Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is a small country in the Gulf. It was once a center for boat construction and pearl diving in the Arab region. After the discovery of its large deposits of oil after the Second World War, Kuwait rose to prominence. This is the recent phase of Kuwait, but its rich history goes back as far as the 18th century when it was settled by migrants from other regions in central Arabia. Kuwait was still under the domain of the Bani Khalid tribe of Arabia with members of the Al Sabah family ruling the country. From being a small fishing and pearl diving country, Kuwait today is one of the richest countries in the world, with numerous skyscrapers and oil refineries dotting its desert landscape. Most of the population live in and around the capital city, Kuwait.

Kuwait is a constitutional hereditary emirate headed by Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, with Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah expected to succeed his father. The concurrent prime minister is Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The Bayan Palace is the seat of government.

:: Background of Kuwait ::

The earliest settlers of Kuwait, based on archeological findings are related to the Sumerians. This group was credited to have developed the first recorded human civilization in history. There were flint tools, used during the Stone Age that were discovered in Kuwait. There were also fragments of pottery, beads and knives that were discovered in archeological sites that were used by Ubaid settlers, the same group of people that inhabited Mesopotamia in ancient times. Evidence of settlers from the Dilmun Empire were found in Faylakah, one of the islands of Kuwait. The archeological finds included a complete example of a Dilmun town with public buildings, temple dedicated to Inzak, granaries and dwellings, and these were considered as the best structural examples from the Bronze Age.

There were several evidence that Alexander the Great and his troops had settled in Kuwait, with the discovery of ancient silver Greek coins, busts and terra cotta molds and figurines. It was later found out that the island named Ikaros mentioned in the annals of one of the admirals of Alexander the Great was actually present-day Faylakah (Failaka). Kuwait was used as a center of trade in the region.

According to records from the British India Company, Kuwait was the residence of the Utubi Sabah family as far back as 1716, descendants of the Utub tribe from Najd that first went to Qatar to escape the drought before moving to Qurain, an established community in Kuwait Bay. In 1756 the inhabitants of Qurain and the Utub tribe were one in the consensus to form a permanent government with the Sabah family to head it. The first emir was Sabah ibn Jaber, from whom all the rulers of Kuwait descended from.
Peace, security and prosperity were enjoyed by the community under the rule of the Sabahs. Mat and basket weaving were introduced, as well as embroidery and cotton textiles. The harbor of the Kuwait Bay became busy. There were numerous pearl oyster beds in the south. The Bedouins conduct their trade during the summer months. Trade merchants became rich. The pearl diving industry in Kuwait at that time was quite profitable and massive. Towards the end of the 1800s, more than 500 ships were devoted primarily for pearling.

As they were enjoying their prosperity and relative peace, outside forces became a threat. There were pirates pillaging the coast of the gulf and there also the Persians and the Ottomans that want to capture and extend their territories. Kuwait is very prime for invasion because of its fame as a rich merchant community and its vital importance as the route over land to the Mediterranean and its ability to handle all the transshipments in the in the region.

The contacts made by the Kuwaitis with the outside world have made their outlook more cosmopolitan. The existing mercantile business, their contacts with different people from other countries and the constant travels of the male members of the family units for long periods at a time shaped the women to be self-reliant and resourceful in rearing and tending to their families. These factors also helped shape and taught the Kuwaitis to excel in finance, contracting and investing.

Due to Kuwait’s prosperity during that time, many neighboring countries became envious particularly the Ottomans. The made repeated invasions to claim Kuwait particularly late in the 1800s. Then Emir Mubarak Al Sabah, also known as Mubarak the Great signed an accord with the British Empire to have Kuwait as a British protectorate in January 23, 1899. The treaty removed the fear of an occupation by Turkey and the country remained peaceful, with the British handling the foreign affairs of Kuwait. The Emir provided direction to Kuwait and more government programs, including welfare programs were instituted. He established the first public school in Kuwait and also the first medical services. Soon communication services were begun and the country continued to flourish.

However, there was a downturn during the 1920s and the 1930s when the paramilitary force from Najd, the Ikhwan tried to capture Kuwait in what became known as the battle of the Red Fort. It prompted the government to build a new wall for the city. British troops came and warned the Najd and commerce between them were stopped, causing Kuwaitis to suffer economic losses. It was also during this time that the cultured pearls from Japan were introduced into the market, seriously denting the pearl export industry of Kuwait. The global reach of the Great Depression also affected Kuwait’s economy, which nearly devastated the country.

Conversely, the Anglo-American Kuwait Oil Company established in 1934, which had been working silently in its oil explorations made a big discovery in its Burgan oil field in 1938 and started the complete 180-degree economic turn of Kuwait, which had to wait until the end of the Second World War, with Kuwait making its very first shipment of oil by 1946.

Emir Abdullah Al-Salem was known as modern-day Kuwait’s founder, ruling the country in 1950 and establishing many reforms for the government and its people. He was a visionary who wanted to use the country’s new-found wealth to benefit the people with social services and eventually created the greatest welfare state in the world – free comprehensive health services, free education from elementary to college, cradle to grave care, national housing, educational scholarships to schools abroad for further studies, guaranteed employment through an organized civil service system, generous benefits for retirees and construction of infrastructures that are world-class. The pact with Britain was abolished during his reign and Kuwait became independent on July 20, 1961.

Then Iraqi President Abdulkarim Qasim claimed that Kuwait is a territory of Iraq. The Emir sought the assistance of Britain once again but was referred to the League of Arab States. The League sent a joint Arab security force to Kuwait and rejected Iraq’s claim, recognizing Kuwait’s independence. Kuwait joined the Arab League in 1961 and became a member of the United Nations in 1963.

Such was the importance of Emir Abdullah Al-Salem to Kuwait that the day of his death, February 25 has been proclaimed as a National Day in Kuwait.

Kuwait provides support to the region through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Development. Its massive wealth allows the country to also support non-Arab and non-Muslim projects and provide generous amounts for foreign aid. Kuwait also helped form the Gulf Cooperation Council created in 1991 to ensure the progress, stability and regional security of the Arab States. Kuwait has completely rebounded from the ravages brought about by the 7-month Iraq-Kuwait war triggered by the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq on August 2, 1990. Kuwait was fully liberated by the Allied forces on February 25, 1990.

:: Geography of Kuwait ::

Location
Kuwait occupies the northeastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula, which is almost the top of the Persian Gulf. It is nestled between the Saudi Arabia and Iraq in the Middle East.

Geographic Coordinates
The State of Kuwait lies 29° 30’ 0” north of the Equator and 45° 45’ 0” east of Greenwich.

Area
In terms of size, Kuwait is considered as one of the smallest countries in the world, measuring only 17,818 square kilometers. It size is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey in the United States. Kuwait has 9 gulf islands comprising its total territory.

Land Boundaries
The Persian Gulf borders the eastern part of Kuwait for 195 kilometers. On its southern and western parts, the country shares a border with Saudi Arabia for 250 kilometers. It is the longest land border of Kuwait. Parts of its western section and the northern region is bordered by Iraq for 240 kilometers.

Coastline
The Bay of Kuwait covers almost half of the 499 kilometer shoreline of Kuwait. The country has a maritime claim of 12 nautical miles of territorial waters.

Climate
Hot and dry is the prevailing climate in Kuwait, although it has four seasons. The country experiences dry desert climate, which is characterized by very hot summers. The summer is Kuwait is quite long. The winter is remarkably short and generally mild and cool, with the evening temperatures dropping to about 37.4 °F while daytime temperature can rise up to the upper 68 °F range.

Terrain
The Arabian Desert covers most of Kuwait. The terrain is generally low and flat desert plain. The lowest point is the Persian Gulf. Some portions of the desert rise gradually, with the highest elevation reaching up to 306 meters. There are small hills on Kuwait, some of the highest are the Khashm Ghudayy at 110 meters, Al ‘Awjah at 61 meters and Jabal al Banaya at 10 meters.

Natural Resources
While the country depended largely on its fish and shrimp industry as well as the exportation of pearls before the discovery of oil, Kuwait’s natural resources are now listed as natural gas, petroleum, shrimp and fish.

Land Use
Due to the lack of water and the desert conditions, only a small part of the land is used for agriculture, with about 0.84% of the land being arable, and 0.1% planted with permanent crops. The majority of the land is utilized for its main product, natural gas and petroleum, other industries and residential areas.

Natural Hazards
Like most desert countries, Kuwait can also experience extreme weather conditions and most of its natural hazards come from heavy rains that commonly occur during the months of October up to April. The torrential rains are extremely heavy and can cause damage to homes and roads. Dust storms and sandstorms, normally occurring all year-round are more frequent between the months of March and August.

