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Kuwait City
مدينة الكويت
Madinat Al Kuwayt
The Skyline of Kuwait City
The Skyline of Kuwait City
Nickname: 
مدينة
CountryKuwait
GovernorateAl Asimah
Area
 • Metro
200 km2 (80 sq mi)
Population
 (2014 estimate)
 • City637,411
 • Metro
2,380,000
Time zoneUTC+3 (AST)

Kuwait City (Arabic: مدينة الكويت) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. It has a population of 4.1 million in the metropolitan area.

Kuwait City is the political, cultural and economic center of Kuwait. Kuwait City is considered a global city. 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

Main article: History of Kuwait

Geography and climate

Astronaut View of Kuwait

Kuwait City has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh) and is one of the hottest cities in summers on earth. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 45 °C (113 °F), and temperatures over 50 °C (122 °F) are not uncommon in the summer, especially in heat waves; nighttime lows often remain above 30 °C (86 °F). In winter, nighttime temperatures frequently drop below 8 °C (46 °F).

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) 		51.2
(124.2) 		50.7
(123.3) 		47.7
(117.9) 		43.7
(110.7) 		37.9
(100.2) 		30.5
(86.9) 		51.2
(124.2)
Mean daily maximum °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)
Mean daily minimum °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 1: World Meteorological Organization (temperature and rainfall 1994–2008)[1]
Source 2: NOAA (sunshine and records, 1961–1990)[2]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Kuwait
File:Alhamra Tower.jpg
Al Hamra Tower is the tallest sculpted tower in the world.
File:Arrayatower2.JPG
Arraya Tower.

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.[3] Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and 94% of export revenues and government income.[4] The Kuwait Stock Exchange is the second-largest stock exchange in the Arab world.

Kuwait was the pioneer in the Middle East in diversifying its earnings away from oil exports.[5] However the country has struggled to diversify its economy since the Gulf War. In recent years, the hostile relationship between the elected parliament and government has prevented the implementation of economic reforms.[6]

In the past five years, there has been a significant rise in entrepreneurship and small business start-ups in Kuwait.[7][8] The informal sector is also on the rise,[9] mainly due to the popularity of Instagram businesses.[10][11][12] Many Kuwaiti entrepreneurs are using the Instagram-based business model.[13]

International holdings

The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is Kuwait's sovereign wealth fund specializing in foreign investment. The KIA is the world's oldest sovereign wealth fund. Since 1953, the Kuwaiti government has directed investments into Europe, United States and Asia Pacific. As of 2014, the holdings were valued at $548 billion in assets.[14]

Kuwait is the Arab world's largest foreign investor, with $8.4 billion in FDI outflows in 2013.[15] Kuwait consistently tops regional rankings in FDI outflows. In 2013, Kuwait almost tripled its foreign investments.[15] Over the last 10 years, Kuwait has doubled investments in the UK to more than $24 billion.[16][17] In 2014, Kuwait became the largest foreign investor in China's RMB market.[18]

Diversification

Kuwait was the pioneer in the Middle East in diversifying its earnings away from oil exports.[5] However the country has struggled to diversify its economy since the Gulf War. In the 2000s, the hostile relationship between the elected parliament and government prevented the implementation of economic reforms.[4]

Since the July 2013 election of a less combative parliament, there has been significant progress in the development of key projects.[6][19] Kuwait is currently the fastest-growing projects market in the Gulf region.[20] A record $33.4bn-worth of contracts are expected to be awarded in 2014, only $8.7bn-worth contracts were awarded in 2013.[6] According to MEED, the surge in activity is mainly due to good relations between the parliament and government.[6]

Science and education

Main article: Education in Kuwait

Kuwait has one public university and 14 private universities.[21] Kuwait is the most popular destination for GCC students seeking education in other Gulf countries,[22] according to a report by the GCC General Secretariat.[22] 15,897 foreign GCC students are studying at Kuwaiti universities and schools.[22] The international mobility of Kuwaiti students is close to record levels.[21] According to official figures, 50,000 Kuwaiti students study at universities overseas.[23] The main push factor for Kuwaitis studying abroad is the shortage of domestic university places and the perceived prestige of overseas university credentials.[21] The Kuwaiti government's overseas scholarship program aims to transform Kuwait into a "center for IT, financial services and medical sciences".[24][25]

Before the Gulf War, Kuwait was a leading regional hub for science and technology.[26][27] Kuwait's research sector has not fully recovered from the Gulf War. The Kuwaiti government has targeted education as a key sector in bringing Kuwait back to its former glory as the region’s leader of social and economic development.[24][25] In 2012-2013, Kuwait became a top 25 sending country to US universities with a total of 5,100 Kuwaiti students enrolled in USA universities.[25] Kuwait is the only country in the top 25 with a local population of only 1.2 million, the other countries in the top 25 have population sizes exceeding 20 million.[28][29]

