Most of us remember Kuwait from its invasion by Saddam Hussein's Iraq which sparked the first Gulf War in 1990. Up until now it has been relatively quiet in the wave of protest sweeping across the region. However, that is about change.
Not surprisingly Kuwait has a history similar to its neighbors on the Arabian Peninsula. It can be traced back to the dawn of the bronze age as a port at the mouth of the Tigris and Euphrates. The present dynasty which rules the constitutional emirate was established under the al-Sabah family in 1756. When the Ottoman Empire disintegrated at the end of WWI it became a British protectorate. Kuwait became fully independent when the British Empire had its final going out of business sale in the 60s. 1961 in this case.
While there are similarities between Kuwait and its immediate neighbors, there are also important differences. It is a very small nation with immense oil wealth. Saudi Arabia has more oil, but it is concentrated in the east and there are vast stretches of desert. Kuwaiti citizens generally enjoy a better standard of living than some of their neighbors. They also have a political system that allows for some public controversy.
From CIA World Factbook:
Kuwait has a geographically small, but wealthy, relatively open economy with self-reported crude oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels - about 9% of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP, 95% of export revenues, and 95% of government income. Kuwaiti officials have committed to increasing oil production to 4 million barrels per day by 2020. The rise in global oil prices throughout 2010 is reviving government consumption and economic growth as Kuwait experiences a 20% increase in government budget revenue. