The State of Kuwait, more commonly called simply Kuwait, is an Arab emirate located in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and ruled as an Arab emirate. The large oil reserves of Kuwait (estimated by some to be the fifth largest reserves in the entire world) have brought it tremendous wealth and helped this emirate become an important part of the global economy.
For many people, Kuwait is best known as the country invaded by Iraq in 1990, an action that led to the Gulf War and military action by the United States and a host of other allied countries. As a result of this invasion and subsequent war, most of Kuwait’s infrastructure was completely destroyed and the country suffered tremendous environmental damage after over 770 of its oil wells were set on fire by the Iraqi army as it retreated.
Kuwait is a very small country in terms of land (about 6,800 square miles) but it is home to one of the best deep water sea ports in the Gulf. This, as well as its large oil reserves, has helped to make Kuwait prosperous in many ways. It is home to over 3 million people; however, it is estimated that as many as 2 million of those people are non-Kuwaiti citizens who are in the country as workers or ex-pats.
Culturally, Kuwait is an Islamic country but it is not as strict about its rules and social norms as other Middle Eastern countries. Many people still choose to wear traditional Arabic dress, but it is perfectly acceptable to dress in Western-style clothing as well. It is most common to see the youth of Kuwait choosing Western styles the majority of the time.
Although the Gulf War was a terrible blow to Kuwait, in the years since that time it has undergone an aggressive effort to rebuild, which has led to Kuwait having some of the most modern and state of the art infrastructure in the Middle East.
Top industries and employers in Kuwait
The top industries in Kuwait include the following:
- Oil and Natural Gas
- Banking and Financial Services
- IT/Telecoms
- Construction
Within these various industries and areas there are a number of top employers, such as:
- Banking and Financial Services – National Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait International Bank, Kuwait Finance House, Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait Investment Company, Kuwait Financial Center, Al-Aman Investment Company, Commercial Bank of Kuwait
- Oil and Natural Gas – The National Industries Group, Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company, Ikarus Petroleum Industries Company, Boubyan Petrochemicals Company
- IT/Telecoms – Kuwait Telecom Company, Kuwait United Entertainment Company, Al Bareeq Holding
If you would like to change something in your life, explore a new culture then you should consider relocating to Kuwait for work. It is a beautiful country with expats being the majority of the population. There is a job in Kuwait to meet every career aspiration.