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Kuwait City

Kuwait City (Arabic: مدينة الكويت) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it is the political, cultural and economical centre of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Palace, government offices, and the headquarters of most Kuwaiti corporations and banks. It is one of the hottest cities in summer on earth, with average summer high temperatures over 45 °C (113 °F) for three months of the year.

Kuwait City
مدينة الكويت
Madinat Al-Kuwayt
Top to bottom, from left to right: Kuwait City skyline, Al Hamra Tower, Kuwait Towers, Seif Palace, Souq Sharg port Kuwait Downtown in 2012
Nickname: 
الديرة Ad-Dirah
Location of Kuwait City in Kuwait
Kuwait City (Persian Gulf)
Kuwait City (Arab world)
Kuwait City (West and Central Asia)
Kuwait City (Asia)
Coordinates: 29°22′11″N 47°58′42″E / 29.36972°N 47.97833°E / 29.36972; 47.97833Coordinates: 29°22′11″N 47°58′42″E / 29.36972°N 47.97833°E / 29.36972; 47.97833
CountryKuwait
GovernorateCapital
Established1613
Area
 • Capital city860 km2 (330 sq mi)
Population
 • Urban
3,000,000
Time zoneUTC+03:00 (AST)

As of 2018, the metropolitan area had roughly 3 million inhabitants (more than 70% of the country's population).[1] The city itself has no administrative status. All six governorates of the country comprise parts of the urban agglomeration, which is subdived in numerous areas. In a more narrow sense, Kuwait City can also refer only to the town's historic core, which nowadays is part of the Capital Governorate and seamlessly merges with the adjacent urban areas.

Kuwait City's trade and transportation needs are served by Kuwait International Airport, Mina Al-Shuwaik (Shuwaik Port) and Mina Al Ahmadi (Ahmadi Port).

History

 
Celebration at Seif Palace in 1944 for Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah

In 1613, the town of Kuwait was founded in modern-day Kuwait City as a fishing village inhabited by fishermen. In 1716, the Bani Utubs settled in Kuwait. At the time of the arrival of the Utubs, Kuwait was still inhabited by a few fishermen and primarily functioned as a fishing village.[2] In the eighteenth century, Kuwait prospered and rapidly became the principal commercial center for the transit of goods between India, Muscat, Baghdad and Arabia.[3][4] By the mid 1700s, Kuwait had already established itself as the major trading route from the Persian Gulf to Aleppo.[5]

During the Persian siege of Basra in 1775–1779, Iraqi merchants took refuge in Kuwait and were partly instrumental in the expansion of Kuwait's boat-building and trading activities.[6] As a result, Kuwait's maritime commerce boomed.[6] Between the years 1775 and 1779, the Indian trade routes with Baghdad, Aleppo, Smyrna and Constantinople were diverted to Kuwait.[5][7] The East India Company was diverted to Kuwait in 1792.[8] The East India Company secured the sea routes between Kuwait, India and the east coasts of Africa.[8] After the Persian withdrawal from Basra in 1779, Kuwait continued to attract trade away from Basra.[9]

 
Kuwait harbour in 1961

Kuwait was the center of boat building in the Persian Gulf region.[10][11] During the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, ship vessels made in Kuwait carried the bulk of trade between the ports of India, East Africa and the Red Sea.[12][13][14] Kuwaiti ship vessels were renowned throughout the Indian Ocean.[15] Regional geopolitical turbulence helped foster economic prosperity in Kuwait in the second half of the 18th century.[16] Kuwait became prosperous due to Basra's instability in the late 18th century.[17] In the late 18th century, Kuwait partly functioned as a haven for Basra's merchants fleeing Ottoman government persecution.[18] According to Palgrave, Kuwaitis developed a reputation as the best sailors in the Persian Gulf.[15][19][20]

During the reign of Mubarak Al-Sabah, Kuwait was dubbed the "Marseilles of the Gulf" because its economic vitality attracted a large variety of people.[21] In the first decades of the twentieth century, Kuwait had a well-established elite: wealthy trading families who were linked by marriage and shared economic interests.[22]

In 1937, Freya Stark wrote about the extent of poverty in Kuwait at the time:

Poverty has settled in Kuwait more heavily since my last visit five years ago, both by sea, where the pearl trade continues to decline, and by land, where the blockade established by Saudi Arabia now harms the merchants.

Some prominent merchant families left Kuwait in the early 1930s due to the prevalence of economic hardship. At the time of the discovery of oil in 1937, most of Kuwait's inhabitants were impoverished.

From 1946 to 1982, Kuwait experienced a period of prosperity driven by oil and its liberal atmosphere.[23][24] In popular discourse, the years between 1946 and 1982 are referred to as the "Golden Era".[23][24][25] In 1950, a major public-work programme began to enable Kuwaitis to enjoy a modern standard of living. By 1952, the country became the largest oil exporter in the Persian Gulf region. In the following year, the country's annual oil income grew to $169 million. This massive growth attracted many foreign workers, especially from Palestine, Egypt and India and helped finance the development of a new master plan, which the state approved in 1952. In June 1961, Kuwait became independent with the end of the British protectorate and the sheikh Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah became an Emir. Under the terms of the newly drafted constitution, Kuwait held its first parliamentary elections in 1963. Kuwait was the first Persian Gulf country to establish a constitution and parliament.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Kuwait was the most developed country in the region.[26][27] Kuwait was the pioneer in the Middle East in diversifying its earnings away from oil exports.[28] The Kuwait Investment Authority is the world's first sovereign wealth fund. From the 1970s onward, Kuwait scored highest of all Arab countries on the Human Development Index.[27] Kuwait University was established in 1966.[27] Kuwait's theatre industry was well-known throughout the Arab world.[23][27] In the 1960s and 1970s, Kuwait's press was described as one of the freest in the world. Kuwait was the pioneer in the literary renaissance in the Arab region.[29] In 1958, Al Arabi magazine was first published, the magazine went on to become the most popular magazine in the Arab world.[29] Many Arab writers moved to Kuwait for freedom of expression because Kuwait had greater freedom of expression than elsewhere in the Arab world.[30][31] Kuwait was a haven for writers and journalists from all parts of the Middle East. The Iraqi poet Ahmed Matar left Iraq in the 1970s to take refuge in the more liberal environment of Kuwait.[32]

Kuwaiti society embraced liberal and Western attitudes throughout the 1960s and 1970s.[33] Most Kuwaiti women did not wear the hijab in the 1960s and 1970s.[34][35] At Kuwait University, mini-skirts were more common than the hijab.[36]

In the early 1980s, Kuwait experienced a major economic crisis after the Souk Al-Manakh stock market crash and decrease in oil price.[37]

During the Iran–Iraq War, Kuwait supported Iraq. Throughout the 1980s, there were several terror attacks in Kuwait, including the 1983 Kuwait bombings, hijacking of several Kuwait Airways planes and attempted assassination of Emir Jaber in 1985.[38] Kuwait was a leading 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.

 
Oil fires in Kuwait in 1990, which were a result of the scorched earth policy of Iraqi military forces retreating from Kuwait.
 
Red Arrows over Kuwait City

The Kuwaiti government strongly advocated Islamism throughout the 1980s.[39] At that time, the most serious threat to the continuity of Al Sabah came from home-grown secular democrats.[39] The secular Kuwaiti opposition were protesting the 1976 suspension of the parliament.[39] Al Sabah were attracted to Islamists preaching the virtues of a hierarchical order that included loyalty to the Kuwaiti monarchy.[39] In 1981, the Kuwaiti government gerrymandered electoral districts in favor of the Islamists.[39] Islamists were the government's main allies, hence Islamists were able to colonize state agencies, such as the government ministries.[39] By the mid-1980s, Kuwait was described as an autocracy.[39] In 1986, Emir Jaber suspended the parliament.

After the Iran–Iraq War ended, Kuwait declined an Iraqi request to forgive its US$65 billion debt.[40] An economic rivalry between the two countries ensued after Kuwait increased its oil production by 40 percent.[41] 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 Iraq–Kuwait border by slant drilling of the Rumaila field.[41]

In August 1990, Iraqi forces invaded and annexed Kuwait. After a series of failed diplomatic negotiations, the United States led a coalition to remove the Iraqi forces from Kuwait, in what became known as the Gulf War. On 26 February 1991, the coalition succeeded in driving out the Iraqi forces. As they retreated, Iraqi forces carried out a scorched earth policy by setting oil wells on fire.[42] During the Iraqi occupation, more than 1,000 Kuwaiti civilians were killed.[43] In addition, more than 600 Kuwaitis went missing during Iraq's occupation,[44] approximately 375 remains were found in mass graves in Iraq.

In March 2003, Kuwait became the springboard for the US-led invasion of Iraq. Upon the death of the Emir Jaber, in January 2006, Saad Al-Sabah succeeded him but was removed nine days later by the Kuwaiti parliament due to his ailing health. Sabah Al-Sabah was sworn in as Emir.

Geography

Kuwait City is located on Kuwait Bay, a natural deep-water harbor. 90% of Kuwait's population live within the Kuwait Bay coast. The country is generally low-lying, with the highest point being 306 m (1,004 ft) above sea level.[45] It has nine islands, all of which, with the exception of Failaka Island, are uninhabited.[46] With an area of 860 km2 (330 sq mi), the Bubiyan is the largest island in Kuwait and is connected to the rest of the country by a 2,380-metre-long (7,808 ft) bridge.[47] The land area is considered arable[45] and sparse vegetation is found along its 499-kilometre-long (310 mi) coastline.[45]

Kuwait's Burgan field has a total capacity of approximately 70 billion barrels (1.1×1010 m3) of proven oil reserves. During the 1991 Kuwaiti oil fires, more than 500 oil lakes were created covering a combined surface area of about 35.7 km2 (13.8 sq mi).[48] The resulting soil contamination due to oil and soot accumulation had made eastern and south-eastern parts of Kuwait uninhabitable. Sand and oil residue had reduced large parts of the Kuwaiti desert to semi-asphalt surfaces.[49] The oil spills during the Gulf War also drastically affected Kuwait's marine resources.[50]

Climate

 
Aerial view of Kuwait City

Kuwait City has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh) with extremely hot, very prolonged summers and mild, short winters. It is one of the hottest cities in summer on Earth.[51] Average summer high temperatures are above 45 °C (113 °F) for three months of the year, and during heat waves; the daytime temperature regularly exceeds 50 °C (122 °F) with nighttime lows often remaining above 30 °C (86 °F). In winter, nighttime temperatures frequently drop below 8 °C (46 °F). Considering its coastal position and relative distance to the equator in comparison with the hot desert climates in Africa and Saudi Arabia, the heat in the city is rather extreme - being surrounded in almost every direction by the hot desert.

Sand storms occur at times during summer from the shamal wind. Sand storms can occur any time of year but occur mostly during summer, and less frequently during autumn.

Climate data for Kuwait City
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 29.8
(85.6)
35.8
(96.4)
41.2
(106.2)
44.2
(111.6)
49.0
(120.2)
49.8
(121.6)
52.1
(125.8)
50.7
(123.3)
47.7
(117.9)
43.7
(110.7)
37.9
(100.2)
30.5
(86.9)
52.1
(125.8)
Average high °C (°F) 19.5
(67.1)
21.8
(71.2)
26.9
(80.4)
33.9
(93.0)
40.9
(105.6)
45.5
(113.9)
46.7
(116.1)
46.9
(116.4)
43.7
(110.7)
36.6
(97.9)
27.8
(82.0)
21.9
(71.4)
34.3
(93.7)
Average low °C (°F) 8.5
(47.3)
10.0
(50.0)
14.0
(57.2)
19.5
(67.1)
25.4
(77.7)
28.9
(84.0)
30.7
(87.3)
29.5
(85.1)
26.2
(79.2)
21.5
(70.7)
14.5
(58.1)
9.9
(49.8)
19.9
(67.8)
Record low °C (°F) −4.0
(24.8)
−1.6
(29.1)
−0.1
(31.8)
6.9
(44.4)
14.7
(58.5)
20.4
(68.7)
22.4
(72.3)
21.7
(71.1)
16.0
(60.8)
9.4
(48.9)
2.0
(35.6)
−1.5
(29.3)
−4.0
(24.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 30.2
(1.19)
10.5
(0.41)
18.2
(0.72)
11.5
(0.45)
0.4
(0.02)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
1.4
(0.06)
18.5
(0.73)
25.5
(1.00)
116.2
(4.57)
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) 5 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 19
Mean monthly sunshine hours 198.1 222.5 217.6 229.3 272.5 304.5 307.1 301.6 285.1 252.2 216.5 193.5 3,000.5
Mean daily sunshine hours 7.1 7.7 7.5 7.9 9.4 10.5 10.6 10.8 10.2 9.0 7.7 6.9 8.8
Percent possible sunshine 68 69 63 62 69 77 76 78 77 79 72 67 72
Source: World Meteorological Organization (temperature and rainfall 1994–2008);[52] NOAA (sunshine and records, 1961–1990);[53] Wundergound (2012 records)[54]

Economy

 
Smoke from burning Kuwait oil fields after Saddam Hussein set fire to during Gulf war.

Kuwait has a petroleum-based economy, petroleum and fertilizers are the main export products. The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest-valued currency unit in the world.[55] Petroleum accounts for 43% of GDP and 70% of export earnings.[56] The Kuwait Stock Exchange is the second-largest stock exchange in the Arab world.

Culture

Theatre

Kuwait is known for its home-grown tradition of theatre.[57] Kuwait is the only Arab country in the Persian Gulf region with a theatrical tradition.[58] The Arabic theatrical movement in Kuwait constitutes a major part of the country's Arabic cultural life.[59] Theatrical activities in Kuwait began in the 1920s when the first spoken dramas were released.[60] Theatre activities are still popular today.[59]

Soap operas

Kuwaiti soap operas (المسلسلات الكويتية) are among the most-watched soap operas in the Arab world.[61] Most Gulf soap operas are based in Kuwait. Although usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, some Kuwaiti soap operas were successful as far away as Tunisia.[62]

Sports

The city is home to the Al Kuwait SC, which has traditionally provided Kuwait's national basketball team with key players.[63]

