First: General Information
Location:
The state of Kuwait is located in the Middle East, in the Northern part of the Arab Peninsula (between latitudes 28o.30′ and 30o.06′ North to the equator and between longitudes 46o. 30′ and 48o.30′ East to Greenwich. It is bordered in the East by the Arabian Gulf, in the South and South-West by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and in the North and North-West by Iraq. Kuwait has several islands, the biggest of which is Bobyan, and the smallest is Failaka, which is distinguished with its ancient monuments, and is relatively inhabited.
Population:
The total number of population as per 2009 census was (3,440,000)
Area:
The total area of the State of Kuwait is 17,820 square kilometers, with a population density of about (139) per square kilometer.
Weather:
The weather of the State of Kuwait is tropical due to its location in the desert geographical region. The weather is distinguished with a long dry hot summer with temperature reaching sometimes up to 50oC in shadow areas and a short warm winter, mostly rainy.
Historical Background:
Since ancient ages, Kuwait was never void of inhabitants. Buried monuments revealed from time to time provide us with material proves of the same. The name “Kuwait” was known when Mohamed Bin Uraier (Emir of Bani Khaled Tribe) ordered one of his assistants to build a “Kuot” (an edifice) before about three hundred and fifty years, to use it as a store for weapons, ammunition and provisions whenever he wishes to invade the tribes of Iraq or stay in the area of Kuwait. When bin Uraier saw the building was smaller than he wanted, he reprimanded his assistant saying: (I told you to build a “Kuot” (edifice) and not a “Kuwait[1]” (small edifice)”. There from came the name.
The first to rule Kuwait form Al-Sabah Family, who are basically “Otoob”, dating back in origin to “Enza” troop, originally situated in “Najd”, is Sabah Bin Jaber or Sabah the First, who took over the rule in the middle of the eighteenth century.
The common feature among immigrants to Kuwait is their longing for freedom. They established their new society based on this concept, which indeed rooted freedom as a concept, and even made it one of the Kuwaiti characteristics.
Kuwait has a rough desert weather, which is not valid for agriculture, except for some little scattered oasis. Therefore, Kuwaitis aimed at the sea for living, where their ships sailed, and where they themselves dived for pearls till they became of its major traders. They traveled with their ships brimful of dates, rice, vegetables, grains, wood, dresses, and utensils, to East Africa, where they used to sell their staff and come back with different items. Ports of Basra, Aden, India, and East Coasts of Africa had known the Kuwaiti ships, which were considered as their window to the external world.
Due to its distinguished location, Kuwait formed a point of commercial exchange among countries, where goods used to be received from Iraq and Syria, and be re-exported to countries of the East, and East African Coasts.
This was a spot light on the political, historical and commercial background of the State of Kuwait, which we believe we should highlight to stress the fact that Kuwait’s glory dates back in history, and was made by sincere men, who introduced their sweat and blood to write its pages.
Oil was firstly discovered in 1938, and the first shipment was exported in 1946. Oil discovery was not the first brick in Kuwait economy. However, it came to complete and assist the long course of Kuwaiti people since their country was associated before about two hundred years, i.e. the flow of petrol did not change in the Kuwaiti style of life but as much as required by the natural graduation of change of time.
In view of this interlaced commercial past and present of the state of Kuwait, it was necessary to have rules and regulations to specify the basic systems for commercial business to run in conformity with the public interest of merchants and to regulate both their businesses and commercial relations. Such rules should also aim at serving the society through the development of its economic organizations and production activities. Further it should compile legislative and organizational texts related to commerce and its categorization. Such organization is what is known as the camber of commerce, which is tantamount to a union for business owners that takes over organizing their mutual interests, represents and defends them.
The establishment of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry was in pace with the world wide principle in this regard. The first chamber of commerce as per the current concept was established in France in the City of Marce in 1599, and the oldest chamber of commerce in the United States of America was situated in New York city, and was established in the year 1768. In the same year, the first chamber of commerce in Britain was established in the city of Jersey.
Commercial markets in the old Arab history knew some sort of commercial gatherings lead by persons widely known for their honesty and righteousness. These were known as Sheikhs of the market or Chief of the merchants (Shahbander) as they were used to be called at the time of the Ottoman rule. The British established the first Arabic Chamber of Commerce in Aden, during their occupation of Yemen. They also established a chamber of commerce in Alexandria. The chamber of Halab city was established as per the Turkish commercial law. Another chamber was also established in Basra, then in Jeddah and Bahrain. In Kuwait, the Chamber of Commerce was established in 1959 to be the third Chamber of Commerce in the GCC countries.
