Bureau of Near Eastern
Affairs
June
2007
Background Note:
Kuwait
A family relaxes by the seafront
in
Kuwait City, Kuwait, January
16,
2001. [© AP
Images]
Flag of Kuwait is three equal horizontal bands of green - top -
white, and
red, with black trapezoid based on hoist
side.
PROFILE
OFFICIAL
NAME:
State of
Kuwait
Geography
Area: 17,820 sq. km. (6,880 sq. mi.); approximately the size of the
State of
New
Jersey.
Cities: Capital--Kuwait
City.
Terrain: Almost entirely flat desert plain (highest elevation
point--306 m).
Climate: Summers are intensely hot and dry with
average highs ranging from 42
o-49oC (108o-120oF); winters are short
(Dec.-Feb.) and cool, averaging 10o-30
oC (50o-80oF), with limited
rain.
People
Nationality: Noun and
adjective--Kuwaiti(s).
Population (Dec. 2006 est.): 3,182,960, including approximately 1
million
Kuwaiti citizens and 2 million non-Kuwaiti
citizens.
Annual growth rate (2006 est.):
3.52%.
Ethnic groups: Kuwaiti 35%, other Arab 22%, non-Arab (primarily
Asian) 39%,
stateless Arabs (bidoon)
4%.
Religion: Muslim estimated 80% (Sunni 70%, Shi'a 30% among Kuwaitis),
with
sizable Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and Sikh
communities.
Languages: Arabic (official), English is widely
spoken.
Education: Compulsory from ages 6-14; free at all levels for
Kuwaitis,
including higher
education. Adult literacy (age 15 and over)--83.5% for the
overall population (male 85.1%, female 81.7%), 91.2% for Kuwaitis
(male
91.4%, female
90.8%).
Health: Infant mortality rate (2006 est.)--9.71 deaths/1,000 live
births.
Life expectancy (2006 est.)--76.13 yrs.
male, 78.31 yrs.
female.
Work force (official figures as of December 31, 2006): 1.963 million
(76%
male; 24% female; 17% Kuwaiti
citizens).
Government
Type: Constitutional hereditary
emirate.
Independence: June 19, 1961 (from
U.K.).
Constitution: Approved and promulgated November 11,
1962.
Branches: Executive--Amir (head of state); prime minister (head
of
government); Council of Ministers (cabinet) is appointed by prime
minister
and approved by the Amir.
Legislative--unicameral National Assembly (Majlis
al-'Umma) of
50 elected members who serve 4-year terms plus all ministers,
who serve as ex officio members. Judicial--High Court of
Appeal.
Administrative subdivisions: Six governorates (muhafazat): Al
'Asimah,
Hawalli, Al Ahmadi, Al
Jahra', Mubarak Al-Kebir, and Al
Farwaniyah.
Political parties: None; formal political parties have no legal
status,
although de facto political
blocs
exist.
Elections: There are no executive branch elections; the Amir is
hereditary;
prime minister and crown prince are appointed by
the Amir. Legislative branch
elections were last held June 29, 2006.
Municipal Council elections were held
on April 4,
2006.
Suffrage: Adult males and since May 16, 2005, adult females who are
21, have
been citizens for 20 years, and are not in the security
forces. In June 2006,
women participated as voters and candidates in
parliamentary elections for
the first
time.
Economy
GDP (2005 est.): $74.6
billion.
Real GDP growth rate (2005):
8.5%.
Natural resources: Oil, natural gas,
fish.
Agriculture (about 0.5% of GDP): With the exception of fish, most
food is
imported. Cultivated
land--1%.
Industry (about 48% of GDP): Types--petroleum extraction and
refining,
fertilizer, chemicals,
desalination, construction
materials.
Services (about 52% of GDP): public administration, finance, real
estate,
trade, hotels and
restaurants.
Trade (2005 est.): Exports --$46.87 billion: oil (93%). Major
markets--Japan
17%, South Korea 13%, U.S. 11%, Singapore 10%,
Pakistan 3%. Imports--$15.67
billion: food, construction
materials, vehicles and parts, clothing. Major
suppliers--U.S. 13%, Germany 13%, Japan 8%, China 6%, United Kingdom
6%.
