The population of Kuwait in 2017 was 4.2 million people, with the majority living in urban areas. The economy of Kuwait is largely based on oil and gas production, with a GDP of $170 billion and a relatively high per capita income. Kuwait is a member of the United Nations, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Arab League. It has close ties to many countries throughout the Middle East as well as its former colonial masters. In terms of politics, it is a constitutional monarchy with Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as its head of state. The Prime Minister is Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah who leads the Cabinet which has been in power since 2011. See militarynous for Kuwait military and defense.
Yearbook 2017
Kuwait. According to Countryaah.com, Kuwait has not been a member of the Olympic family for some years. The years 2010-12 and from 2015 the country has been excluded, and for example, were not allowed to participate in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. Olympic Committee (IOC) that Kuwait reintroduces its national Olympic committee and ends with political involvement in its sports federations.
In January, seven people were executed by hanging; one of them was a member of the royal family. The last executions in the country took place in 2013. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for frequently used acronyms and abbreviations related to as well as country profile of Kuwait.
In May, Kuwait’s highest court upheld a ruling last year, which was confirmed in January: three members of the royal family and two more were sentenced to five years in prison for offending the country’s judges, including by posting fake images on Twitter and Whatsapp how a senior judge receives bribes. One of the convicted is Sheikh al-Fahad al-Sabah, the nephew of the emir and former head of the security service.
In July, Iran’s ambassador and 14 other Iranian diplomats were forced to leave Kuwait because of links to a spy and terror cell.
In September, it was time for North Korea’s ambassador to leave the country. In addition, Kuwait decided that the North Korean representation in the country should be downgraded to a charg谷 d’affaires and three diplomats. The decision appeared to coincide with emir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah’s Washington visit earlier this month.
In November, Kuwait followed Saudi Arabia’s example to urge its citizens to leave Lebanon. This is since the resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri. Assessors believe that the risk of civil war in Lebanon is great.
Physical characters
Kuwait is a state of Asia, in the Arabian Peninsula. It borders to the North and NW with Iraq, to the South with Saudi Arabia ; to East it overlooks the innermost part of the Persian Gulf.
The territory is flat, with slight undulations (around 300 m asl) in the internal section; it includes the Bubiyan Islands (to the N) and Faylakah, as well as some smaller islands and coral reefs. The climate is sub-desert, with very low rainfall (100 mm per year) and very sensitive temperature variations, both diurnal and annual (up to 40-45 ° C). This determines the extreme scarcity of surface waters, limited to a few springs in the hinterland of the capital, and makes it necessary to have extensive recourse (since 1952) to the desalination of sea water, which is made difficult by the increasing pollution due to oil extraction, industrialization process of the coastal strip and the serious consequences of the war actions of the years 1990-91.
October
Boycott of French goods
October 23
Kuwait and Qatar are among several Muslim countries where shops and consumers are starting to boycott French goods, not least cheeses, in protest against President Emmanuel Macron. The background is a brutal murder of a teacher in a French school who showed satirical drawings depicting the Prophet of Islam to his students during a lesson on freedom of speech. Macron has defended freedom of expression, even for satirical cartoons with a religious edge, and has spoken out very strongly against Islamism. Proponents of a boycott, including the Turkish president, see Macron as supportive of the scandal r the Prophet.
Crown Prince is retrieved from the country’s security apparatus
October 7
Kuwait’s new ruler, Emir Nawaf, appoints his half-brother Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah as crown prince. The 80-year-old new crown prince is reportedly used to staying away from politics and from schisms within the royal family. Since 2014, he has been deputy head of the elite force Nationalgardet. The promotion to the Crown Prince will be confirmed by Parliament the next day.
September
The senior ladder regent dies
September 29
Kuwait’s ruler, Emir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has died at the age of 91. He is succeeded by his 83-year-old half-brother, Crown Prince Nawaf al-Ahmad. From the background of the new emir, it can be stated that he was Minister of Defense in 1990, when Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s rule invaded Kuwait. His own age means that the court scouts will direct the interest towards which other members of the royal family are promoted to leading positions.
Female judges take office
September 3
Eight female judges begin their service, the first in Kuwait. They are part of a group of 54 lawyers who are allowed to work in the Supreme Court. Their work effort should be evaluated after a period of time, how long is not announced. Women in Kuwait gained the right to vote and were elected in 2005. Four years later, the first female members of parliament were elected.