Kuwait

Location

• Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf, between Iraq and Saudi Arabia
• strategic location at head of Persian Gulf

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Al Aḩmadī	637,411
Ḩawallī	164,212
As Sālimīyah	147,649
Şabāḩ as Sālim	139,163
Al Farwānīyah	86,525
Al Faḩāḩīl	68,290
Kuwait City	60,064	Capital
Ar Rumaythīyah	58,135
Ar Riqqah	52,068
Salwá	40,945

Size

• 6,880 square miles
• 17,820 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than New Jersey

History

Kuwait has been ruled by the AL-SABAH dynasty since the 18th century. The threat of Ottoman invasion in 1899 prompted Amir Mubarak AL-SABAH to seek protection from Britain, ceding foreign and defense responsibility to Britain until 1961, when the country attained its independence. Iraq attacked and overran Kuwait in 1990. After several weeks of aerial bombardment, a US-led UN coalition began a ground assault in 1991 that liberated Kuwait in four days. In 1992, the Amir reconstituted the parliament that he had dissolved in 1986. Amid the 2010-11 uprisings and protests across the Arab world, stateless Arabs known as Bidoon staged small protests demanding citizenship, jobs, and other benefits available to Kuwaiti nationals. Other demographic groups, notably Islamists and Kuwaitis from tribal backgrounds, soon joined the growing protest movements, which culminated with the resignation of the prime minister amid allegations of corruption. Demonstrations renewed in 2012 in response to a decree amending the electoral law that lessened the voting power of the tribal blocs. An opposition coalition of Sunni Islamists, tribal populists, and some liberals largely boycotted legislative elections in 2012 and 2013, which ushered in a legislature more amenable to the government's agenda. Faced with the prospect of painful subsidy cuts, oppositionists and independents actively participated in the 2016 election, winning nearly half the seats, but the opposition became increasingly factionalized. Between 2006 and his death in 2020, the Amir dissolved the National Assembly on seven occasions and shuffled the cabinet over a dozen times, usually citing political stagnation and gridlock between the legislature and the government. The current Amir, who assumed his role in 2020, launched a "National Dialogue" in 2021 meant to resolve political gridlock. As part of this initiative, the Amir pardoned several opposition figures who had been living in exile, and they returned to Kuwait. Legislative challenges remain, and the cabinet has been reshuffled six times since 2020. 

Climate

dry desert; intensely hot summers; short, cool winters

Terrain

flat to slightly undulating desert plain

Languages

Arabic (official), English widely spokenmajor-language sample(s): كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Muslim (official) 74.6%, Christian 18.2%, other and unspecified 7.2% (2013 est.)note: data represent the total population; about 72% of the population consists of immigrants

Government

constitutional monarchy (emirate)

• Constitution: history: approved and promulgated 11 November 1962; suspended 1976 to 1981 (4 articles); 1986 to 1991; May to July 1999amendment process: proposed by the amir or supported by at least one third of the National Assembly; passage requires two-thirds consent of the Assembly membership and promulgation by the amir; constitutional articles on the initiation, approval, and promulgation of general legislation cannot be amendednote: in May 2024, Amir Sheikh MISHAL al-Ahmad al-Sabah dissolved the National Assembly and suspended several articles of the constitution for up to four years
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 21 years of age and at least 20-year citizenship
• Legal System: mixed system consisting of English common law, French civil law, and Islamic sharia law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: Amir MISHAL al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since 16 December 2023)head of government: Prime Minister AHMAD ABDULLAH Al-Ahmad al Sabah (since 15 May 2024)cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, approved by the amirelection/appointment process: amir chosen from within the ruling family, confirmed by the National Assembly; prime minister appointed by the amir
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Constitutional Court (consists of 5 judges); Supreme Court or Court of Cassation (organized into several circuits, each with 5 judges)judge selection and term of office: all Kuwaiti judges appointed by the Amir on recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, a consultative body comprised of Kuwaiti judges and Ministry of Justice officialssubordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; Court of First Instance; Summary Court
• Legislative Branch: expected date of next election: April 2028note: the unicameral National Assembly was dissolved on 10 May 2024 by Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad AL-SABAH for a period of up to four years; the Emir and cabinet officials have assumed the role of the parliament

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• small, high-income, oil-based Middle East economy; renewable energy proponent; regional finance and investment leader; maintains oldest sovereign wealth fund; emerging space and tourism industries; mid-way through 25-year development program
• Budget: revenues: $44.254 billion (2015 est.)expenditures: $59.584 billion (2015 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants and social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas
• Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, shipbuilding and repair, water desalination, food processing, construction materials
• Agricultural Products: dates, eggs, milk, tomatoes, chicken, lamb/mutton, cucumbers/gherkins, vegetables, maize, eggplants (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 8.4% (2022 est.)arable land: 0.4% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.3% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 7.6% (2022 est.)forest: 0.4% (2022 est.)other: 91.2% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: cars, natural gas, garments, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicine (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: China 18%, UAE 10%, USA 9%, Saudi Arabia 6%, Japan 6% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas, hydrocarbons, plastics (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: China 25%, India 13%, Japan 13%, Taiwan 7%, UK 5% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports