Kuwait — books & literature

The story of Kuwait

Kuwait's location at the head of the Persian Gulf, near the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates, has drawn settlement since antiquity, including the ancient trading post of Failaka Island. The modern city was founded by the Bani Utub tribal confederation around the early 18th century, and the Al-Sabah family, who continue to rule today, took power in 1752. Kuwait grew into a major pearling and trading port on the Gulf, its wooden dhows sailing as far as India and East Africa. In 1899, facing regional pressure, Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah signed an agreement placing Kuwait under British protection, a status that lasted until full independence on 19 June 1961. The discovery of oil in 1938, and large-scale exports from the late 1940s, transformed Kuwait from a modest port town into one of the wealthiest states in the world per capita. The 1990-1991 Iraqi invasion and occupation, ended by a US-led coalition, was a defining trauma and turning point in national memory. Today Kuwait is a constitutional emirate with one of the region's oldest elected parliaments and a literary culture actively rebuilding and modernising.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 1613

   Early settlement of Kuwait Town on the Gulf coast begins.

2. 1716

   The Bani Utub tribal confederation settles the area, founding the sheikhdom.

3. 1752

   The Al-Sabah family assumes rulership, a dynasty that continues today.

4. 1899

   Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah signs a protection agreement with Britain.

5. 1938

   Oil is discovered at the Burgan field, one of the largest reserves on Earth.

6. 1961

   Kuwait gains full independence from Britain on 19 June.

7. 1962

   A new constitution establishes Kuwait's National Assembly, one of the Gulf's earliest elected parliaments.

8. 1990-1991

   Iraq invades and occupies Kuwait; liberated by a US-led coalition in the Gulf War.

9. 2005

   Kuwaiti women gain the right to vote and stand for political office.

Top 10 things to know about Kuwait

1. Kuwait sits on some of the largest proven oil reserves in the world.
2. The Kuwaiti Dinar is consistently ranked among the highest-valued currency units globally.
3. Kuwait City was historically one of the Gulf's major pearling and dhow-trading ports.
4. The National Assembly, established in 1962, is one of the oldest elected parliaments in the Gulf region.
5. Kuwait Towers, completed in 1979, are the country's best-known modern landmark.
6. Failaka Island preserves archaeological remains linked to ancient Mesopotamian and Greek-era trade.
7. Kuwait was occupied by Iraq in 1990-1991, an event central to its modern national identity.
8. Arabic is the official language; Kuwaiti spoken Arabic has its own distinct dialect.
9. Kuwaiti cuisine centres on rice dishes such as machboos, spiced meat or fish over rice.
10. Kuwait has produced some of the most translated contemporary novelists in the Gulf.

Famous people from Kuwait

Say it in Kuwait's language

Did you know?

• ★Before oil, Kuwait was one of the Gulf's foremost pearl-diving and shipbuilding centres.
• ★Kuwait Towers, an icon of the skyline, double as functioning water towers.
• ★Kuwait's National Assembly building was designed by the same Danish architect (Jorn Utzon) behind the Sydney Opera House.

Kuwait culture

• Diwaniya gatherings , regular social and political salons held in homes , are a cornerstone of Kuwaiti social life.
• National Day (25 February) and Liberation Day (26 February) are celebrated together as a major national holiday.
• Machboos, spiced rice with meat or fish, is considered the national dish.
• Traditional dhow-building and sea-faring heritage are honoured at the Kuwait Maritime Museum and in local festivals.

Why read Kuwait's books

Kuwaiti literature has produced some of the Gulf's most internationally recognised contemporary voices, from Arabic Booker winners to pioneering women novelists. Reading Kuwait's books is a window into a small, wealthy Gulf nation wrestling with identity, memory, and modernity.