Kuwait
Asia · Kuwait City · KW
Kuwait is the small, wealthy state of the north-west corner of the Gulf, a modern city-state whose glass towers and shopping avenues rise along the seafront beside the deep blue of the bay. The capital spreads its gleaming districts and its markets across the flat coastal plain, and the culture of the country, from the wooden dhow boats of the old trade to the desert camps and the falconry of the inland sands, preserves the memory of the pearl and the sail that built the early fortunes. The towers of the water, the emblem of the modern state, the great mosques and the museums of the capital hold the proud story of the nation, while the islands of the bay, from the Failaka with its ruins to the desert of the northern plain, give the country its wider span. Clean, safe and surprisingly green in the winter, Kuwait is the quiet, overlooked corner of the Gulf.
Overview
Kuwait is a country in Asia. Its capital is Kuwait City and the international dialling code is +965. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include Arabic. Local currency is the Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD). Our guide covers 1 airport, including Kuwait International Airport. We also list 1 city in Kuwait: Kuwait City.
The Towers of the Water and the Seafront of the Capital
The towers of the water of the capital, the three slender columns with their spheres that rise beside the Gulf, are the best-loved emblem of the modern country, and the main tower holds the viewing deck and the revolving restaurant with the panorama over the whole city and the sea. The seafront of the capital, the long corniche with its beaches, its promenades and its marina districts, runs the leisure life of the city, from the families of the evening to the sailing and the fishing of the weekend, and the mosques and the skyscrapers of the skyline frame the setting. The modern districts of the city, with their malls and their restaurants, give the whole an easy, prosperous feel, and the old quarter of the city, with its restored houses and its markets, holds the memory of the town of the merchants and the pearls.
The Souq of the Mubarakiya and the Old Life of the Town
The old market of the Mubarakiya, the historic souq at the edge of the old town, is the liveliest and the most atmospheric place in the country, and its covered lanes sell the fruits, the spices, the perfumes, the dates and the gold of the Gulf trade under the corrugated roofs of its old stalls. The cafes and the restaurants of the market, from the breakfast houses of the early morning to the grills and the shawarma of the evening, are the great meeting point of the old life of the town, and the surrounding restored quarter, with its mud-brick walls and its old courtyard houses, gives the sense of the small walled town that the capital once was. The museum of the capital, in the old palace of the sheikh, tells the story of the merchants, the pearls and the founding of the state.
The Desert of the North and the Camps of the Dunes
The desert of the country, the flat gravel plains that run north toward the borders of the region, is the traditional world of the Bedouin, and the camps of the national weekend, the tents and the 4x4 camps of the families and the young people of the city, spread across the dunes with their fires, their barbecues and their skies full of stars. The falconry of the country, the ancient art of the hunters of the desert, is preserved in the centres and the competitions of the region, and the drives of the northern plains, to the border areas and the old frontier posts of the region, give the visitor the sense of the vast, empty interior beyond the coastal city. The desert of the winter, cool and green with the rains, is a surprisingly beautiful escape from the concrete of the coast.
The Islands of the Failaka and the History of the Gulf
The bay of the country holds the islands of the Failaka, the small, flat island of the pre-oil history that carried the settlements of the Dilmun traders and later the Greeks of the colony of the Ikaros, and the ruins and the archaeological sites of the island tell the deep history of the Gulf trade. The museum of the island, with its finds of the seals, the pottery and the coins, and the remains of the Greek temple and the fort of the Portuguese era, make the island a living archive of the region, and the ferries of the modern day run the visitors out for the day trips from the mainland. The beaches and the clear water of the island give it the added attraction of the swimming and the picnics. It is the history lesson of the country, set in the blue of the bay.
The Museums of the Capital and the Story of the Nation
The cultural life of the capital runs through the museums of the country, and the great museum of the Kuwait with its heritage halls, its dioramas and its collections of the boats, the houses and the everyday objects of the old life tells the story of the town before the discovery of the oil. The museums of the modern and the traditional art, the galleries of the private collections and the scientific centres of the capital fill out the modern cultural scene, and the Islamic heritage, the mosques, the calligraphy and the crafts of the region, is spread through the displays. The theatres and the concert halls of the city, with their serious programmes, complete the picture of a small state with an outsized ambition for the culture. The visitor finds a proud, quietly confident society.
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- Capital
- Kuwait City
- Currency
- Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD)
- Languages
- Arabic
- Calling code
- +965
- Internet TLD
- kw
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Kuwait.
Airports (1)
All airports →Cities (1)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Kuwait?
Kuwait City is the capital of Kuwait, and the country sits in Asia.
What currency is used in Kuwait?
You pay with Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) in Kuwait. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Kuwait?
The languages we list for Kuwait are Arabic. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Kuwait?
The dialling code for Kuwait is +965 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which airports serve Kuwait?
Kuwait International Airport (KWI) in Kuwait City is the airport we cover for Kuwait.
Which cities in Kuwait do you cover?
Our guide lists 1 city for Kuwait: Kuwait City (capital).