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| Introduction |
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| Geography and Climate |
A member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, formerly
named and still commonly called the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Kuwait is
situated on the northwest corner of the Arabian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia in the
south and Iraq in the north. It covers a land area of approximately 18,000 sq km.
Kuwait City, the capital, lies on the northern coast of Kuwait Bay and is provided
with natural protection by the sea.
The country is almost entirely flat desert, gradually rising away from the sea to its
highest point of approximately 300 meters above sea level.
Kuwait is known for its hot, dry, desert climate throughout the year. In summer
(April to October) the average temperature is 44°C, although it can reach as high
as 51 °C, often accompanied by sandstorms.
Winter (November to February) is short but mild with temperatures ranging from
highs of 18°C to lows of zero. Autumn and spring are short seasons; occasional
rain falls only in the winter months. |
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| Religion |
| Islam is the country's official religion, which does not contradict in any way with
freedom of worship. Religion structure is as follows: Muslim 85% (Sunni 70%, Shia
30%), other (includes Christian, Hindu, Parsi) 15% |
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| Language |
Arabic is the official language of Kuwait. However, English is widely understood and used in commercial circles.
Kuwaitis use a dialect that has its own linguistic characteristics and is the everyday
colloquial language used. It is close to formal Arabic. |
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| Population |
In 2008, the population reached 2,691,158 includes 1,291,354 non-nationals, as
follow Kuwaiti 45%, other Arab 35%, South Asian 9%, Iranian 4%, other 7% .
Age structure of the Population is as follows: 0-14 years: 26.4% (male
361,150/female 348,518) , 15-64 years: 70.7% (male 1,219,075/female 683,587) &
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 49,163/female 29,665) (2009 est.)
Most of the population resides in Kuwait City and its suburbs, particularly in places
that overlook the coast of the Arabian Gulf. |
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| Government and Political System |
Kuwait is a hereditary emirate. For nearly 250 years it has been governed in
unbroken succession by a member of the AI-Sabah family, who arrived in Kuwait in
the 17th century from the central part of what is now Saudi Arabia.
In 1961 Kuwait gained full sovereignty from the United Kingdom. Treaties that had
established a special relationship between the two countries were abrogated at
that time.
The present Emir is H.H Sheik Sabah AI-Ahmad AI-Jaber AI-Sabah, who has ruled
since 2005. The Crown Prince is H.H. Sheik Nawwaf AI-Ahmad AI-Jaber AI-Sabah;
the Prime Minister is H.H Sheik Nassir AI-Muhammad AI-Ahmad AI-Sabah.
Succession alternates between the families of Jaber and Salem. |
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| Currency |
| The Kuwaiti currency is the Kuwaiti Dinar (KD), which is divided into 1,000 units
known as fils. The KD is freely convertible. |
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| Time |
| Kuwait is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The country does
not observe daylight saving time. Time differences and flying times from Kuwait to
some major world cities are as follows: |
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City |
Time Difference |
Flight Time |
| Hong Kong |
+5 |
10 |
| London |
-3 |
7 |
| Los Angeles |
-11 |
18 |
| New York |
-8 |
14 |
| Singapore |
+5 |
7 |
| Sydney |
+7 |
18 |
| Tokyo |
+6 |
16 |
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| Business Hours |
| A five-day working week is normal in Kuwait. Public services and schools are
closed on Friday and Saturday.
The following are the normal business hours: |
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Ministries:7:00am to 2:00pm (April through October) or 7:30am to 2:30pm
(November through March) from Sunday through Thursday |
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Oil companies: 7:00am to 3:00pm from Sunday through Thursday |
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Banks: 7:30am to 2:30pm from Sunday through Thursday |
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Business sector: between 8:00am and 5:00pm from Sunday through
Thursday (often with a one-hour lunch break, which is the main meal of the
day) and 8:00am to 1 :00pm on Thursday |
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Shops: 9:00am to 1 :30pm and 4:00pm to 9:00pm from Sunday through
Thursday |
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| Public Holidays |
| The Government and companies generally follow the Gregorian calendar. The
Islamic calendar is seldom used for business purposes, but it does determine certain religious holidays.
The following are the dates of the secular holidays in Kuwait as per 2009. |
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| 1 Jan |
New Year's Day. |
| 25 Feb |
National Day. |
| 26 Feb |
Liberation Day. |
| 9 Mar |
Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet). |
| 20 Jul |
Al-Esra Wa Al-Meraj (Ascension of the Prophet). |
| 21 Sep |
Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan). |
| 28 Nov |
Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). |
| 18 Dec |
Islamic New Year. |
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