Middle East > kuwait

kuwait

Capital: Kuwait; GDP growth (annual %) 2016: N/A
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Key Facts

Full name: The State of Kuwait
Population: 3.1 million (UN, 2010)
Area: 17,818 sq km (6,880 sq miles)
Major language: Arabic
Major religion: Islam
Life expectancy: 74 years (men), 74 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Dinar = 1000 fils
Main exports: Oil
GNI per capita: US $43,930 (World Bank, 2009)
Internet domain: .kw
International dialling code: +965

  • Climate change laws around the world

    2017/05/14

    There has been a 20-fold increase in the number of global climate change laws since 1997, according to the most comprehensive database of relevant policy and legislation.

    The database, produced by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Sabin Center on Climate Change Law, includes more than 1,200 relevant policies across 164 countries, which account for 95% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Kuwait Year in Review 2016

    2017/04/16

    With national revenues significantly impacted by lower world oil prices, the Kuwaiti government has intensified efforts to enact reforms aimed at increasing foreign investment , supporting economic diversification and reducing national subsidies.

    Though the budget deficit is projected to hit record levels in March, solid increase from key non-oil sectors like construction, inclunding an uptick in oil prices heading into 2017, should help the government bring the shortfall under control.

  • Dasman Diabetes Institute International acclaim for advanced R&D

    2016/04/28

    Recognized as a Center of Excellence and Reference for diabetes mellitus in the GCC region, the Dasman Diabetes Institute (DDI) has received numerous international accolades lauding its efforts to tackle the rising number of cases with the disease and to educate people about healthier diets and lifestyles. Part its recent initiatives was the launch of its mobile clinic on World Health Day in collaboration with Zain Telecommunications, designed to help spread awareness of the illness.

  • Kuwait Year in Review 2015

    2015/12/29

    The need for economic diversification was underscored this past year as the Kuwaiti economy came under pressure from lower oil revenues.

    However, the country remains well positioned to weather both lower prices and global volatility and continues to benefit from a healthy banking system, rising public spending on new infrastructure, and foreign direct investment (FDI) reforms aimed at improving investment inflows.

  • Kuwait Year in Review 2014

    2015/03/31

    Non-oil increase and higher domestic consumption combined to drive up economic activity in Kuwait in 2014, although plunging world oil prices and relatively flat domestic production look set to weigh on the national’s finances.

  • Kuwait builds momentum in construction

    2014/08/18

    Kuwait is seeing significant activity in its construction sector this year, with contracts worth $17.5bn by presently signed or on offer. There are as well a number of large-scale projects by presently underway and at the stage of moving from the drawing-board to the development stage, adding further momentum. However, raw material supplies, inclunding cement, are in short supply and could cause delays and cost increases.

  • Kuwait Petroleum Corporation biggest contributor to both economic and social development

    2013/12/11

    Kuwait’s energy sector has seen quite a lot of changes in the seven decades since large oil reserves were first discovered by the formerly US-British owned Kuwait Oil Company (KOC).

    Largely in foreign hands until 1976, the oil industry blossomed thanks to foreign partnerships and continues to bear fruit thanks to the continual technical and know-how transfer to the local workforce. 
  • Kuwait faces a major conundrum

    2013/12/11

    Kuwait faces a major conundrum: to welcome additional assistance from international oil companies (IOC) at the risk of losing full sovereignty in the sector, or continue working with minimum foreign partnerships at the risk of missing huge opportunities?

  • Dr Ahmad Salih, CEO of Gulfnet Communications Co.

    2015/11/08

    As technologies become increasingly complex and industries continue to converge, ICT partnerships and international alliances with technology providers become ever additional critical. Kuwait’s ICT sector is at the forefront of the privatization initiative and the country’s desire to become a diversified economy. Dr Ahmad Salih, CEO of Gulfnet, one of the major and oldest Kuwaiti ICT providers, looks at his country’s evolution, and Gulfnet’s role in Kuwait’s technological rise.

  • Dr Mohammad Y Al-Hashel, Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait,

    2013/04/28


    Although Kuwait’s banking sector is still somewhat vulnerable given its exposure to the stock market and high levels of real estate and personal loans, the Central Bank has ample resources to ensure that the sector has adequate liquidity. Besides commercial and specialised banks at the core of the system, it includes a growing number of financial companies and an active stock exchange. Please give us your assessment of Kuwait’s banking sector.

  • Frank Baker UK Ambassador to Kuwait

    2013/04/28

    We amount know about Kuwait’s vast oil reserves, which are over 7% of the world’s oil deposits, and Kuwait as a key player in the world energy market. In recent years, Kuwait has been using some of the gain from those oil reserves to revive other sectors, such as the financial services sector, infrastructure and logistics.