PEOPLE
Over 90% of the population lives within a 500-square kilometer
area
surrounding Kuwait City and its harbor. Although the majority of
people
residing in the State of Kuwait
are of Arab origin, fewer than half are
originally from the Arabian Peninsula. The discovery of oil in 1938 drew
many
Arabs from nearby states. Following the liberation of Kuwait from
Iraqi
occupation in 1991, the Kuwaiti
Government undertook a serious effort to
reduce the expatriate population by specifically limiting the entry
of
workers from nations whose
leaders had supported Iraq during the Gulf War.
Kuwait
later abandoned this policy, and it currently has a sizable foreign
labor force (approximately 68% of the total population is
non-Kuwaiti).
Of the country's total population of 3.1 million, approximately 80%
are
Muslims, including nearly all of
its1.023 million citizens. While the
national census does not distinguish between Sunni and Shi'a
adherents,
approximately 70-75 % of
citizens, including the ruling family, belong to the
Sunni branch of
Islam. The remaining Kuwaiti citizens, with the exception of
about
100-200 Christians and a few Baha'is, are Shi'a. The
expatriate
Christian
population is estimated to be more than 400,000 residents. There
also are communities of Hindus, Buddhists, and
Sikhs.
Kuwait's 83.5% literacy rate, one of the Arab world's highest, is the
result
of extensive government support for the education system.
Public school
education, including
Kuwait University, is free, but access is restricted for
foreign
residents. The government sponsors the foreign study of
qualified
students abroad for degrees not offered
at Kuwait University. In 2004,
approximately 1,720 Kuwaitis were enrolled in U.S. universities, down
6.8%
from the previous
year.
HISTORY
Archaeological finds on Failaka, the largest of Kuwait's nine
islands,
suggest that Failaka was
a trading post at the time of the ancient Sumerians.
Failaka appears
to have continued to serve as a market for approximately
2,000 years, and was known to the ancient Greeks. Despite its long
history as
a market and sanctuary for traders, Failaka appears to have
been abandoned as
a permanent settlement in the 1st century A.D.
Kuwait's modern history began
in the 18th century with the founding
of the city of Kuwait by the Uteiba, a
subsection of the Anaiza
tribe, who are believed to have traveled north from
Qatar.
Threatened in the 19th century by the Ottoman Turks and various
powerful
Arabian Peninsula groups, Kuwait
sought the same treaty relationship Britain
had already signed with
the Trucial States (UAE) and Bahrain. In January
1899, the ruler Sheikh Mubarak Al Sabah--"the Great"--signed an
agreement
with the British Government that pledged
himself and his successors neither
to cede any territory, nor
to receive agents or representatives of any
foreign power without the British Government's consent, in exchange
for
protection and an annual subsidy.
When Mubarak died in 1915, the population
of Kuwait of about
35,000 was heavily dependent on shipbuilding (using wood
imported from India) and pearl
diving.
Mubarak was succeeded as ruler by his sons Jabir (1915-17) and
Salim
(1917-21).
Kuwait's subsequent rulers have descended from these two brothers.
Sheikh Ahmed al-Jabir Al Sabah ruled Kuwait from 1921 until his death
in
1950, a period in which oil was discovered
and in which the government
attempted to establish the first internationally recognized boundaries;
the
1922 Treaty of Uqair set Kuwait's border with Saudi Arabia
and also
established the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia Neutral Zone, an area of about 5,180 sq.
km. (2,000 sq. mi.) adjoining Kuwait's southern
border.
Kuwait achieved independence from the British under Sheikh Ahmed's
successor,
Sheikh Abdullah al-Salim Al Sabah. By early 1961, the
British had already
withdrawn their special court
system, which handled the cases of foreigners
resident in
Kuwait, and the Kuwaiti Government began to exercise
legal
jurisdiction under new laws
drawn up by an Egyptian jurist. On June 19, 1961,
Kuwait became fully
independent following an exchange of notes with
the
United
Kingdom.
Kuwait enjoyed an unprecedented period of prosperity under Amir
Sabah
al-Salim Al Sabah,
who died in 1977 after ruling for 12 years. Under his
rule, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement dividing the
Neutral Zone
(now called the Divided Zone) and demarcating a
new international boundary.
Both countries share equally the
Divided Zone's petroleum, onshore and
offshore. The country was transformed into a highly developed welfare
state
with a free market
economy.
In August 1990, Iraq attacked and invaded Kuwait. Kuwait's northern
border
with Iraq dates from an agreement reached with
Turkey in 1913. Iraq accepted
this claim in 1932 upon its
independence from Turkey. However, following
Kuwait's independence in 1961, Iraq claimed Kuwait, arguing that Kuwait
had
been part of the Ottoman Empire subject to Iraqi
suzerainty. In 1963, Iraq
reaffirmed its acceptance of
Kuwaiti sovereignty and the boundary it agreed
to in 1913 and
1932, in the "Agreed Minutes between the State of Kuwait and
the Republic of Iraq Regarding the Restoration of Friendly
Relations,
Recognition, and
Related
Matters."
Following several weeks of aerial bombardment, a UN-mandated
coalition led by
the United States began a ground assault in February
1991 that liberated
Kuwait. During the
7-month occupation by Iraq, the Amir, the Government of
Kuwait, and many Kuwaitis took refuge in Saudi Arabia and other nations. The
Amir and the government successfully managed Kuwaiti affairs from
Saudi
Arabia, London, and elsewhere
during the period, relying on substantial
Kuwaiti investments available outside Kuwait for funding and
war-related
expenses.
Following liberation, the UN, under Security Council Resolution
687,
demarcated the
Iraq-Kuwait boundary on the basis of the 1932 and the 1963
agreements between the two states. In November 1994, Iraq formally
accepted
the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait, which had been
further spelled out in
UN Security Council Resolutions 773 and
883.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL
CONDITIONS
Kuwait is a constitutional, hereditary emirate ruled by princes
(Amirs) who
have been drawn from the Al Sabah family since the
middle of the 18th
century.
The 1962 constitution provides for an elected National Assembly and
details the powers of the branches of government and the rights of citizens.
Under the Constitution, the National Assembly has a limited role in
approving
the Amir's choice of the Crown Prince, who succeeds the Amir
upon his death.
If the National Assembly rejects his nominee, the
Amir then submits three
names of qualified
candidates from among the direct descendants of Mubarak
the Great, the founder of modern Kuwait, from which the Assembly must choose
the new Crown Prince. Successions have been orderly since
independence. In
January 2006, the National Assembly
played a symbolically important role in
the succession process,
which was seen as an assertion of
parliament's
constitutional
powers.
For almost 40 years, the Amir appointed the Crown Prince as Kuwait's
Prime
Minister. However, in July 2003, the Amir formally
separated the two
positions and appointed a different ruling family member as Prime
Minister.
Kuwait's first National Assembly was elected in 1963, with
follow-on
elections
held in 1967, 1971, and 1975. From 1976 to 1981, the
National
Assembly was suspended.
Following elections in 1981 and 1985, the National
Assembly was again dissolved. Fulfilling a promise made during the period of
Iraqi occupation, the Amir held new elections for the National
Assembly in
1992. In May 1999 and once again in May 2006,
the Amir dissolved the National
Assembly, but complied with the
constitution by holding new elections within
60 days. The most recent
general election, held in June 2006, was considered
free and fair and
was marked by the participation of women for the first time
as voters
and candidates who introduced social and educational issues to the
political debate. In July 2006 the newly elected legislature passed a law to
reduce the number of electoral districts from 25 to 5 in a move
that
reformers hoped
would increase the transparency of the democratic process by
increasing the number of votes necessary to win a seat in
parliament.
The government does not officially recognize political parties;
however, de
facto political blocs, typically organized along
ideological lines, exist and
are active in the National Assembly.
Although the Amir maintains the final
word on most
government policies, the National Assembly plays a real role in
decision-making, with powers to initiate legislation, question
("grill")
cabinet ministers, and express lack
of confidence in individual ministers.
For example, in
May 1999, the Amir issued several landmark decrees dealing
with women's suffrage, economic liberalization, and nationality. The
National
Assembly later rejected all of these decrees as a matter of
principle and
then reintroduced most of them as
parliamentary legislation. In May 2005, the
National Assembly approved
legislation granting women full political rights.
Subsequently the
Prime Minister appointed Kuwait's first female minister, Dr.
Masouma
Al-Mubarak, as Planning Minister and Minister of State
for
Administrative Development Affairs, and the government appointed two women
to
Kuwait's Municipal Council. Following the March 2007 resignation of
the
cabinet, Dr. Masouma was joined by
a second woman, Nouriya Subih, in the
cabinet.
Principal Government
Officials
Amir--His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah
Crown Prince--His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber
Al-Sabah
Prime Minister--His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed
Al-Sabah
First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister
of
Interior--Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak
Al-Sabah
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet
Affairs--Faisal
Mohammed
Al-Hajji
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister--Sheikh Dr. Mohammad
Sabah
Al-Salim
Al-Sabah
National Assembly Speaker--Jassem
Al-Khorafi
Ambassador to the United States--Sheikh Salim Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al
Sabah
Permanent Representative to the United
Nations--Ambassador Abdullah Al-Murad
Kuwait maintains an embassy in the United States at 2940 Tilden
Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008 (tel. [1]
(202)-966-0702).
