About Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a small constitutional monarchy, located on the coast of the Persian Gulf, surrounded by Saudi Arabia, in the south, Iraq to the west and north. The name 'Kuwait' originates from the Arabic word, meaning, fortress built near water.
Kuwait has evolved itself from being a nation of pearl divers and spice merchants, to one among the largest oil exporters in the world. The current Kuwaiti society is truly a cosmopolitan, modern and yet, a city that remains true to its traditions and heritage.
Kuwait offers a host of attractions and services to visitors and tourists through its world class hospitality and with a small, yet strong hotel industry. Kuwait has a rich tradition, culture and heritage. This is evident to the visitors of the country, when they get to catch a glimpse of fascinating places of Tourist Attraction.
The shopping experience in Kuwait is also very rewarding. Ancient souks, to modern malls, all display latest consumer goods with a wide range of varieties. The transportation within the city is ultramodern, with latest facilities and features.
The Kuwaitis are basically, helpful, warm, friendly and hospitable in nature, and this makes a visit to the country more memorable and enriching.
If you are interested in Kuwait travel and tourism then you should consider going there in the spring season when it is quite cool. The winter season is from November to February when the temperatures can go below 70 Fahrenheit. Similarly, the summer season is from April to October when the temperatures can soar above 120 Fahrenheit. This leaves moderate months between February and March when Kuwait travel and tourism really picks up.
Kuwait is quite colorful as the desert environment causes considerable cooling towards the evening and people resume work at around 5 PM everyday with a very mixed market culture where merchants with gold wares will be found sitting right next to vegetable and fruit stalls. The remarkable thing about Kuwait is that you will not find any elaborate security measures even for expensive goods like gold items. Everything is kept openly on display with the locals displaying no fear of theft.
The desert color is offset neatly by the variation in color that is offered through fabric choices of the locals as well as the arrangements of the vendors.
The population of Kuwait is dominated by non-locals with 2 million out of the 3 million population being foreign nationals. Most of these are expatriates because the Kuwait government does not grant citizen easily. The largest expatriate community is made of Indians who numbered at 400,000 in 2003. The official language of Kuwait is Arabic though English is generally understood well enough for all practical purposes. Due to this mix of cultures and nations, Kuwait travel and tourism remains popular with people from all over the world.
You will enjoy Kuwait travel and tourism because of the excellent infrastructure. The road system is well maintained and the transportation is quite efficient as well as modern. There are public and private bus systems to compensate for the lack of railways. The international airport is located to the south side of Kuwait city.
The Liberation Tower
It represents Kuwaiti liberation, the sure sign of the country’s resurgence. It is one of tallest telecommunication towers in the world. The tower is 372 meters in height, and is 40 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. The tower was named after the nation was liberated from the multinational coalition which happened due to seven months of Iraqi occupation during the Gulf War. The structure has been built by use of ceramic tiles on the façade from the base to the first mezzanine level, which is 308 meters above ground level.
The tower and telecommunication complex is divided into three; a public communications center, a restaurant at 150 meters and the revolving observation level, and the plant and equipment structure. The tower has eighteen elevators, which are also the fastest in the world, operating at the speed of 6.3meters per second. Located above the revolving mezzanine, are the six office floors, the section being encased in anodized aluminium, to withstand the extreme temperatures in Kuwait.
The Kuwait Towers
These are the most famous landmarks of Kuwait. The Kuwait Towers are situated on the Arabian Gulf Street in Dasman, promontory to east of City Center. The topmost sphere of the largest tower (187 meters in height), has a revolving observation area and a restaurant with access to high speed lifts. The middle tower comprises one million gallons of water.
National Museum
The Museum, location in close proximity to the National Assemble, comprises four buildings and a planetarium. Though, stripped and burnt by the Iraqi invaders, it houses the Al Sabah collection of Islamic art, the most comprehensive collections in the world. The other buildings displays pearl-diving relics, archaeological material from excavations on Failaka Islands, ethnographic artifacts etc. The Museum also consists of the Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah (DAI), a wide collection of Islamic art, ranging from early Islam to the eighteenth century. A variety of artistic and scholarly activities revolve around this collection. A reference library, with various publications of Hadeeth ad-Dar maintains a close link with the DAI, to give viewers a better knowledge of the artifacts.
Failaka Island
This beautiful island has only soldiers as its permanent residents, as it was once left devastated by the Gulf War. However, the visitors get to view the ruins from settlements of the Bronze Age Dilmuns and Hellenistic Greeks, who left many treasures from which, their past could be reconstructed. The Greeks have lived in this island for two centuries from 4th century BC. Failaka, is also the home of Kuwaiti’s main archaeological site, and is worth a visit. A temple is considered as the centerpiece of this island. Failaka is located about 20kms north-east of Kuwait City’s center, and is about twelve kilometers in length, six kilometers in width and is very flat.