From 13 to 15 February 2020 it held the first Aquabike World Championship Grand Prix of Kuwait [64][65]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ The World's Cities in 2018. Data Booklet (PDF), United Nations, retrieved 29 March 2021
  2. ^ Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City: The Socio-cultural Dimensions of the Kuwait Courtyard and Diwaniyya. Mohammad Khalid A. Al-Jassar. 2009. p. 64. ISBN 9781109229349.
  3. ^ Bell, Sir Gawain (1983). Shadows on the Sand: The Memoirs of Sir Gawain Bell. Gawain Bell. C. Hurst. p. 222. ISBN 9780905838922.
  4. ^ ʻAlam-i Nisvāṉ – Volume 2, Issues 1–2. p. 18. Kuwait became an important trading port for import and export of goods from India, Africa and Arabia.
  5. ^ a b Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City. Mohammad Khalid A. Al-Jassar. 2009. p. 66. ISBN 9781109229349.
  6. ^ a b Bennis, Phyllis; Moushabeck, Michel (31 December 1990). Beyond the Storm: A Gulf Crisis Reader. Phyllis Bennis. Olive Branch Press. pp. 42. ISBN 9780940793828.
  7. ^ Lauterpacht, E; Greenwood, C. J; Weller, Marc (1991). The Kuwait Crisis: Basic Documents. p. 4. ISBN 9780521463089.
  8. ^ a b Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City. 2009. p. 67. ISBN 9781109229349.
  9. ^ Thabit Abdullah (2001). Merchants, Mamluks, and Murder: The Political Economy of Trade in Eighteenth-Century Basra. p. 72. ISBN 9780791448076.
  10. ^ The impact of economic activities on the social and political structures of Kuwait (1896–1946) (PDF). p. 108.
  11. ^ Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East: Cultural depth and diversity. p. 156. The port of Kuwait was then, and is still, the principal dhow- building and trading port of the Persian Gulf, though offering little trade itself.
  12. ^ M. Nijhoff (1974). Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde, Volume 130. p. 111.
  13. ^ Indian Foreign Affairs. 1965. p. 29.
  14. ^ Richard Harlakenden Sanger (1970). The Arabian Peninsula. p. 150.
  15. ^ a b Donaldson, Neil (2008). The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia and the Gulf. Neil Donaldson. p. 93. ISBN 9781409209423.
  16. ^ Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City. Mohammad Khalid A. Al-Jassar. p. 68. ISBN 9781109229349.
  17. ^ Hasan, Mohibbul (2007). Waqai-i manazil-i Rum: Tipu Sultan's mission to Constantinople. Mohibbul Hasan. p. 18. ISBN 9788187879565. For owing to Basra's misfortunes, Kuwait and Zubarah became rich.
  18. ^ Fattah, Hala Mundhir (1997). The Politics of Regional Trade in Iraq, Arabia, and the Gulf, 1745–1900. Hala Mundhir Fattah. p. 114. ISBN 9780791431139.
  19. ^ Agius, Dionisius A. (2012). Seafaring in the Arabian Gulf and Oman: People of the Dhow. Dionisius A. Agius. p. 48. ISBN 9781136201820.
  20. ^ Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire. 2009. p. 321.
  21. ^ Potter, L. (2009). The Arabian Gulf in History. Lawrence G. Potter. p. 272. ISBN 9780230618459.
  22. ^ Crystal, Jill (1995). Oil and Politics in the Gulf: Rulers and Merchants in Kuwait and Qatar. Jill Crystal. p. 37. ISBN 9780521466356.
  23. ^ a b c Al Sager, Noura, ed. (2014). Acquiring Modernity: Kuwait's Modern Era Between Memory and Forgetting. National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters. p. 7. ISBN 9789990604238.
  24. ^ a b Farid, Alia (2014). . aliafarid.net. Archived from the original on 21 February 2015.
  25. ^ Gonzales, Desi (November–December 2014). . Art Papers. Archived from the original on 26 April 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  26. ^ "Looking for Origins of Arab Modernism in Kuwait". Hyperallergic.
  27. ^ a b c d . March 2013. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  28. ^ Chee Kong, Sam (1 March 2014). "What Can Nations Learn from Norway and Kuwait in Managing Sovereign Wealth Funds". Market Oracle.
  29. ^ a b . Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. A magazine, Al Arabi, was published in 1958 in Kuwait. It was the most popular magazine in the Arab world. It came out it in all the Arabic countries, and about a quarter million copies were published every month.
  30. ^ Gunter, Barrie; Dickinson, Roger (6 June 2013). News Media in the Arab World: A Study of 10 Arab and Muslim Countries. p. 24. ISBN 9781441102393.
  31. ^ Sager, Abdulaziz; Koch, Christian; Tawfiq Ibrahim, Hasanain, eds. (2008). Gulf Yearbook 2006-2007. Dubai, UAE: I. B. Tauris. p. 39. The Kuwaiti press has always enjoyed a level of freedom unparalleled in any other Arab country.
  32. ^ Kinninmont, Jane (15 February 2013). . ISLAMiCommentary. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  33. ^ Muslim Education Quarterly. Vol. 8. Islamic Academy. 1990. p. 61. Kuwait is a primary example of a Muslim society which embraced liberal and Western attitudes throughout the sixties and seventies.
  34. ^ Rubin, Barry, ed. (2010). Guide to Islamist Movements. Vol. 1. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe. p. 306. ISBN 9780765641380.
  35. ^ Wheeler, Deborah L. (2006). The Internet In The Middle East: Global Expectations And Local Imaginations. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. p. 99. ISBN 9780791465868.
  36. ^ Osnos, Evan (11 July 2004). "In Kuwait, conservatism a launch pad to success". Chicago Tribune. In the 1960s and most of the '70s, men and women at Kuwait University dined and danced together, and miniskirts were more common than hijab head coverings, professors and alumni say.
  37. ^ "Kuwait's Souk al-Manakh Stock Bubble". Stock-market-crash.net. 23 June 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  38. ^ Hunter, Shireen T. (1990). Iran and the world : continuity in a revolutionary decade. Indiana University Press. p. 117.
  39. ^ a b c d e f g "Frankenstein's Lament in Kuwait". November 2001.
  40. ^ "Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait; 1990". Acig.org. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  41. ^ a b Derek Gregory (2004). The Colonial Present: Afghanistan …. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-57718-090-6. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  42. ^ . Earthshots: Satellite Images of Environmental Change. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  43. ^ "The Use of Terror During Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait".
  44. ^ "Iraq and Kuwait Discuss Fate of 600 Missing Since Gulf War". Los Angeles Times. 9 January 2003.
  45. ^ a b c "Kuwait". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 10 April 2015.
  46. ^ "Bubiyan (island, Kuwait)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  47. ^ "Structurae [en]: Bubiyan Bridge (1983)". En.structurae.de. 19 October 2002. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  48. ^ Pendick, Daniel. . Encarta. Archived from the original on 1 November 2009.
  49. ^ . American.edu. Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  50. ^ . Encarta. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  51. ^ Birch, Hayley (22 July 2015). "Where is the world's hottest city?". the Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  52. ^ "World Weather Information Service – Kuwait City". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
  53. ^ "Kuwait International Airport Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  54. ^ . National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 17 January 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  55. ^ "10 Most Valuable Currencies in the World". Silicon India.
  56. ^ "Foreign Trade in Figures".
  57. ^ "Reviving Kuwait's theatre industry". BBC News.
  58. ^ Hammond, Andrew (2007). Popular Culture in the Arab World: Arts, Politics, and the Media. p. 277. ISBN 9789774160547.
  59. ^ a b Herbert, Ian; Leclercq, Nicole; Institute, International Theatre (2000). The World of Theatre: An Account of the Theatre Seasons 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99. p. 147. ISBN 9780415238663.
  60. ^ Rubin, Don (January 1999). The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: The Arab world. ISBN 9780415059329.
  61. ^ "Entertainment gets soapy during Ramadan in Kuwait".
  62. ^ Kuwait: vanguard of the Gulf. p. 113. Some Kuwaiti soap operas have become extremely popular and, although they are usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, they have been shown with success as far away as Mauritania.
  63. ^ 2015 FIBA Asia Championship – Kuwait Roster, FIBA.com, accessed 16 February 2016.
  64. ^ "Double delight for Team Abu Dhabi riders at Kuwait Grand Prix - GulfToday". Gulftoday.ae. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  65. ^ Forgot Username or Password (21 October 2020). "Kuwait's Abdulrazzeq wins ITU Aquabike World Championships' ..." Menafn.Com. Retrieved 16 March 2022.