Current Environmental Issues
Kuwait has limited sources of natural fresh water. It also faces desertification due to the lack of water and heavy air and water pollution. To meet the demands for fresh water, Kuwait has one of the largest and most sophisticated water desalination facilities in the world.

International Agreements
Kuwait has entered into several international environmental agreements concerning climate change, biodiversity, law of the sea, hazardous wastes, ozone layer protection, environmental modification, endangered species, desertification and climate change-Kyoto protocol. Although it has already the agreement of marine dumping it has yet to ratify it.

:: People of Kuwait ::

The inhabitants of Kuwait are called Kuwaiti and the term is used as a noun and as an adjective to describe their nationality. The plural is Kuwaitis.

Population
The current population of Kuwait according to the estimates done in July 2011 is 2,595,628. However the population estimate includes foreign nationals that number about 1.3 million. The estimated population growth in Kuwait is 1.986%, although the figures reflect the immigration of expatriates before the Gulf crisis. The net migration, according to the 2011 estimates is 0.65/1,000 population. Total fertility rate in Kuwait is calculated at 2.64 children born to every woman, based on 2011 calculations.

Age Structure
The age structure of the citizens of Kuwait is concentrated in the 15 to 64 age group, with 72.2% comprising 1,153,433 males and 720,392 females. The younger set belonging to the zero to 14 years age bracket is 25.8% of the total population, with 348,816 males and 321,565 females. The older generation, belonging to the 65 years and above age group, represents just 2% of the population with 25,443 males and 25,979 females, according to the 2011 estimates.

Median Age
Of the total population, the median age is 28.5 years, with 29.8 years for the males. According to the 2011 estimates, the median age for women in Kuwait is 23.6 years.

Birth and Death Rates
Based on the 2011 calculations the birth rate is estimated to be 21.32 live births per 1,000 inhabitants while the death rate is 2.11.

Sex Ratio
Male births are slightly dominant in Kuwait. Out of the total population, based on estimated figures for 2011, there are 1.54 males for every female. Breaking it down, at birth there are 1.047 males/female, while at the under-15 age group, there are 1.04 males for every female. It increases slightly in the 15 to 64 and the 65 and over age groups, with 1.79 males/female and 1.65 males/female, respectively.

Infant Mortality Rate
There is a low level of infant mortality rate in Kuwait. The average for the total population is 8.07 deaths for every 1,000 live births. By gender, there are 7.76 deaths for male infants for every 1,000 live births. It is slightly higher with the females, estimated to be 8.39 deaths for every 1,000 children born alive.

Life Expectancy at Birth
For the total population, life expectancy average is 77.09 years. The females outlive the males slightly with 78.3 years, based on the 2011 calculations. For the males the life expectancy average is 75.95 years.

HIV/AIDS
Religion and tradition play a majority role in the prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS in Kuwait. Although there were about 479 identified HIV positive carriers in Kuwait since the first reported case in 1984, these people have already been deported. The adult prevalence of HIV/AIDS, according to the 2001 estimates is only 0.1%, and there have been no reported cases of people living or dying with HIV/AIDS in the country.

Ethnic Groups
Although the majority of residents of the country is dominated by Kuwaitis at 45%, there are other Arabs living in Kuwait, comprising about 35%. There are also 9% Asian groups in the country. Iranians comprise about 4% of the population while other small ethnic groups represent 7% of the population.

Religions
Islam is the official religion and followed by 85% of the population. Some 70% follow Sunni Islam while about 30% are followers of Shi’a Islam. Other religions in Kuwait include Hindu, Parsi and Christian religions, which is followed by about 15% of the population due to its multicultural diversity.

Languages
The official language in Kuwait is Arabic while English is widely spoken and commonly used in the conduct of business.

Literacy
Kuwaitis are highly literate, with 93.9% of the population age 15 and over able to write and read. Literacy is at a high of 94.4% for the males and about 91% for he women in the country. The average number of years spent in school by students in Kuwait is 12.

:: References ::
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ku.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwait
http://www.emro.who.int/publications/emhj/0102/11.htm
http://www.1website.com/c_t1_index/c_t1_index.html

Geography of Kuwait: Important Geographical Information about Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is roughly the size of New Jersey. Almost triangular in shape, its total land area measures about 17,818 square kilometers. It is located in the far northwestern section of the Persian Gulf or the Arabian Gulf. East to west, Kuwait measures about 170 kilometers while north to south it is about 200 kilometers.
Kuwait is one of the smallest countries in the world, but also one of the richest. It ranks second to Qatar in terms of GDP per capita. It is located 29° 30’ 0” north of the Equator and 45° 45’ 0” east of Greenwich.

Kuwait is bordered on the east by the Persian Gulf for 195 kilometers. It shares a long land border, measuring 250 kilometers with Saudi Arabia on its south and west sides. The northern and some western parts of Kuwait share a border with Iraq. Their shared border is 240 kilometers long.

The shared border with Saudi Arabia was formally set with the signing of the 1922 Treaty of Al Uqayr that defined the 5,700 square kilometer-neutral zone between the two nations. In 1966 the two countries agreed that the neutral zone is to be divided between them and each country will be responsible for the full administration of their portion, with a formal agreement signed at the end of 1969. However the offshore and onshore oil fields, the general resources of the area, in what is now called the divided zone are mutually and equally shared by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

The border Kuwait shares with Iraq has been tightly contested. However, after Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent liberation of Kuwait with the help of Allied troops led by the United States in 1991, the United Nations Security Resolution 687 once again formally demarcated the border between the two countries based on the agreements made in 1963, although Iraq still refuses to accept the border demarcation.

Kuwait includes nine gulf islands in its territory. The islands of Bubiyan, the largest of the islands and Warbah are uninhabited but are strategically located, that is why Iraq wanted these islands annexed to them. Bubiyan was converted into a military base by the Allied forces when Iraq invaded Kuwait. It is connected to the mainland by a concrete bridge that is 2,380 meters long. Faylakah, a densely populated island on the other hand is believed to be the site of the ancient civilization of Dilmun. Present-day Bahrain was the center of the Dilmun civilization. A Greek temple believed to be built by Alexander the Great can be found on the island of Faylakah. The rest of the other islands are uninhabited.

Kuwait Bay, a naturally deep harbor indenting the shoreline of Kuwait for about 40 kilometers naturally shelters the port of Kuwait. It is also about half the size of the total length of the shoreline of Kuwait.

Climate
Typical of most Arab States, Kuwait also has a desert climate, which is regularly dry and hot. Rainfall in Kuwait varies, ranging from 75 to 150 millimeters annually. There are times however when rainfall can be as low as 25 millimeters and go up as high as 325 millimeters. Average daily temperature ranges from 107.6 °F to about 114.9 °F, with 124.7 °F the highest recorded temperature so far. Kuwait has a very long summer, characterized by dust storms normally occurring in June and July. Around October, when the summer season is ending, some thunderstorms can occur. November is the start of the winter season and the temperature can drop to about 37.4 °F in the evening, while the temperature during the day is normally in the upper 68 °F range. The occurrence of frost is rare in Kuwait but there can be rain during spring, which starts in March.

Terrain
Physically, the terrain of Kuwait is generally low and flat, with the highest elevation only rising up to 306 meters. Most of the Arabian Desert covers the State of Kuwait. Underneath the sandy desert are limestone formations, the source of the oil deposits. Kuwait has some of the richest oil fields in the world. While part of the land is arable, the country lack ample supply of water for irrigation. Most of the oil deposits are located in the north and west of the country underneath the layers of gravel, sand, clay and silt on top of the limestone.

Water Source
In 1960 a freshwater aquifer was discovered in the western side of Ar Rawdatayn and this became the main source of fresh water supply in Kuwait. Although the water is not enough to supply the irrigation needs of the country, it became an important source to supplement the distilled water supply of Kuwait. Another aquifer that is being exploited is the one located at the Ash Shuaybah field found along the eastern and southern part of the capital city, Kuwait although the water here is brackish.

:: References ::
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwait
http://www.mongabay.com/history/kuwait/kuwait-kuwaitgeography_.html

Information about the Kuwaiti Flag: Colors and Meaning of the Flag of Kuwait

The flag of the State of Kuwait has a black trapezoid on the hoist side and three horizontal stripes of equal size. The topmost stripe is green, the middle one is white and the bottom stripe is red. These colors are traditional Pan-Arab colors that many Gulf States use. The Kuwaiti national flag was adopted in September 7, 1961. It was first flown on November 24, 1961. There are rules to be followed when hanging the Kuwaiti flag. When it is hung vertically, the green stripe should be on the right side. When flying the flag, the green stripe should be on top.