However, the nucleus of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry dates back to the year 1920, when the commercial committee was formed. This committee shouldered the settlement of commercial disputes, and their members were appointed by H.H. the Emir. Members of this committee were known as “Ahl Al-Salfa”, which means people capable of reasoning, i.e. arbitrators to settle disputes by reasoning to similar previous incidents.
In 1952, the municipal council investigated the issue of establishing a chamber of commerce. The tenth issue of the official gazette “Al-Kuwait Al-Yom” (Kuwait Today) stated that the Higher Executive Committee had, in its meeting of 12/2/1955 resolved under No. 77-51 the establishment of a chamber for commerce and industry through an Emir Decree by Law. The said decree by law was issued and was published in the official gazette “Kuwait Today” on 28/6/1959. The Chamber is considered as a Private Foundation of Public Interest, members of which are selected via election and finances itself from its own resources. On the first of May 1959, The Mubarakiya school witnessed the election of the first board of directors of the Chamber, with the attendance of 390 merchants out of the total number of 481, who paid the subscription fees.
Kuwait Chamber of Commerce is a private foundation of public interest that plays a guiding role, i.e. it does not possess an executive mechanism for imposing its decisions. If the executive body did not adopt the resolutions of the Chamber, they shall remain to be only mere consultative effort. This might satisfy the questions raised regarding the role of the chamber toward a lot of the economic problems and crises that took place in the past.
The sea shaped the past of Kuwait, and oil is shaping its present, but above that past and this present there was one master, who managed to subdue the waves of the see in the past, and the power of the oil in the present, free as ever been and as will always be, lightening the future with hope; it is the Kuwaiti national himself.
Ruling System:
The regime is Emiri Democratic, where Kuwait is a state of sovereignty and has it own institution, under the presidency of His Highness the Emir of the country. Laws of the State of Kuwait are legislated by the State Council known as “National Assembly” composed of fifty members elected via democratic elections by the Kuwaiti people every four years.
Chief of the State:
His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (Emir of the State of Kuwait) since 29 January 2006.
Crown Prince:
His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, since 7th of February 2006.
Independence:
19th of June 1961 upon the cancellation of the protectorate treaty with the United Kingdom.
National Day:
25th of February 1950, anniversary of inauguration of the late Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah after the late sheikh Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
Liberation Day:
26th February 1991, when Kuwait was liberated from the invasion of the extinct Iraqi regime.
Judicial System:
Civil Law.
Religion:
Islam is the official religion of the State. However, Christian nationals and expatriates enjoy full freedom of practicing their religious rites.
Language:
Arabic is the official language. English is widely spoken among most inhabitants. There is also few minorities speaking Indian, French and German.
Governorates:
Kuwait is administratively divided into six governorates; “The Capital, Hawally, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Al-Ahmadi, Al-Farwaniya and Al-Jahraa”.
Natural Resources:
Oil, natural gas, fish and shrimp.
Education:
Education represents the main core of integrated development. The government is keen to provide a seat for each individual in different educational phases. It also provides medical clinics for students. The number of students in the school year 2005/2006 was about (336,000), while the number of teachers was about (40,000).
Number of students registered in Kuwaiti University and Colleges of Applied Education in the year 2006 was about (4854), while the number of professors was about (2,387).
Health:
The government provides free integrated and advanced health services for nationals, and against fair charges for residents. The government constructed several hospitals and health care units furnished with physicians and specialists in different medical fields. The number of hospitals and health care units in 2008 was (15) hospitals and units, while the number of physicians was (4,784) and the number of beds (5,000).
Social Services:
The State of Kuwait is keen to render developed social care services in all fields, to provide better standard of living and deepen the feeling of social solidarity as well as shielding its citizens against instability, and hindering their positive reaction for serving themselves and their society. In the year 2009, governmental social aids for beneficiaries outreached K.D. 62 millions.
The government is also keen to provide care for people with special needs (handicapped), where it provides them with special schools, rehabilitating hospitals, and even residence for those in need of care round the clock. On the other hand, the government provides residence for those who lost their sustainer. The government is particularly interested in providing suitable housing for its citizens, where it provides housing units or plots with loans for building to its citizens.
International Organizations:
Kuwait is a member of the following international organizations:
ABEDA, AFDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, BDEAC,. CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WFIU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTRO.