Tony Hamlet

Introduction• Kuwait is an Arab country in Western Asia

• Capital - Kuwait City

• Emir - Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah

• Currency - Kuwaiti dinar (highest-valued currency unit in the world)

• Major Banks - National Bank of Kuwait

- Kuwait Finance House

- Gulf Bank

- Burgan Bank

• National Airline- Kuwait Airways

• Exchange Value - USA : 3.44

- India: 212.66

KUWAIT

• GDP by sector - Agriculture (0.3%),

- Industry (50.6),

- Services (49.1%)

• Inflation (CPI) - 2.5%

• Unemployment -3.4%

• University - One Public and 14 Private

• Main Industries- Petroleum, petrochemicals, cement, ship building andrepair, food processing, construction materials.

• Kuwait has registered 272 patents

• Prominent English dailies- Kuwait Times, Arab Times, and Al-Watan Daily

Quick Facts• Population - 4 million

• Ethnic groups - Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, others 7%

• Religions - Muslim 85% (Sunni 45%, Shia 40%), Christian, Hindu, Parsi, and others 15%

• Language - Arabic (official)

• Bordering Nations - Iraq, Saudi Arabia

Export and Import

• Main export partners-

South Korea 16.0%

India 15.7%

Japan 13.4%

United States 11.7%,

China 9.2%,

• Main import partners

United States 11.8%

China 9.2%

Saudi Arabia 8.3%

Japan 8.2%

South Korea 7.0%

Etiquette

• Social

Greet elders in the house first to show respect for them

It is offensive to hit your right fist into your left palm

“ OK ” sign represents the “evil eye”

It is disrespectful to point your finger at someone

• Business

Kuwaiti colleagues prefer to meet in the early evening

Repeating your main points shows that you are telling the truth

Kuwait Tower (Landmark)

History

History• Kuwait was inhabited by a few fishermen and

primarily functioned as a fishing village.

• Kuwait was the centre of boat building in the Gulf region.

• Kuwait was the Marseilles of the Persian Gulf. As its population was good natured, mixed, and vicious.

• It was the outlet from the north to the Gulf, merchants from Bombay and Tehran, Indians, Syrians from Aleppo and Damascus, Armenians, Turks and Jews, traders from all the East, and some Europeans came to Kuwait.

History

• By 1952, the country became the largest oil exporter in the Persian Gulf region.

• In June 1961, Kuwait became independent with the end of the British protectorate.

• Kuwait was the first Gulf country to establish a constitution and parliament (1963).

• In August 1990, Iraqi forces invaded and annexed Kuwait.

Climate

• Kuwait is typically hot and humid

• The temperature in Kuwait during summer is above 25 (77 F). The highest recorded temperature was 54.4 (129.9 F) which is the highest of any Middle Eastern country.

Culture• Kuwaiti culture has been influenced by the cultures

of Arabia, Persia, India and Britain.

Politics

• Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy and has the oldest directly elected parliament among the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

• Legislative power is vested in the National Assembly parliament and Emir in accordance with the Constitution of Kuwait.

• A cabinet of ministers aid the Prime Minister.

• Kuwait ranks among the Middle East's freest countries in civil liberties and political rights.

Politics

• Kuwaiti women has the right to vote.

• Kuwait has the highest rate of local female labourparticipation in the Gulf region.

• Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaiti men cannottransmit their citizenship to their children.

• In 2011, Kuwait was ranked highest of all Arabcountries in gender equality in the HumanDevelopment Report's Gender Inequality Index.

Healthcare

• Public Hospitals

Expatriates wanting to access public healthcare inKuwait need to have a medical card, which they willbe given on presentation of their Civil ID card whenregistering at their nearest hospital or clinic.

• Private Hospitals

Expats are not subject to restrictions at thesefacilities. Although private healthcare fees areregulated by the government.

Education• Kuwait has one public university and 14 private universities.

• There are 3 levels of primary education:

1. Elementary

2. Intermediate

3. Secondary

• All children are required to complete the elementary and intermediate levels

• Public schools are segregated by sex

• Many Kuwaitis choose to enroll their children in private schools

Sports and Entertainment