External links

  •   Kuwait City travel guide from Wikivoyage

kuwait, city, arabic, مدينة, الكويت, capital, largest, city, kuwait, located, heart, country, south, shore, kuwait, persian, gulf, political, cultural, economical, centre, emirate, containing, kuwait, seif, palace, government, offices, headquarters, most, kuwa. Kuwait City Arabic مدينة الكويت is the capital and largest city of Kuwait Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf it is the political cultural and economical centre of the emirate containing Kuwait s Seif Palace government offices and the headquarters of most Kuwaiti corporations and banks It is one of the hottest cities in summer on earth with average summer high temperatures over 45 C 113 F for three months of the year Kuwait City مدينة الكويتMadinat Al KuwaytCapital cityTop to bottom from left to right Kuwait City skyline Al Hamra Tower Kuwait Towers Seif Palace Souq Sharg port Kuwait Downtown in 2012Nickname الديرة Ad DirahLocation of Kuwait City in KuwaitShow map of KuwaitKuwait City Persian Gulf Show map of Persian GulfKuwait City Arab world Show map of Arab worldKuwait City West and Central Asia Show map of West and Central AsiaKuwait City Asia Show map of AsiaCoordinates 29 22 11 N 47 58 42 E 29 36972 N 47 97833 E 29 36972 47 97833 Coordinates 29 22 11 N 47 58 42 E 29 36972 N 47 97833 E 29 36972 47 97833CountryKuwaitGovernorateCapitalEstablished1613Area Capital city860 km2 330 sq mi Population Urban3 000 000Time zoneUTC 03 00 AST As of 2018 the metropolitan area had roughly 3 million inhabitants more than 70 of the country s population 1 The city itself has no administrative status All six governorates of the country comprise parts of the urban agglomeration which is subdived in numerous areas In a more narrow sense Kuwait City can also refer only to the town s historic core which nowadays is part of the Capital Governorate and seamlessly merges with the adjacent urban areas Kuwait City s trade and transportation needs are served by Kuwait International Airport Mina Al Shuwaik Shuwaik Port and Mina Al Ahmadi Ahmadi Port Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Climate 4 Economy 5 Culture 5 1 Theatre 5 2 Soap operas 5 3 Sports 6 Notable people 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksHistory EditSee also Timeline of Kuwait City Celebration at Seif Palace in 1944 for Sheikh Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah In 1613 the town of Kuwait was founded in modern day Kuwait City as a fishing village inhabited by fishermen In 1716 the Bani Utubs settled in Kuwait At the time of the arrival of the Utubs Kuwait was still inhabited by a few fishermen and primarily functioned as a fishing village 2 In the eighteenth century Kuwait prospered and rapidly became the principal commercial center for the transit of goods between India Muscat Baghdad and Arabia 3 4 By the mid 1700s Kuwait had already established itself as the major trading route from the Persian Gulf to Aleppo 5 During the Persian siege of Basra in 1775 1779 Iraqi merchants took refuge in Kuwait and were partly instrumental in the expansion of Kuwait s boat building and trading activities 6 As a result Kuwait s maritime commerce boomed 6 Between the years 1775 and 1779 the Indian trade routes with Baghdad Aleppo Smyrna and Constantinople were diverted to Kuwait 5 7 The East India Company was diverted to Kuwait in 1792 8 The East India Company secured the sea routes between Kuwait India and the east coasts of Africa 8 After the Persian withdrawal from Basra in 1779 Kuwait continued to attract trade away from Basra 9 Kuwait harbour in 1961 Kuwait was the center of boat building in the Persian Gulf region 10 11 During the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries ship vessels made in Kuwait carried the bulk of trade between the ports of India East Africa and the Red Sea 12 13 14 Kuwaiti ship vessels were renowned throughout the Indian Ocean 15 Regional geopolitical turbulence helped foster economic prosperity in Kuwait in the second half of the 18th century 16 Kuwait became prosperous due to Basra s instability in the late 18th century 17 In the late 18th century Kuwait partly functioned as a haven for Basra s merchants fleeing Ottoman government persecution 18 According to Palgrave Kuwaitis developed a reputation as the best sailors in the Persian Gulf 15 19 20 During the reign of Mubarak Al Sabah Kuwait was dubbed the Marseilles of the Gulf because its economic vitality attracted a large variety of people 21 In the first decades of the twentieth century Kuwait had a well established elite wealthy trading families who were linked by marriage and shared economic interests 22 In 1937 Freya Stark wrote about the extent of poverty in Kuwait at the time Poverty has settled in Kuwait more heavily since my last visit five years ago both by sea where the pearl trade continues to decline and by land where the blockade established by Saudi Arabia now harms the merchants Some prominent merchant families left Kuwait in the early 1930s due to the prevalence of economic hardship At the time of the discovery of oil in 1937 most of Kuwait s inhabitants were impoverished From 1946 to 1982 Kuwait experienced a period of prosperity driven by oil and its liberal atmosphere 23 24 In popular discourse the years between 1946 and 1982 are referred to as the Golden Era 23 24 25 In 1950 a major public work programme began to enable Kuwaitis to enjoy a modern standard of living By 1952 the country became the largest oil exporter in the Persian Gulf region In the following year the country s annual oil income grew to 169 million This massive growth attracted many foreign workers especially from Palestine Egypt and India and helped finance the development of a new master plan which the state approved in 1952 In June 1961 Kuwait became independent with the end of the British protectorate and the sheikh Abdullah Al Salim Al Sabah became an Emir Under the terms of the newly drafted constitution Kuwait held