To date, Kuwait has registered 283 patents, the second highest figure in the Arab world.[30][31][32] Along with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait has been the Arab region’s main driving force behind S&T output at the international level.[33] Among Western Asia countries, Kuwait has the highest number of patents per capita, averaging 2.71 patents for every one million persons.[34] In 2013, Kuwaiti inventors achieved the country's highest rate of annual growth in patents, obtaining more than double the number of patents in 2013 than in 2012.[35][36]

Kuwait has the highest ratio of scientific articles per capita in the Muslim world and Arab world.[37][38] Kuwaiti's participation in international scientific literature is higher than the participation of bigger Arab countries like Egypt and Morocco.[39] In 2006, Microsoft's first innovation center in the Middle East was launched in Kuwait.[40] Kuwait has a higher research publication per capita than all Middle East countries except Israel.[41]

According to the World Bank, Jordan and Kuwait are the top education reformers in the Arab world.[42] 30% of Kuwaitis attend private schools, due to a recent shift in public opinion in favor of a Western curriculum and instruction in the English language.[43][44] Kuwait's public school curriculum is undergoing a revamp due to a project launched in conjunction with the World Bank.[45] In April 2013, the Kuwaiti government partnered with the World Bank to launch a pilot project in 48 schools across the state.[45] The revamped curriculum is set to be implemented in the next two or three years.[45][46]

The University of Massachusetts Lowell will open a campus in Kuwait in the next seven years.[47][48]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Kuwait

Theatre

Kuwait is known for its home-grown tradition of theatre.[49] Kuwait is the only country in the Gulf with a theatrical tradition.[50] The theatrical movement in Kuwait constitutes a major part of the country's cultural life.[51] Theatrical activities in Kuwait began in the 1920s when the first spoken dramas were released.[52] Theatre activities are still popular today.[51]

File:Kuweit-towers.JPG
Kuwait Towers, the country's most famous landmark.

Soap operas

Kuwaiti soap operas (المسلسلات الكويتية) are the among the most-watched soap operas in the Arab world.[53] Most Khaleeji soap operas are based in Kuwait.

Some Kuwaiti soap operas have become extremely popular throughout the Arab world, although they are usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, they have been shown with success as far away as Tunisia.[54]

Literature

Kuwait was the pioneer of literary renaissance in the region.[55] In 1958, Al Arabi magazine was first published, the magazine went on to become the most popular magazine in the Arab world.[56] In the 1970s, writers moved to Kuwait where they enjoyed greater freedom of expression than elsewhere in the Arab world.[57]

Arts

Kuwait has the oldest modern arts movement in the Arabian Peninsula.[58] Beginning in 1936, Kuwait was the first Gulf country to grant scholarships in the arts.[58] The Kuwaiti artist Mojeb al-Dousari was the earliest recognized visual artist in the Gulf region.[59] He is regarded as the founder of portrait art in the region.[60] In 1943, al-Dousari launched Kuwait's first art gallery.

Khalifa Al-Qattan was the first Kuwaiti artist to hold a single artist art exhibition in Kuwait. He founded a new art theory in the early 1960s known as "circulism".[61][62] The most prominent female Kuwaiti artists are Thuraya Al-Baqsami and Suzan Bushnaq. Kuwait is home to more than 20 art galleries.

Before the Gulf War, Kuwait was the capital of arts and culture in the Gulf region.[63][64] The arts scene struggled to rebuild after the Gulf War.[64] In recent years, there has been a revival in the arts scene. Kuwait is currently regarded as having the second most lively arts scene in the Gulf, second to Dubai.[65]

Twin towns — sister cities

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Kuwait

Kuwait City is twinned with:

