmet, outfits worn by princesses and goat herders, necklaces for dwelling goddesses from Nepal, Jaipur enamel and Bahraini pearls.

Mirror House

To get a brightly bizarre art-in-action adventure, see this residential home covered with mirror mosaics. It is the creation of eccentric Italian-Kuwaiti artist Lidia Al Qattan, that entertains with her tales and explanations of every room, such as a mirror-clad toilet and cosmos-themed room.

Souq Mubarakiya

When the center of commerce prior to the country found petroleum, Kuwait City’s older souq has kept its own sprawling, bustling glory. The historic centre of the marketplace was added to, with modern buildings and sub-markets of types. Wandering about is a great sensory experience, together with colourful stalls and atmosphere permeated with rich spices.

Grand Mosque

The biggest of the town’s 800 mosques, opened in 1986, entirely endured the Iraqi invasion. It price KD14 million (US$46 million) to assemble, with extravagant attributes like a hands tree-lined courtyard, stained glass from France and Italian marble detailing, also mosaics out of Morocco, chandeliers from Germany, teak timber in India and a striking gold-plated central duplex

Scientific Center

Among the biggest aquariums in the Middle East is placed within this sail-shaped construction. The giant spider crabs (3.8m leg ), fluorescent jellyfish and floor-to-ceiling shark and ray tanks are particularly cool. In the interactive Discovery Place, children can do science experiments, create sand dunes or roll up a sheet of street.

Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyya

This cultural centre contains magnificent galleries that contain a number of the highlights of this world Al Sabah Collection, a part of that has been at the National Museum prior to the invasion. With educational tags in English and Arabic, videos together with experts describing the bits and a few delightful sculptures and historical finds

Kuwait Towers

The Kuwait Towers, with their identifying blue-green’sequins’, would be the immediately recognisable symbols of the country. Produced with a Swedish architectural business, they started in 1979. The biggest of the 3 climbs to a height of 187m. Guests may go to a gift shop, watching a platform and a global buffet restaurant.

Al Qurain Martyrs’ Museum

From the residential suburb of the Qurain, this superb little museum is a sobering memorial into some mobile of young Kuwaitis who strove to withstand Iraqi arrest in February 1991. The home, still in its own post-attack state (completely supported with beams) gets got the bullet holes and signs of destruction brought on by grenades and a tank.

Al Shaheed Park

It’s easy to spend an entire day at Kuwait’s biggest urban park, which includes walking and jogging paths covering over 2km. The green area includes botanical gardens, a lake and palm trees galore, also restaurants and two museums (the Habitat and Memorial Museums). Just outside the primary playground is a cycle trail and designated’resting place’ for migrating birds.

Tareq Rajab Museum of Islamic Art

A couple of blocks south of the Tareq Rajab Museum, this sister appeal can be housed in a villa. It’s a seriously impressive and beautifully presented range of calligraphy. Typography from various Qurans, gathered from all around the Arab world, span two floors and comprise ancient scripts up into the modern day. An instructional video explains the ways of writing.

Al Hashemi Marine Museum

Maritime fanatics will appreciate this interesting museum with its remarkable group of big, scale-model dhows (traditional freight ships ), sailing gear and planks detailing the history of seafaring in the region. Al Hashemi II, the enormous wooden dhow adjacent to the museum, would be the greatest handmade wooden vessel in the world, measuring a world-record-breaking 80.4m long and 18.7m wide and weighing an estimated 2500 tonnes

Maritime Museum

The entry to the museum is difficult to overlook, with its three glorious dhows (traditional freight ships ) dry docked opposite Kuwait Bay. The area provides insight to the seafaring legacy of Kuwait, which utilized dhows and boons to draw water from the Shatt Al Arab waterway near Basra into the bone-dry town, which makes a clear profit from the thirsty inhabitants.

Dickson House Cultural Centre

A small white building with blue trimming, Beit Dickson was the house of former British political representative Colonel Harold Dickson and his wife, Violet, whose love of and contribution to Kuwait are recorded in the many archives within the home.

Historical, Vintage

Fish Market

This massive market hall has rows of stalls selling all manner of morsels in the sea. Vendors tout their capture of the day, which might consist of anything from heaps of sardines into 2m-long groupers to buckets of huge prawns. It is a brilliant place that provides a superb insight into life.

Corniche

Comprising over 10km of winding trails, beaches and parks on Arabian Gulf St (occasionally known locally as Gulf Rd), the corniche is indicated at its southern end by the Scientific Center and in its northernmost point by Kuwait Towers. Stop off at any one of the numerous beaches, restaurants or coffee shops to watch a desert sunset or, on warm summer evenings, enjoy being a part of this throng of people flocking to the sea to capture the breeze.

Marina Beach

Popular beach with fantastic views of the town’s skyline. Kiosks serve ice cream and beverages, and there is generally an great bouncy playground for children around the sand, also bicycle hire, a skate park and restaurants opposite the shore. Routine swimsuits are good for ladies.

Marina Crescent

Attached to Marina Theater , this nice palm tree-lined outdoor promenade loops round Kuwait Bay and contains a variety of restaurants and coffee shops. It is popular in the day and at weekends.

Contemporary Art Platform

A massive modern area hosting a permanent collection and regular exhibitions including Kuwaiti musicians, and occasional foreign titles, discussions and panel discussions. Locally regarded among the finest galleries in Kuwait

Kuwait National Museum

It had been the pride of Kuwait and included among the main collections of Islamic art in the world prior to the 1990 Iraqi invasion. Regrettably, the National Museum remains a shadow of its former self and reconstruction functions are still nowhere close to completion. Just two chambers comprising a couple of archaeological finds are open.

Arab Fund Building

Though not only available to the casual caller, the remarkable Arab Fund Building, using a bunch of highly lovely rooms, is well worth the problem of gaining entry. Call to ask a consultation and explain that you would like to observe the building’s inside, and you will be given a guided tour by one of these workers.

Heritage Museum

Forming a part of the National Museum complicated, this set of dark corridors is constructed like pre-oil Kuwaiti roads, with screens filled with antiques, and full-sized models representing all the various buyers and traders all of this time — ironmongers, tailors, boat builders, and a good deal of men at total national apparel

Liberation Tower

Not to be mistaken with all the identifying Kuwait Towers, the most striking Liberation Tower, using its UFO-like saucer, is your second-tallest tower in Kuwait. In a height of 372m, it’s now one of the world’s 50 greatest buildings. Launched prior to the Iraqi invasion, the tower took its name as it was finished in 1993.

Dhow Harbour

Adjacent to Kuwait Bay, reverse the Dickson House Cultural Centre, it is possible to view heaps of traditional dhows (cargo ships ), many still usable and captained by local artisans who bring their citizenship into the next-door Fish Industry each day to trade. It is a nice reminder of Kuwait’s pre-oil-boom days.

Green Island

Locate this artificial island constructed from the’80s just off the Corniche. It is 785,000 sq yards with greenery along with a seldom-used amphitheater. Visitors are welcome to have barbecues here and may hire bikes (out of KD2). Regrettably, the place was neglected in the past several decades, but there have been rumours that it might be refurbished.