its first parliamentary elections in 1963 Kuwait was the first Persian Gulf country to establish a constitution and parliament In the 1960s and 1970s Kuwait was the most developed country in the region 26 27 Kuwait was the pioneer in the Middle East in diversifying its earnings away from oil exports 28 The Kuwait Investment Authority is the world s first sovereign wealth fund From the 1970s onward Kuwait scored highest of all Arab countries on the Human Development Index 27 Kuwait University was established in 1966 27 Kuwait s theatre industry was well known throughout the Arab world 23 27 In the 1960s and 1970s Kuwait s press was described as one of the freest in the world Kuwait was the pioneer in the literary renaissance in the Arab region 29 In 1958 Al Arabi magazine was first published the magazine went on to become the most popular magazine in the Arab world 29 Many Arab writers moved to Kuwait for freedom of expression because Kuwait had greater freedom of expression than elsewhere in the Arab world 30 31 Kuwait was a haven for writers and journalists from all parts of the Middle East The Iraqi poet Ahmed Matar left Iraq in the 1970s to take refuge in the more liberal environment of Kuwait 32 Kuwaiti society embraced liberal and Western attitudes throughout the 1960s and 1970s 33 Most Kuwaiti women did not wear the hijab in the 1960s and 1970s 34 35 At Kuwait University mini skirts were more common than the hijab 36 In the early 1980s Kuwait experienced a major economic crisis after the Souk Al Manakh stock market crash and decrease in oil price 37 During the Iran Iraq War Kuwait supported Iraq Throughout the 1980s there were several terror attacks in Kuwait including the 1983 Kuwait bombings hijacking of several Kuwait Airways planes and attempted assassination of Emir Jaber in 1985 38 Kuwait was a leading 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 Oil fires in Kuwait in 1990 which were a result of the scorched earth policy of Iraqi military forces retreating from Kuwait Red Arrows over Kuwait City The Kuwaiti government strongly advocated Islamism throughout the 1980s 39 At that time the most serious threat to the continuity of Al Sabah came from home grown secular democrats 39 The secular Kuwaiti opposition were protesting the 1976 suspension of the parliament 39 Al Sabah were attracted to Islamists preaching the virtues of a hierarchical order that included loyalty to the Kuwaiti monarchy 39 In 1981 the Kuwaiti government gerrymandered electoral districts in favor of the Islamists 39 Islamists were the government s main allies hence Islamists were able to colonize state agencies such as the government ministries 39 By the mid 1980s Kuwait was described as an autocracy 39 In 1986 Emir Jaber suspended the parliament After the Iran Iraq War ended Kuwait declined an Iraqi request to forgive its US 65 billion debt 40 An economic rivalry between the two countries ensued after Kuwait increased its oil production by 40 percent 41 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 Iraq Kuwait border by slant drilling of the Rumaila field 41 In August 1990 Iraqi forces invaded and annexed Kuwait After a series of failed diplomatic negotiations the United States led a coalition to remove the Iraqi forces from Kuwait in what became known as the Gulf War On 26 February 1991 the coalition succeeded in driving out the Iraqi forces As they retreated Iraqi forces carried out a scorched earth policy by setting oil wells on fire 42 During the Iraqi occupation more than 1 000 Kuwaiti civilians were killed 43 In addition more than 600 Kuwaitis went missing during Iraq s occupation 44 approximately 375 remains were found in mass graves in Iraq In March 2003 Kuwait became the springboard for the US led invasion of Iraq Upon the death of the Emir Jaber in January 2006 Saad Al Sabah succeeded him but was removed nine days later by the Kuwaiti parliament due to his ailing health Sabah Al Sabah was sworn in as Emir Geography EditMain article Geography of Kuwait Kuwait City is located on Kuwait Bay a natural deep water harbor 90 of Kuwait s population live within the Kuwait Bay coast The country is generally low lying with the highest point being 306 m 1 004 ft above sea level 45 It has nine islands all of which with the exception of Failaka Island are uninhabited 46 With an area of 860 km2 330 sq mi the Bubiyan is the largest island in Kuwait and is connected to the rest of the country by a 2 380 metre long 7 808 ft bridge 47 The land area is considered arable 45 and sparse vegetation is found along its 499 kilometre long 310 mi coastline 45 Kuwait s Burgan field has a total capacity of approximately 70 billion barrels 1 1 1010 m3 of proven oil reserves During the 1991 Kuwaiti oil fires more than 500 oil lakes were created covering a combined surface area of about 35 7 km2 13 8 sq mi 48 The resulting soil contamination due to oil and soot accumulation had made eastern and south eastern parts of Kuwait uninhabitable Sand and oil residue had reduced large parts of the Kuwaiti desert to semi asphalt surfaces 49 The oil spills during the Gulf War also drastically affected Kuwait s marine resources 50 Climate Edit Aerial view of Kuwait City Kuwait City has a hot desert climate Koppen BWh with extremely hot very prolonged summers and mild short winters It is one of the hottest cities in summer on Earth 51 Average summer high temperatures are above 45 C 113 F for three months of the year and during heat waves the daytime temperature regularly exceeds 50 C 122 F with nighttime lows often remaining above 30 C 86 F In winter nighttime temperatures frequently drop below 8 C 46 F Considering its coastal position and relative distance to the equator in comparison with the hot desert climates in Africa and Saudi Arabia the heat in the city is rather extreme being surrounded in almost every direction by the hot desert Sand storms occur at times during summer from the shamal wind Sand storms can occur any time of year but occur mostly