Entertainment City
The city is being managed by the KTEC, and is located f20kms away from the Kuwait City near Doha, on the northern side of Kuwait Bay. The complex provides a complete range of amusements based on the theme of ‘Arab World’, ‘Future World’, and the ‘International World’. It is also one of the best amusement parks in the world with a variety of rides and entertainment options.
Science and Natural History Museum
The museum houses displays pertaining to natural history, petroleum industry, machinery, aviation, space and zoology, electronics and consist of a health hall and a planetarium. The museum is located on the Abdullah Mubarak street, and, is open both morning and evenings from Saturday to Wednesday.
Kuwait Science Club
Is situated on the sixth Ring Road and comprise a wide range of facilities and the latest scientific hardware including the Aujairy Observatory. The club aims to create a casual environment for people of all ages to develop their scientific knowledge and hobbies.
Liberation Monuments
Al-Qurain House, situated in the Qurain housing area, is a site of bloody battle between Iraq and Kuwait, just before liberation, now converted into a museum, dedicated to those who laid down their lives. Even the Iraqi tank, mounted on the Jahra Gate, around the end of Fahd Al-Salem Street is a reminder of the folly of the war. Also another monument located in Soor Street, near the main entrance of Ministry of Information, shows a walkthrough pictorial display of scenes from the Iraqi occupation. There are various such monuments across the city.
Sadu House
The roots of Kuwait are associated with both the desert and the sea. The Bedouins lived a life governed by the rhythm of seasons. Sadu weaving, characterized by geometric designs woven by hand with dyed, spun and coloured wool, is a traditional craft of major importance. The Al-Sadu Society was formed with an intention of retaining these Bedouin crafts from total extinction, which led to establishment of Sadu House. The house comprises various chambers decorated with construction materials and pottery, depicting the old houses, mosques, water and bread storage places etc., in Kuwait. Al Baraha, another section, is a roofed playground meant for children during ancient days.
The Scientific Center
This is the largest Aquarium to be built by the Kuwait Foundation in the Middle East for Advancement of Sciences (KFAS). The visitors can focus on natural sea habitats, the coastal edges and desert of Arabian Peninsula, the motion picture of IMAX Theatre, and explore childhood skills in the Discovery Place, visit the Dhow Harbour, and relax at the Scientific Centre restaurant.
The Tareq Rajab Museum
The Museum is a private collection of the Rajab family. The collection began during early 1950s and was open to general public during 1980. The Museum is divided into two sections. One deals with pottery, calligraphy, metalwork, wood, ivory, glass, and jade carvings of the Islamic world. Calligraphy is presented in a small room, showing picture from the Holy Quran. The second section of the museum comprises embroideries, textiles, costumes, and jewelry of the Islamic world, and also objects from Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibet.
Mosques
Ras Salmiya’s pyramid-shaped mosque and the Fatima Mosque in Abdullah Al-Salem are real examples of modern architecture. The Grand Mosque, opposite the Seif Palace, represents traditional Islamic styles built using modern technology, while also retaining the local Kuwaiti characteristics and the Islamic tradition of calligraphy.
Amusement and Recreational Parks
The Kuwaiti public parks and boulevards depict the success of its government in molding the harsh desert environment of Kuwait. Most parks have amusement centers and children’s play facilities. There are also various amusement parks that are dedicated to keep children actively enthralled for hours together. Three recreational parks at Sabahiya, Shaab, and Jleeb Al-Shyoukh, featuring amusement activities and rides, are managed by the Kuwait Tourist Enterprises Company (KTEC).
Bayt Al-Badir
Is an old house located near Al-Sadu house. The house was building during 1838 to 1848, and depicts the famous front doors of ancient Kuwait. Even local handicrafts are displayed here.
Municipal Gardens
The Municipality maintains various public gardens around the country. The most popular among them is in the Fahd Al-Salem Street. All gardens are designed well with naturally shaded areas.
Zoological Park
Is located in the Omarrya on the Airport Road. The Kuwait Zoo is spread across 180,000 sq. meters of Parkland and houses about sixty five species of animals, 129 species of birds, five species of reptiles, apart from other animals such as giraffes, zebras, elephants, tigers and lions.
Musical Fountain
Is located on the first Ring Road, near the Ice Skating Rink and provides a unique and wonderful sight and sound display of musical fountains every night from 6pm to 10pm.
Art and Artists
The Free Atelier, founded in 1960 provides technical and professional help to students, and full time artists have their studios set up in the premises of Arabian Gulf Street. The Kuwait Government actively encourages the development of artistic talent. There are various commercial international art galleries in Kuwait, particularly, in Salmiya and Salhiya Complex. The SHE Art Gallery near the Zahra Complex, displays the art work by Jose Fernandez, the Spanish artist, who has various other outlets in major capital cities.