Although the Pan Arab colors have meanings of their own, the meaning of the colors of the Kuwaiti national flag was based on Safie Al-Deen Al-Hali’s poem which reads:

“White are our deeds,
Black are our battles,
Green are our lands,
Red are our swords.”

The Pan Arab colors, traditionally symbolizes the following:

Black for the defeat of the enemies of the country;
Green is the symbol of the fertile lands;
Red represents the blood shed by the enemies, and
White is the symbol of purity.

Still, there are other color meanings that are attributed to the colors of the national flag of Kuwait. One set of meanings states that black means determination and defeat of the enemies. Red symbolizes bravery, strength, valor and gallantry. White is for purity and honor while red symbolizes the blood of the defeated enemies of the country. Green is for the fertile fields in Kuwait. In another set of meanings, the green is for the meadows, red means gallantry; white is for honor and black for the sand whirled by the horsemen of Kuwait.

The dimension of the flag is 1:2.

:: References ::
http://www.mapsofworld.com/flags/kuwait-flag.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Kuwait
http://www.world-free-printable-flags.com/kuwait-flag-meaning-symbolism.html

Extensive List of Languages of Kuwait: Spoken and Extinct Languages

Arabic, Gulf Spoken
[afb] 500,000 in Kuwait (1986). Alternate names: Khaliji. Dialects: Kuwaiti Hadari Arabic. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Arabic, Standard
[arb] Middle East, North Africa. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, Central, South, Arabic

Mehri
[gdq] 14,400 in Kuwait (2000). Scattered individuals. Alternate names: Mahri. Classification: Afro-Asiatic, Semitic, South, South Arabian

:: Reference ::
Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/

Famous Kuwaiti People: Kuwaiti Artists, Scientists, Leaders, Musicians, Politicians and Athletes

Despite its small size the State of Kuwait has several notable personalities that placed their country on the world map, outside of the fact the Kuwait has one of the richest oil deposits. The vision of the Emirs to use the country’s wealth to benefit the citizens of Kuwait, giving them access to free educations and scholarships for further studies, and their more cosmopolitan outlook have contributed to a wide range of fields that several Kuwaitis excelled in.

:: List of Famous People from Kuwait ::

Ahmad Ajab
Ahmad Ajab is a Kuwaiti soccer player. He was born in the capital city of Kuwait on May 13, 1984. He is a striker and currently plays for Al-Qadisia after moving from his first club, Al-Sahel. He has established himself as the top goal scorer in Kuwait in 2007 after joining his new club. He was called up to play with the national team and promptly scored a hat trick during his debut with a game against Lebanon. Ahmad Ajab is trying to be the top scorer in the world and aims to one be hailed as the best player of the year in Asia.

Ahmad Meshari Al-Adwani
Born in 1923, Ahmad Meshari Al-Adwani was a teacher and poet. He was the one who wrote the lyrics of Al-Nasheed Al-Watani, the national anthem of Kuwait. He established several magazines during his lifetime, and collaborated with Dr. Abdulaziz Hussein, his long-time friend. Together then designed, founded and implemented various social and cultural programs that paved the way for the education, artistic and social knowledge not only of the people of Kuwait but also other people in the Gulf States. Notable among the institutions they have established are the Department of Arabian Literature, the Department of Musical Culture and the Fine Arts Gallery of Kuwait. Ahmad Meshari Al-Adwani died in 1990, leaving behind tons of unedited scripts and poems, all of them unpublished.

Thuraya Al-Baqsami
Thuraya Al-Baqsami is a female artist who had gained international recognition for her numerous art works. She was a bronze medal awardee of the Kuwaiti Society of Formative Arts in 1971 and got the Golden Palm Leaf award in 1989 from the GCC (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf) Biennale in Riyadh and again in 1992 in Doha. She also worked on the book entitled the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Liberte 98 received praise from the former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Also in 1987 and 1992, she was the first prize winner in the Kuwait National Museum Exhibit. The United Buddy Bears of Kuwait were designed by her.