during summer and less frequently during autumn Climate data for Kuwait CityMonth Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 29 8 85 6 35 8 96 4 41 2 106 2 44 2 111 6 49 0 120 2 49 8 121 6 52 1 125 8 50 7 123 3 47 7 117 9 43 7 110 7 37 9 100 2 30 5 86 9 52 1 125 8 Average high C F 19 5 67 1 21 8 71 2 26 9 80 4 33 9 93 0 40 9 105 6 45 5 113 9 46 7 116 1 46 9 116 4 43 7 110 7 36 6 97 9 27 8 82 0 21 9 71 4 34 3 93 7 Average low C F 8 5 47 3 10 0 50 0 14 0 57 2 19 5 67 1 25 4 77 7 28 9 84 0 30 7 87 3 29 5 85 1 26 2 79 2 21 5 70 7 14 5 58 1 9 9 49 8 19 9 67 8 Record low C F 4 0 24 8 1 6 29 1 0 1 31 8 6 9 44 4 14 7 58 5 20 4 68 7 22 4 72 3 21 7 71 1 16 0 60 8 9 4 48 9 2 0 35 6 1 5 29 3 4 0 24 8 Average rainfall mm inches 30 2 1 19 10 5 0 41 18 2 0 72 11 5 0 45 0 4 0 02 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0 06 18 5 0 73 25 5 1 00 116 2 4 57 Average rainy days 0 1 mm 5 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 19Mean monthly sunshine hours 198 1 222 5 217 6 229 3 272 5 304 5 307 1 301 6 285 1 252 2 216 5 193 5 3 000 5Mean daily sunshine hours 7 1 7 7 7 5 7 9 9 4 10 5 10 6 10 8 10 2 9 0 7 7 6 9 8 8Percent possible sunshine 68 69 63 62 69 77 76 78 77 79 72 67 72Source World Meteorological Organization temperature and rainfall 1994 2008 52 NOAA sunshine and records 1961 1990 53 Wundergound 2012 records 54 Economy Edit Kuwait International Airport Smoke from burning Kuwait oil fields after Saddam Hussein set fire to during Gulf war Main article Economy of Kuwait Kuwait has a petroleum based economy petroleum and fertilizers are the main export products The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest valued currency unit in the world 55 Petroleum accounts for 43 of GDP and 70 of export earnings 56 The Kuwait Stock Exchange is the second largest stock exchange in the Arab world Culture EditMain article Culture of Kuwait Theatre Edit Kuwait is known for its home grown tradition of theatre 57 Kuwait is the only Arab country in the Persian Gulf region with a theatrical tradition 58 The Arabic theatrical movement in Kuwait constitutes a major part of the country s Arabic cultural life 59 Theatrical activities in Kuwait began in the 1920s when the first spoken dramas were released 60 Theatre activities are still popular today 59 Soap operas Edit Main article Cinema of Kuwait Kuwaiti soap operas المسلسلات الكويتية are among the most watched soap operas in the Arab world 61 Most Gulf soap operas are based in Kuwait Although usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect some Kuwaiti soap operas were successful as far away as Tunisia 62 Sports Edit Main article Sport in Kuwait The city is home to the Al Kuwait SC which has traditionally provided Kuwait s national basketball team with key players 63 From 13 to 15 February 2020 it held the first Aquabike World Championship Grand Prix of Kuwait 64 65 Notable people EditDiana Karazon born 1983 Kuwaiti born Jordanian singer Rania Al Abdullah born 1970 as Rania Al Yassin Kuwaiti born queen consort of Jordan Mishary Rashid Alafasy Qari imam preacher and Nasheed artist Abdulfattah Owainat born 1972 Kuwaiti born Palestinian singer and songwriter Saleem Haddad born 1983 Kuwaiti author and aid worker Yasser Al Masri born 1970 died 2018 Kuwaiti born Jordanian actor Khaled Mazeedi born 1986 Kuwaiti media magnate internet entrepreneur author philanthropist Abdulhussain Abdulredha 15 July 1939 11 August 2017 Kuwaiti actor Nura Habib Omer born 1988 German rapper of Eritrean and Saudi descent Omar Jarun born 1983 former footballer and currently an assistant coach for Atlanta United 2 Adline Castelino born 1998 model represented India in the Miss Universe 2020 pageantSee also EditList of twin towns and sister cities in Asia KuwaitReferences Edit The World s Cities in 2018 Data Booklet PDF United Nations retrieved 29 March 2021 Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City The Socio cultural Dimensions of the Kuwait Courtyard and Diwaniyya Mohammad Khalid A Al Jassar 2009 p 64 ISBN 9781109229349 Bell Sir Gawain 1983 Shadows on the Sand The Memoirs of Sir Gawain Bell Gawain Bell C Hurst p 222 ISBN 9780905838922 ʻAlam i Nisvaṉ Volume 2 Issues 1 2 p 18 Kuwait became an important trading port for import and export of goods from India Africa and Arabia a b Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City Mohammad Khalid A Al Jassar 2009 p 66 ISBN 9781109229349 a b Bennis Phyllis Moushabeck Michel 31 December 1990 Beyond the Storm A Gulf Crisis Reader Phyllis Bennis Olive Branch Press pp 42 ISBN 9780940793828 Lauterpacht E Greenwood C J Weller Marc 1991 The Kuwait Crisis Basic Documents p 4 ISBN 9780521463089 a b Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City 2009 p 67 ISBN 9781109229349 Thabit Abdullah 2001 Merchants Mamluks and Murder The Political Economy of Trade in Eighteenth Century Basra p 72 ISBN 9780791448076 The impact of economic activities on the social and political structures of Kuwait 1896 1946 PDF p 108 Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East Cultural depth and diversity p 156 The port of Kuwait was then and is still the principal dhow building and trading port of the Persian Gulf though offering little trade itself M Nijhoff 1974 Bijdragen tot de taal land en volkenkunde Volume 130 p 111 Indian Foreign Affairs 1965 p 29 Richard Harlakenden Sanger 1970 The Arabian Peninsula p 150 a b Donaldson Neil 2008 The Postal Agencies in Eastern Arabia and the Gulf Neil Donaldson p 93 ISBN 9781409209423 Constancy and Change in Contemporary Kuwait City Mohammad Khalid A Al Jassar p 68 ISBN 9781109229349 Hasan Mohibbul 2007 Waqai i manazil i Rum Tipu Sultan s mission to Constantinople Mohibbul Hasan p 18 ISBN 9788187879565 For owing to Basra s misfortunes Kuwait and Zubarah became rich Fattah Hala Mundhir 1997 The Politics of Regional Trade in Iraq Arabia and the Gulf 1745 1900 Hala Mundhir Fattah p 114 ISBN 9780791431139 Agius Dionisius A 2012 Seafaring in the Arabian Gulf and Oman People of the Dhow