ECONOMY
Kuwait has a small, relatively open economy dominated by the oil
industry and
government sector. Approximately 90% of the Kuwaiti
citizen labor force works
in the public sector, and 90% of private
sector workers are non-Kuwaitis.
Kuwait's proven
crude oil reserves of about 101.5 billion barrels--9% of
world reserves--account for nearly 60% of GDP, 95% of export
revenues, and
80-90% of government income. During the
1970s, Kuwait benefited from the
dramatic
rise in oil prices, which Kuwait actively promoted through
its
membership in the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The
economy suffered from
the triple shock of a 1982 securities market crash, the
mid-1980s drop
in oil prices, and the 1990 Iraqi invasion and occupation. The
Kuwaiti
Government-in-exile depended upon its $100 billion in
overseas
investments during the
Iraqi occupation to help pay for the reconstruction.
Thus, by
1993, this balance was cut to less than half of its
pre-invasion
level. The wealth of Kuwait is based
primarily on oil and capital reserves,
and the Iraqi occupation
severely damaged both, although both have been
restored as reconstruction has proceeded and world oil prices have
risen.
Kuwait enjoyed an economic boom following
Operation Iraqi Freedom as many
companies working
in Iraq established offices in Kuwait and procured goods
through Kuwaiti companies. The banking, financial services,
logistics,
telecommunications,
and construction sectors, in particular, have grown in
the last two years. The sustained high oil prices also provided the
Kuwaiti
Government with windfall revenues in 2005 and
2006.
In the closing hours of the Gulf War in February 1991, the Iraqi
occupation
forces set ablaze or damaged 749 of Kuwait's oil
wells. Kuwait spent more
than $5 billion to repair
oil infrastructure damage. Oil production was 1.5
million
barrels per day (bpd) by the end of 1992, and pre-war capacity was
restored in 1993. Kuwait's current production capacity is estimated
to be 2.5
million bpd. Kuwait plans to increase its capacity to 3.5
million bpd by 2015
and 4.0 million bpd by
2020.
Oil
In 1934, the ruler of Kuwait granted an oil concession to the Kuwait
Oil
Company (KOC), jointly owned by the
British Petroleum Company and Gulf Oil
Corporation. In
1976, the Kuwaiti Government nationalized KOC. The following
year,
Kuwait took over part of onshore production in the Divided Zone
between
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC)
produces jointly
there with Saudi Arabian
Chevron, which, by its 1984 purchase of Getty Oil
Company, acquired the Saudi Arabian onshore concession in the Divided
Zone.
Saudi Arabian Chevron's concession is due to expire in
February 2009.
Offshore in the Divided Zone, the Arabian Oil Company (AOC)--80%
owned by
Japanese interests and 10% each by the
Kuwaiti and
Saudi
Governments--produced on behalf of both countries from 1961 until
2000, when
its concession in the Saudi zone expired. AOC gave up its
drilling rights in
the Kuwaiti sector 3 years later. KGOC has assumed
AOC's offshore operations.
Aramco Gulf Oil Company (AGOC) manages the
Saudi portion of the offshore
Divided
Zone.
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), an integrated, state-owned oil
company,
is the parent company of the government's operating
companies in the
petroleum sector, and includes Kuwait Oil Company, which produces oil
and
gas; Kuwait National Petroleum Company, which
manages refining and domestic
sales; Petrochemical Industries
Company, which produces ammonia, urea,
ethylene, propylene, and styrene and participates in a number of
successful
joint ventures with Dow Chemical within Kuwait and
abroad; Kuwait Foreign
Petroleum Exploration
Company, which is responsible for exploration and
upstream production outside Kuwait (in several developing countries
and
Australia); Kuwait Oil Tanker
Company.; Kuwait Gulf Oil Company, responsible
for exploration and
production in the Kuwait portions of the offshore and
onshore Divided Zone; and Kuwait Petroleum International, which
manages
refining and retail operations
outside Kuwait (in Europe and East Asia).
KPC purchased from Gulf Oil Co. refineries in the Netherlands and
Italy and
service stations in the Benelux nations, Italy, and
Scandinavia. In 1987, KPC
bought a 19% share in British Petroleum,
which was later reduced to 10%. KPC
markets its products in Europe
under the brand name Q8. In 2006,
KPC
announced plans
to participate in a joint venture to build and operate a
refinery and associated petrochemical plant in China. The Government
of
Kuwait also signed a memorandum of
agreement with the State of Louisiana in
2006 to explore the
feasibility of building a refinery in the United States.
According to official OPEC figures, Kuwait has about 101.5 billion
barrels of
proven oil reserves, including the Kuwaiti share of proven
reserves in the
Divided Zone. This gives Kuwait the
fifth-largest oil reserves in the world
after Saudi Arabia,
Canada, Iran, and Iraq. Estimated capacity before the
occupation was about 2.4 million bpd. During the Iraqi occupation,
Kuwait's
oil-producing capacity was severely reduced. However,
tremendous recovery and
improvements have been made. Oil production
was 1.5 million bpd by the end of
1992, and pre-war capacity was
restored in 1993. Kuwait's production capacity
is estimated to be 2.5
million bpd. Kuwait plans to increase its capacity to
3.5 million bpd
by 2015 and 4.0 million bpd by 2020. Oil revenues comprise
about 95% of exports and 90% of total government revenues. Kuwaiti
export
crude averaged about $58/barrel in
2006.
Social
Benefits
The government has sponsored many social welfare, public works,
and
development
plans financed with oil and investment revenues. Among
the
benefits for Kuwaiti citizens
are retirement income, marriage bonuses,
housing loans, virtually guaranteed employment, free medical
services, and
education at all levels. By Amiri decree,
the government occasionally
disburses a portion of its budget surplus as a grant to all Kuwaiti
citizens.
In September 2006, an Amiri grant of 200 Kuwaiti dinars
(approximately $700)
was paid to every citizen who applied. Foreign
nationals residing in Kuwait
do not have access to these
welfare services. The right to own stock in
publicly traded companies, real estate, and banks or a majority
interest in a
business is limited to Kuwaiti citizens, and citizens of
Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) states under limited
circumstances.
Industry and
Development
Industry in Kuwait consists of several large export-oriented
petrochemical
units, oil refineries, and a range of small
manufacturers. It also includes
large water desalinization,
ammonia, desulphurization, fertilizer, brick,
block, and cement plants. During the invasion, the Iraqis looted nearly
all
movable equipment of value, especially high-technology
items and small
machinery. Much
of this has been replaced with newer equipment. The Kuwaiti
Government has promoted the Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA) agreement,
signed with the U.S. in 2004, as a means to attract additional
foreign
investment into Kuwaiti
industries and enhance the country's diversification
from a purely
oil-based
economy.
Agriculture
Agriculture is limited by the lack of water and arable land. The
government
has experimented in growing food through hydroponics
and carefully managed
farms. However, most of the soil
which was suitable for farming in south
central Kuwait was destroyed when Iraqi troops set fire to oil wells in
the
area and created vast "oil lakes." Fish and shrimp are
plentiful in
territorial waters, and large-scale commercial fishing has been
undertaken
locally and in the Indian
Ocean.
Shipping
The Kuwait Oil Tanker Company has 24 crude oil, liquefied petroleum
gas, and
refined product carriers and is the largest tanker company
in an OPEC
country. Kuwait
also is a member of the United Arab Shipping
Company.
Trade, Finance, and
Aid
The Kuwaiti dinar is a strong currency which was pegged from 2003
until May
2007 to the U.S. dollar. The dinar is now pegged to a
basket of currencies,
of which the dollar is a majority. Kuwait
ordinarily runs a current account
surplus, estimated at $40
billion for 2006 (about 45% of GDP). Government
revenues are dependent on oil revenues. In 2006, Kuwait's fiscal surplus was
estimated to be about 20% of GDP, despite a 16% rise in
government
expenditure.
The government's two reserve funds--the Fund for Future Generations
and the
General Reserve Fund--which totaled nearly $100 billion
prior to the invasion
in 1990, were the primary source of capital for
the Kuwaiti Government during
the war. While these funds were depleted
to $40-$50 billion after the war,
total external assets,
including the two reserve funds and the Public Fund
for
Social Security, are currently estimated to be around $160 billion. The
bulk of this is invested in the United States, Germany, the United
Kingdom,
France, Japan, and Southeast Asia. In order of
importance, foreign assets are
believed to be invested in stocks and
bonds, fixed yield instruments (mostly
short term), and real estate.
