Kuwait City

Kuwait is a country in Western Asia. Situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, it shares borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia. As of 2016, Kuwait has a population of 4.5 million people: 1.3 million are Kuwaitis and 3.2 million are expatriates. Expatriates account for 70% of the population.

Oil reserves were discovered in commercial quantities in 1938. From 1946 to 1982, the country underwent large-scale modernization. In the 1980s, Kuwait experienced a period of geopolitical instability and an economic crisis following the stock market crash. In 1990, Kuwait was invaded, and later annexed, by Saddam's Iraq. The Iraqi occupation of Kuwait came to an end in 1991 after military intervention by a military coalition led by the United States. Kuwait is a major non-NATO ally of the United States. It is also a major ally of ASEAN, while maintaining a strong relationship with China.

Kuwait is a constitutional sovereign state with a semi-democratic political system. Kuwait has a high-income economy backed by the world's sixth largest oil reserves. The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest valued currency in the world. According to the World Bank, the country has the fourth highest per capita income. The Constitution was promulgated in 1962. Kuwait is home to the largest opera house in the Middle East. The Kuwait National Cultural District is a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network.

All the high buildings in Kuwait City were built in the last 15 years or so.

All pictures are © Dr. Günther Eichhorn, unless otherwise noted.

Kuwait City

Kuwait City skyline. (738k)

Kuwait City skyline. (681k)

Kuwait City skyline. (605k)

Kuwait City skyline with the Al Hamra Tower at the right. (625k)

Al Hamra Tower, the tallest sculpted tower in the world. (619k)

NBK Tower. (614k)

Kuwait highrise. (479k)

Fateh El-Kheir, a wooden deep water sailing ship, build in 1938, at the Scientific Center. (647k)

Sun Dial at the Scientific Center. You stand on the rectangle where the current date is marked and lift your arm up. The shadow points at the current time. (697k)

Rectangle with the positions for each month. I was there in December, which is at the bottom of the rectangle. (742k)

Some of the markers for the time. (966k)

Sun Dial in action. We were there at 10:00 and the arm's shadow pointed right at 10:00. (577k)

Marina Beach. (557k)

Kuwait Opera. (488k)

Kuwait Towers. (507k)

Monument at the entrance to Kuwait Towers. It says Kuwait in Arabic script. (655k)

View of Flow House Kuwait, a large-scale bayside water-park with colorful flumes, slides and pools, from Kuwait Towers. (726k)

This is what the first day looked like for most of the time: fog/haze till afternoon. (629k)

Al Ahmadi water towers. (608k)

Flower beds were everywhere in Al Ahmadi. Utility poles were decorated in Kuwait national colors for a national holiday. (1081k)

Traffic was at times very heavy. (556k)

Fishing in the city. (609k)

Cats were everywhere. People seem to be feeding them. There were no dogs on the streets. According to my guide they are not allowed and will be caught and disposed of if they run free. (484k)

There was an infestation of flies around the city, it was really bad. Fortunately they were not biting flies. (578k)

Opera House Fountain

The Opera House Fountainhas an elaborate water display every hour.

Opera House Fountain. (693k)

Opera House Fountain. (591k)

Opera House Fountain. (639k)

Opera House Fountain includes flames. (696k)

Opera House Fountain includes flames. (846k)

Opera House Fountain in action. (26M)

Reminder of the Iraqi invasion

All remnants of the destruction by the Iraqi invasion in 1990 have been removed a long time ago. Just one house has been left damaged as it was during the war. It is now the Al-Qurain Martyrs' Museum.

From the Al-Qurain District entry in Wikipedia:

On February 24, 1991, 19 young Kuwaiti men from the "Messila" resistance group had armed themselves and were preparing a strike against the invading Iraqi army. While the men were discussing their plan, an Iraqi patrol unit was in the area and eventually checked on one of the three houses in which the resistance group congregated. The two sides then engaged in a ten-hour battle. Heavily outnumbered and underarmed, the Kuwaiti men were eventually defeated by Iraqi tanks and soldiers. Of the nineteen men, seven were severely wounded and twelve died.