Jaber III al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah
Sheikh Jaber III al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, born on June 29, 1926 served as Kuwait’s Minister of Finance and Economy from 1961 to 1965 and was appointed as Prime Minister. He became the Emir on December 31, 1977 up to his demise in 2006.

While he was the Minister of Finance, he was responsible for the circulation of Kuwait’s new dinar. He also established the Currency Board of Kuwait and became the inaugural chairman of Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development. He held that position for two years, from 1962 up to 1964. The Fund was able to extend loans to eight countries and provided aid to five countries. As the Prime Minister was also instrumental in the establishment of the Fund for Future Generations, wherein ten percent of Kuwait’s total oil revenues are invested for future generations when oil resources have been exhausted.

Faisal Al-Dahkil
Kuwaiti footballer Faisal Al-Dhakil was born on August 13, 1957. He plays for the Al-Qadsiya football club. He was called up to the national team for the 1980 Asian Cup, where Kuwait won also represented Kuwait in the 1980 Summer Olympics. His shining moment came when he scored a goal against Czechoslovakia in their game during the FIFA World Cup held in Spain in 1982.

Jasem Mohammed Ibrahim Al Huwaidi
Jasem Mohammed Ibrahim Al Huwaidi was born on October 28, 1972 in the capital city of Kuwait. He is now a retired soccer player but he had several awards during his football playing days. He was called up to the national football team and helped Kuwait to reach the FIFA ranking of 24. He was a silver medalist in the Asian Games, has two Gulf Cups and was third placer in the Arab Cup. He represented Kuwait in Barcelona Summer Olympics in 1992. Al Huwaidi was the top goal scorer in the world in 1998.

Nasser Al-Kharafi
Nasser Al-Kharafi, born on June 17, 1943 was a businessman and chairman of M.A. Kharafi & Sons which has various commercial and industrial holdings locally and internationally in different fields. He died on April 17, 2011. As of 2011 his net worth was estimated to amount to $10.4 billion, making him the 77th richest man on earth. He has shares in Americana, National Bank of Kuwait, Mobile Telecommunications Co., and operates several US fast food chains such as TGI Fridays, Hardees, Krispy Kreme, Pizza Hut and Kentucky Fried Chicken. His financial portfolio is very diverse, showing stakes in oil and water resources and management, telecommunications and in power and energy. Their company’s business interests are also in Syria, South Africa and Egypt. Their group built the Ghalib International Marina port in Egypt.

Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah
Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, born in 1930, was from the Al-Sabah family’s Al-Salim branch. Held several government positions including being the President of the Police and Public Service Department for one year; then served as the Minister of the Interior for 17 years, during which time he served as the Minister of Defense, too. He became the Crown Prince on January 31, 1978 and served as the Prime Minister of Kuwait from February 1978 up to July 2003.

He has the one of the shortest reigns as an Emir, which lasted from January 15 to 24 in 2006, totaling nine days. He was suffering fro colon disease and there were speculations about his health and in him accepting the position, which was vacated by the death of Sheikh Jaber. After family consultations he was forced to abdicate and then Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah took over as Emir.

Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
Sheikh Sabah IV Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the concurrent and 15th Emir of Kuwait. He was born on June 16, 1929, coming from the main line of the Al-Sabah family. He is particularly interested in developing the tourism industry in Kuwait. He is a modern thinker and a strong advocate of the rights of Arab women. He has repealed the law against public gatherings and passed a law for increased press freedom in Kuwait, the strongest law for freedom of the press in the whole Gulf States and increased the number of licenses available for people wanting to establish private newspapers and broadcast stations. At the same time, the Sheikh also increased the annual stipend of the family from $25 million to $188 million.

Abdullah Abdul Latif Al Othman
Abdullah Abdul Latif Al Othman, born in 1895 was a well-loved businessman. He was one of the first people who settled in Hawalli, and was well-known for being generous in giving help to the poor people in Hawalli and the surrounding regions and in 1930 established the Al Othman School together with his brothers. He built a mosque in Hawalli in 1958 and a few others in Lebanon. Zakat Al Othman, the largest and the most popular charity in the Islamic world was established by him. A street in Hawalli was named after Abdullah Abdul Latif Al Othman who died in 1965.

Ema Shah
Ema Shah, sometimes spelled as Emma Shah was born on June 7, 1981. She’s a very popular artist, well known for her activism, her radical views and her eccentricity. Ema Shah dons many hats. She is a musician, singer, composer, writer, dancer, guitarist, pianist, theater actress and director and a puppeteer. She is president and founding member of Anthropology, an artist group composed of actors from different nationalities. They perform shows and concerts in different languages. She recently (2011) starred in a short film with sexual allusions entitled Mooz, which translates to Banana. The film won the Dubai International Film Festival jury prize.

Fathi Kamel Marzouq
Fathi is one of Kuwait’s most talented soccer players during the 70s and 80s. He was born in 1955. He was instrumental in Kuwait winning the Asian Cup in 1980 and represented his country in the Summer Olympics in 1980. He was with the Kuwait national football team in 1982 and help his team qualify for the World Cup via a goal he scored against New Zealand. Fathi was considered as the secret weapon of his team.

Yousuf Saleh Alyan
Yousuf Saleh Alyan was the founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of Kuwait Times Daily, the first daily and English-language newspaper in the Gulf. He was also one of the founders of Kuwait Journalists Association, which he chaired from 1978 to 1985 and in 1990 up to 1992. He was also the editor-in-chief for two years of the Al-Fajir Al-Jadeed newspaper after the Gulf War.

Born on September 12, 1932, he was once of the few Kuwaitis who went to Europe. He studied in London and earned a degree in economics in 1955. He was fluent in Arabic, English, Italian, Persian and French. After graduation he became a diplomatic agent in France for the government of Saudi Arabia before going back to Kuwait and founding the Kuwait Times Daily.

Abdallah Al Rowaishid
Abdallah Al Rowaishid is a singer and songwriter born in 1961. He has released more than 30 albums already and has a following in most of the Arab States. In 1973, at the age of 12 he formed his own group, Al Roba’y, together with his brother and two close friends. For seven years they became very popular in the Persian Gulf, He went solo when the group disbanded in 1979. He collaborated with poets and composers for his albums, the first of which was released in the 1980s, together with a music video for one of the tracks from the album, a first for an Arab singer. He temporarily relocated to Egypt when Iraq invaded Kuwait and collaborated with Mohamed Abdelwaheb, a famous Egyptian singer. He has become known internationally, having participated in several concerts in Canada and the United States.

Zed Al Refai
Zed Al Refai, popularly called Zeddy is a mountain climber born on October 28, 1966. He is the 46th person to climb the seven highest summits in seven continents. He is also the first Arab to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Zed Al Refai is a well-traveled man since he was a young boy, having spent his childhood in Finland and attended different universities in the United States, enrolling in educational institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida. He spend his holidays in the Pacific Northwest, Nepal, New England and the Rocky Mountains in the US. He is currently serves as the Arabian Mountaineering and Alpine Climbing Club director to popularize mountain climbing in the Arab States.

He conquered Mount Denali or Mount McKinley in Alaska in 1999. The following year he climbed the Castensz Pyramid in Indonesia and Mount Elbrus in Russia. That was followed with Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa in 2001. In 2003 he successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal. It was the Vinson Massif in Antarctica and Mount Aconcagua in Argentina in 2004. In 2005 he reached the summit of the last of the seven highest summits, Mount Kosciuszko, part of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, Australia. Al Refai has also climbed Cho Oyu in 2005. It is the sixth highest mountain in the world and located in Tibet, in the border between China and Nepal.

Mojeb al-Dousari
Mojeb al-Dousari, born in 1921 was considered the greatest draftsman and artist in Kuwait’s history and was regarded as the founder of portrait art in the Arab region. He was in high school when he started to study painting and spent five years in Egypt beginning in 1945 to study decorative arts before studying for two years at the Liverpool Academy of Arts and Chelsea School of Art in England in 1950 and 1951. He was the one who launched the first art gallery in Kuwait and painted over 300 landscapes and portraits depicting Kuwaiti culture. Members of the ruling family and other Kuwaiti personalities own most of his works. Mojeb al-Dousari died in 1956 at the age of 36.

Dr. Tareq Mohammed Al-Suwaidan
Dr. Al-Suwaidan was born on November 23, 1953. He is a popular Islamic author, a speaker, and entrepreneur. He is world-renown for his motivational speaking, television appearances and his management and strategic planning training sessions. He was trained in classic Islamic sciences when he was younger and received his university and masters and doctorate degrees from the Penn State University and the University of Tulsa in petroleum and natural gas engineering.

:: Reference ::
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