Kuwait follows a generally
conservative
investment
policy.
Kuwait has been a major source of foreign economic assistance to
other states
through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development
(KFAED), an autonomous
state institution created in 1961 on the
pattern of Western and international
development agencies and chaired
by the Foreign Minister. In 1974, the fund's
lending mandate was
expanded to include all non-Arab, developing countries.
According to the most recent statistics available, the Fund's paid-up
capital
amounts to $7 billion. Total loan disbursement extended is $37
billion. The
Fund has granted 595 loans since its inception and
extended technical
assistance on 196 occasions to different countries and organizations
in
Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin
America. KFAED is responsible
for
administering the disbursal of at least $500 million in concessionary
loans
to Iraq in support of reconstruction
efforts.
Over the years Kuwait has provided aid to Egypt, Syria, and Jordan,
as well
as the Palestinian Authority. During the Iran-Iraq war,
Kuwait also gave
significant aid to the
Iraqis. The Kuwait fund issued loans and technical
assistance grants totaling over $419 million during its fiscal year
ending
March 31, 2003. Kuwaiti provided unparalleled
assistance during Operation
Iraqi Freedom by
establishing and operating the Humanitarian
Operations
Center for Iraq. Following
the Israel-Lebanon conflict in 2006, Kuwait
pledged $300 million for humanitarian aid and deposited $500 million
in the
Lebanese Central
Bank.
At the 2003 Madrid Conference, the Government of Kuwait pledged $1.5
billion
in assistance to Iraq. KFAED is responsible for disbursing
and overseeing as
much as $560 million of that assistance through
grants. In 2005, KFAED
contributed $50 million to Pakistan earthquake relief, contributed
$50
million for Hurricane Katrina
relief, and made significant contributions to
tsunami relief
efforts. Kuwaiti has also supported the establishment of the
International Compact for
Iraq.
FOREIGN
RELATIONS
Following independence in June 1961, Kuwait faced its first major
foreign
policy problem arising from Iraqi claims to
Kuwait's territory. The Iraqis
threatened invasion but
were dissuaded by the U.K.'s ready response to the
Amir's
request for assistance. Kuwait presented its case before the United
Nations and preserved its sovereignty. U.K. forces were later
withdrawn and
replaced by troops from Arab League nations,
which were withdrawn in 1963 at
Kuwait's
request.
On August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait. Through U.S.
efforts, a
multinational coalition was assembled, and, under UN
auspices, initiated
military action against
Iraq to liberate Kuwait. Arab states, especially the
other five
members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain,
Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates), Egypt, and Syria,
supported
Kuwait by sending troops to
fight with the coalition. Many European and East
Asian states sent
troops, equipment, and/or financial
support.
After liberation, Kuwait concentrated its foreign policy efforts
on
development
of ties to states which had participated in the multinational
coalition. Notably, these states were given the lead role in
Kuwait's
reconstruction.
Kuwait's relations with those nations that supported Iraq,
among them Jordan, Sudan, Yemen, and Cuba, were slow to recover.
Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman Yasir
Arafat's support for Saddam
Hussein during
the war also affected Kuwait's attitudes toward the PLO though
Kuwait
supports the Arab-Israeli peace
process.
The Government of Kuwait has abandoned its previous policy of
limiting the
entry of workers from nations whose leaders
had supported Iraq during the
Gulf War. In August
2001, the Interior Minister announced that there were no
longer any
special restrictions or permits required for Palestinian workers
wishing to return to the country. At the end of 2002, there
were
approximately 30,000 to 40,000 Palestinians, 30,000 to 40,000
Jordanians, and
5,000 Yemenis resident in
Kuwait.
Since liberation from Iraq, Kuwait has made efforts to secure
allies
throughout the
world, particularly UN Security Council members. In addition
to
the United States, defense arrangements have been concluded with
the
United Kingdom, Russia, and France.
Ties to other key Arab members of the
Gulf War
coalition--Egypt and Syria--also have been
sustained.
During the 2002-03 buildup to and execution of Operation Iraqi
Freedom (OIF),
Kuwait was a vital coalition partner, reserving a full
60% of its total land
mass for use by coalition forces and donating
significant assistance in kind
to the effort. Kuwait continues to
provide generous assistance in kind to
ongoing
coalition operations in Iraq. Kuwait has been consistently involved
in reconstruction efforts in Iraq, pledging $1.5 billion at the
October 2003
international donors' conference in Madrid, and
consulting closely with Iraqi
officials, including former Prime
Minister Ibrahim Jaffari, who visited
Kuwait in late October 2005, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who
visited
in July 2006 and again in April 2007. Kuwait has been
an active and vocal
public supporter of the
political process in Iraq, welcoming the January 2005
elections and
praising Iraq's October 2005 successful
constitutional
referendum. Iraqi President Talibani visited Kuwait in September
2006.