See also

References

  1. ^ "World Weather Information Service - Kuwait City". World Meteorological Organization. Retrieved 2014-02-19.
  2. ^ "Kuwait International Airport Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  3. ^ "10 Most Valuable Currencies in the World". Silicon India.
  4. ^ a b "The World Factbook". CIA Factbook.
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference swf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c d "Bright future for Kuwait projects market".
  7. ^ "Encouraging social entrepreneurship in Kuwait – Special report".
  8. ^ "Keeping Up With Kuwaiti Connection: The Startup Circuit In Kuwait Is Up And At 'Em".
  9. ^ "What's behind the growth of Kuwait's informal economy".
  10. ^ "In Kuwait, Instagram Accounts Are Big Business".
  11. ^ "A rising class of Instagram entrepreneurs in Kuwait is selling comics, makeup and sheep". Quartz.
  12. ^ "Kuwait's booming Instagram economy".
  13. ^ "How Kuwaitis are Instagramming a business revolution".
  14. ^ "Kuwait Investment Authority Profile Page". Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.
  15. ^ a b "Kuwait Top Arab Investor Abroad In 2013".
  16. ^ "Kuwait fund says more than doubled UK investment in past 10 years". Reuters.
  17. ^ "Kuwait Wealth Fund Doubles Investments in U.K. to $24 Billion". Bloomberg.
  18. ^ "Kuwait becomes top foreign investor in China RMB market". KUNA.
  19. ^ "Kuwait gives infrastructure schemes the green light".
  20. ^ "Kuwait rebound lifts Gulf Projects Index".
  21. ^ a b c "International Academic Mobility: Kuwait".
  22. ^ a b c "Kuwait most favoured destination for GCC students". Zawya. Kuwait has the highest number of students from other GCC countries -- 15,897 -- followed by the UAE (12,780), Saudi Arabia (9,265), Qatar (2986), Bahrain (871) and Oman (663).
  23. ^ "New strategy to address university admissions crisis".
  24. ^ a b "Pillar of socio-economic growth".
  25. ^ a b c "Scholarships Drive Growth in Students from Kuwait".
  26. ^ "Arab states" (PDF). p. 257.
  27. ^ Processing and Properties of Advanced Ceramics and Composites. p. 205.
  28. ^ "International Students: Leading Places of Origin".
  29. ^ "Survey finds increases in international enrollments, study abroad".
  30. ^ "Patents By Country, State, and Year - All Patent Types (December 2013)".
  31. ^ "Arab World to have more than 197 million Internet users by 2017, according to Arab Knowledge Economy Report". To date, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) have granted 858 patents to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, positioning it 29th in the world. Kuwait is at second place with 272 patents and Egypt at third with 212 patents, so far.
  32. ^ "Arab Economy Knowledge Report 2014" (PDF). pp. 20–22.
  33. ^ "UNESCO Science Report 2005" (PDF). p. 162. Egypt, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been the Arab region's main driving forces behind S&T output at the international level.
  34. ^ "Economic and Social Commission for West Asia" (PDF). p. 54.
  35. ^ "Kuwait Sees Fastest Growth of GCC Countries in Obtaining U.S. Patents".
  36. ^ "Kuwait Sees Fastest Growth of GCC Countries in Obtaining U.S. Patents".
  37. ^ "Science and Technology in the OIC Member Countries" (PDF). p. 7.
  38. ^ "Arab states" (PDF). pp. 264–265.
  39. ^ "Bibliometric Indicators of the Scholarly Productivity of Researchers and Scientists in Kuwait as Documented by Citation to Their Published Works".
  40. ^ "The Report: Kuwait 2008". p. 166.
  41. ^ "Research publications per capita".
  42. ^ "World Bank report: Jordan, Kuwait top education reform in Arab world".
  43. ^ "Education & Training Sector Report - State of Kuwait". p. 5.
  44. ^ The Report: Kuwait 2008. p. 189.
  45. ^ a b c "New schools to meet growing demand in Kuwait".
  46. ^ "Kuwait's new curriculum to be ready in two years".
  47. ^ "Raytheon's $50m will help start UMass Lowell campus in Kuwait".
  48. ^ "UMass Lowell-Raytheon to open Kuwait campus".
  49. ^ "Reviving Kuwait's theatre industry". BBC News.
  50. ^ Popular Culture in the Arab World: Arts, Politics, and the Media. p. 277.
  51. ^ a b The World of Theatre: An Account of the Theatre Seasons 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99. p. 147.
  52. ^ The World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre: The Arab world.
  53. ^ "Entertainment gets soapy during Ramadan in Kuwait".
  54. ^ 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 Tunisia.
  55. ^ "Kuwait Literary Scene A Little Complex".
  56. ^ "Kuwait Literary Scene A Little Complex". 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.
  57. ^ News Media in the Arab World: A Study of 10 Arab and Muslim Countries. p. 24.
  58. ^ a b Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture: Three-Volume Set. p. 405.
  59. ^ "Correcting misconceptions of the Gulf's modern art movement".
  60. ^ "Kuwait".
  61. ^ "Khalifa Qattan, Founder of Circulism".
  62. ^ "Sheik of the Artists: Khalifa Qattan and Circulism (video project)".
  63. ^ "Cultural developments in Kuwait".
  64. ^ a b "Young faces enliven Kuwait's faded art scene".
  65. ^ "Kuwait".
  66. ^ "Acuerdo de Hermandad abrirá horizontes de colaboración". El Universal (Mexico City).
  67. ^ "Town Twinning Agreements". Municipalidad de Rosario - Buenos Aires 711. Retrieved 2014-10-14.
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