Dionisius A Agius p 48 ISBN 9781136201820 Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire 2009 p 321 Potter L 2009 The Arabian Gulf in History Lawrence G Potter p 272 ISBN 9780230618459 Crystal Jill 1995 Oil and Politics in the Gulf Rulers and Merchants in Kuwait and Qatar Jill Crystal p 37 ISBN 9780521466356 a b c Al Sager Noura ed 2014 Acquiring Modernity Kuwait s Modern Era Between Memory and Forgetting National Council for Culture Arts and Letters p 7 ISBN 9789990604238 a b Farid Alia 2014 Acquiring Modernity Kuwait at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition aliafarid net Archived from the original on 21 February 2015 Gonzales Desi November December 2014 Acquiring Modernity Kuwait at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition Art Papers Archived from the original on 26 April 2017 Retrieved 31 July 2015 Looking for Origins of Arab Modernism in Kuwait Hyperallergic a b c d Cultural developments in Kuwait March 2013 Archived from the original on 29 November 2014 Retrieved 16 November 2014 Chee Kong Sam 1 March 2014 What Can Nations Learn from Norway and Kuwait in Managing Sovereign Wealth Funds Market Oracle a b Kuwait Literary Scene A Little Complex Archived from the original on 29 November 2014 A magazine Al Arabi was published in 1958 in Kuwait It was the most popular magazine in the Arab world It came out it in all the Arabic countries and about a quarter million copies were published every month Gunter Barrie Dickinson Roger 6 June 2013 News Media in the Arab World A Study of 10 Arab and Muslim Countries p 24 ISBN 9781441102393 Sager Abdulaziz Koch Christian Tawfiq Ibrahim Hasanain eds 2008 Gulf Yearbook 2006 2007 Dubai UAE I B Tauris p 39 The Kuwaiti press has always enjoyed a level of freedom unparalleled in any other Arab country Kinninmont Jane 15 February 2013 The Case of Kuwait Debating Free Speech and Social Media in the Gulf ISLAMiCommentary Archived from the original on 14 February 2017 Retrieved 20 November 2014 Muslim Education Quarterly Vol 8 Islamic Academy 1990 p 61 Kuwait is a primary example of a Muslim society which embraced liberal and Western attitudes throughout the sixties and seventies Rubin Barry ed 2010 Guide to Islamist Movements Vol 1 Armonk New York M E Sharpe p 306 ISBN 9780765641380 Wheeler Deborah L 2006 The Internet In The Middle East Global Expectations And Local Imaginations Albany New York State University of New York Press p 99 ISBN 9780791465868 Osnos Evan 11 July 2004 In Kuwait conservatism a launch pad to success Chicago Tribune In the 1960s and most of the 70s men and women at Kuwait University dined and danced together and miniskirts were more common than hijab head coverings professors and alumni say Kuwait s Souk al Manakh Stock Bubble Stock market crash net 23 June 2012 Retrieved 14 January 2013 Hunter Shireen T 1990 Iran and the world continuity in a revolutionary decade Indiana University Press p 117 a b c d e f g Frankenstein s Lament in Kuwait November 2001 Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait 1990 Acig org Retrieved 28 June 2010 a b Derek Gregory 2004 The Colonial Present Afghanistan Wiley ISBN 978 1 57718 090 6 Retrieved 28 June 2010 Iraq and Kuwait 1972 1990 1991 1997 Earthshots Satellite Images of Environmental Change Archived from the original on 29 April 2012 Retrieved 14 January 2013 The Use of Terror During Iraq s Invasion of Kuwait Iraq and Kuwait Discuss Fate of 600 Missing Since Gulf War Los Angeles Times 9 January 2003 a b c Kuwait The World Factbook Central Intelligence Agency 10 April 2015 Bubiyan island Kuwait Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 28 June 2010 Structurae en Bubiyan Bridge 1983 En structurae de 19 October 2002 Retrieved 28 June 2010 Pendick Daniel Kuwaiti Oil Lakes Encarta Archived from the original on 1 November 2009 The Economic and Environmental Impact of the Gulf War on Kuwait and the Persian Gulf American edu Archived from the original on 19 December 2010 Retrieved 28 June 2010 Kuwait country Encarta Archived from the original on 21 October 2009 Retrieved 4 July 2011 Birch Hayley 22 July 2015 Where is the world s hottest city the Guardian Retrieved 3 March 2016 World Weather Information Service Kuwait City World Meteorological Organization Retrieved 19 February 2014 Kuwait International Airport Climate Normals 1961 1990 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Retrieved 15 January 2015 Dr Jeff Masters article published January 2013 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Archived from the original on 17 January 2013 Retrieved 20 July 2015 10 Most Valuable Currencies in the World Silicon India Foreign Trade in Figures Reviving Kuwait s theatre industry BBC News Hammond Andrew 2007 Popular Culture in the Arab World Arts Politics and the Media p 277 ISBN 9789774160547 a b Herbert Ian Leclercq Nicole Institute International Theatre 2000 The World of Theatre An Account of the Theatre Seasons 1996 97 1997 98 and 1998 99 p 147 ISBN 9780415238663 Rubin Don January 1999 The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre The Arab world ISBN 9780415059329 Entertainment gets soapy during Ramadan in Kuwait Kuwait vanguard of the Gulf p 113 Some Kuwaiti soap operas have become extremely popular and although they are usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect they have been shown with success as far away as Mauritania 2015 FIBA Asia Championship Kuwait Roster FIBA com accessed 16 February 2016 Double delight for Team Abu Dhabi riders at Kuwait Grand Prix GulfToday Gulftoday ae Retrieved 16 March 2022 Forgot Username or Password 21 October 2020 Kuwait s Abdulrazzeq wins ITU Aquabike World Championships Menafn Com Retrieved 16 March 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kuwait City Kuwait City travel guide from Wikivoyage Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kuwait City amp oldid 1140820445, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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