Kuwait is a member of the UN and some of its specialized and
related
agencies,
including the World Bank (IBRD), International Monetary Fund (IMF),
World Trade Organization (WTO), General Agreement on Tariffs and
Trade
(GATT); African Development
Bank (AFDB), Arab Fund for Economic and Social
Development (AFESD), Arab League, Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), Council of
Arab
Economic Unity (CAEU), Economic and Social Commission for
Western Asia
(ESCWA), Group of 77
(G-77), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),
INMARSAT,
International
Development Association (IDA), International
Finance
Corporation, International Fund for Agricultural Development,
International
Labor Organization (ILO), International Maritime
Organization, Interpol, IOC,
Islamic Development Bank (IDB),
International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies,
Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of Arab Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OAPEC), Organization of the Islamic Conference
(OIC),
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC), and the International
Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA).
DEFENSE
Before the Gulf War, Kuwait maintained a small military force
consisting of
army, navy, and air force units. The majority of
equipment for the military
was supplied by the United Kingdom.
Aside from the few units that were able
to escape to Saudi
Arabia, including a majority of the air force, all of this
equipment
was either destroyed or taken by the Iraqis. Much of the property
returned by Iraq after the Gulf War was damaged beyond repair. Iraq
retained
a substantial amount of captured Kuwaiti military equipment
in violation of
UN
resolutions.
Since liberation, Kuwait, with the help of the United States and
other
allies, has made
significant efforts to increase the size and modernity of
its armed forces. These efforts are succeeding. The government also
continues
to improve defense arrangements with other Arab states, as
well as UN
Security Council
members. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, in 2003, Kuwaiti
military elements successfully operated missile defense
systems.
A separately organized National Guard maintains internal security.
The police
constitute a single national force under the purview of
civilian authorities
of the Ministry of
Interior.
U.S.-KUWAITI
RELATIONS
The United States opened a consulate in Kuwait in October 1951, which
was
elevated to embassy status at the time of
Kuwait's independence 10 years
later. The
United States supports Kuwait's sovereignty, security,
and
independence, as well
as its multilateral diplomatic efforts to build greater
cooperation
among the GCC
countries.
Strategic cooperation between the United States and Kuwait increased
in 1987
with the implementation of a maritime protection regime that
ensured the
freedom of navigation through the
Gulf for 11 Kuwaiti tankers that were
reflagged with U.S.
markings.
The U.S.-Kuwaiti strategic partnership intensified dramatically again
after
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. The United States spearheaded
UN Security Council
demands that Iraq withdraw from Kuwait and its
authorization of the use of
force, if necessary, to
remove Iraqi forces from the occupied country. The
United
States also played a dominant role in the development of
the
multinational military operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm
that
liberated Kuwait. The
U.S.-Kuwaiti relationship has remained strong in the
post-Gulf War period. Kuwait and the United States worked on a daily basis
to
monitor and to enforce Iraq's compliance with UN Security
Council
resolutions, and Kuwait has also provided the main platform for
Operation
Iraqi Freedom since
2003.
Since Kuwait's liberation, the United States has provided military
and
defense technical assistance
to Kuwait from both foreign military sales (FMS)
and commercial
sources. The U.S. Office of Military Cooperation in Kuwait is
attached to the American embassy and manages the FMS program. There
are
currently over 100 open FMS
contracts between the U.S. military and the
Kuwait Ministry of Defense totaling $8.1 billion. Principal U.S.
military
systems currently purchased by the Kuwait
Defense Forces are Patriot Missile
systems, F-18 Hornet fighters, the
M1A2 main battle tank, AH-64D Apache
helicopter, and a major recapitalization of Kuwait's Navy with U.S.
boats.
Kuwaiti attitudes toward American products have been favorable since
the Gulf
War. In 1993, Kuwait publicly announced abandonment of the
secondary and
tertiary aspects of the Arab
boycott of Israel (those aspects affecting U.S.
firms). The United
States is currently Kuwait's largest supplier of goods and
services,
and Kuwait is the fifth-largest market in the Middle East.
U.S.
exports to Kuwait totaled $2.14 billion
million in 2006. Provided their
prices
are reasonable, U.S. firms have a competitive advantage in many areas
requiring advanced technology, such as oil field equipment and
services,
electric power generation and
distribution equipment, telecommunications
gear, consumer goods, and military
equipment.
Kuwait also is an important partner in the ongoing U.S.-led campaign
against
international terrorism, providing assistance in the
military, diplomatic,
and intelligence arenas and also
supporting efforts to block financing of
terrorist
groups. In January 2005, Kuwait Security Services forces engaged in
gun battles with local extremists, resulting in fatalities on both sides
in
the first such incident in Kuwait's
history.
Principal U.S.
Officials
Ambassador--Richard
LeBaron
Deputy Chief of
Mission--vacant
Political Affairs--Donald
Blome
Commercial Affairs--Erik
Hunt
Economic Affairs--Timothy
Lenderking
Consular Affairs--Santiago (Sonny)
Busa
Management--Brian
Moran
Public Affairs--Tanya
Anderson
Chief, Office of Military Cooperation--BG Charles Hudson
USMC
The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait is located at Al Masjed Al Aqsa Street.
Block 13,
Bayan Plan 36302. The mailing address is P.O. Box 77,
SAFAT, 13001 Safat,
Kuwait; or PSC 1280 APO AE
09880.
TRAVEL AND BUSINESS
INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of State's Consular Information Program advises
Americans
traveling and residing abroad through Consular Information
Sheets, Public
Announcements, and Travel Warnings.
Consular Information Sheets exist for all
countries and include
information on entry and exit requirements, currency
regulations, health conditions, safety and security, crime,
political
disturbances, and
the addresses of the U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
Public
Announcements are issued to disseminate information quickly
about
terrorist threats and other relatively
short-term conditions overseas that
pose significant
risks to the security of American travelers. Travel Warnings
are
issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid travel
to a certain country because the situation is dangerous or
unstable.
For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling
abroad
should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau
of Consular Affairs Internet
web site at
href="http://www.travel.state.gov">http://www.travel.state.gov, where the
current Worldwide Caution,
Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings
can be found. Consular Affairs
Publications,
which contain information on obtaining passports and planning a
safe
trip abroad, are also available at
href="http://www.travel.state.gov">http://www.travel.state.gov.
For
additional information on international
travel, see
href="http://www.usa.gov/">http://www.usa.gov/
Citizen/Topics/Travel/International.shtml.
The Department of State encourages all U.S citizens who traveling or
residing
abroad to register via the State Department's travel
registration website or
at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate
abroad. Registration will make your
presence and whereabouts known in
case it is necessary to contact you in an
emergency and will
enable you to receive up-to-date information on security
conditions.
Emergency information concerning Americans traveling abroad may be
obtained
by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and
Canada or the regular
toll line 1-202-501-4444 for
callers outside the U.S. and
Canada.
The National Passport Information Center (NPIC) is the U.S.
Department of
State's single, centralized public
contact center for U.S.
passport
information. Telephone: 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778). Customer
service
representatives and operators for TDD/TTY
are available Monday-Friday, 7:00
a.m. to 12:00 midnight,
Eastern Time, excluding federal
holidays.
Travelers can check the latest health information with the U.S.
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.
A hotline at 877-FYI-TRIP
(877-394-8747) and a web site at
href="http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm">http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm
give the
most recent health advisories, immunization recommendations
or requirements,
and advice on food and drinking water safety for
regions and countries. A
booklet entitled "Health
Information for International Travel"
(HHS
publication number CDC-95-8280) is available from the U.S.
Government
Printing Office,
Washington, DC 20402, tel. (202)
512-1800.
Further Electronic
Information
Department of State Web Site. Available on the Internet at
http://
www.state.gov, the Department of State web
site provides timely, global
access to
official U.S. foreign policy information, including
Background
Notes and daily press briefings
along with the directory of key officers of
Foreign Service
posts and more. The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)
provides
security information and regional news that impact U.S. companies
working abroad through its website
href="http://www.osac.gov">http://www.osac.gov
Export.gov provides a portal to all export-related assistance and
market
information offered by the federal
government and provides trade leads, free
export counseling, help
with the export process, and
more.
STAT-USA/Internet, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
provides
authoritative economic, business, and
international trade information from
the Federal
government. The site includes current and
historical
trade-related releases, international market research, trade
opportunities,
and country analysis and provides access to the
National Trade Data Bank.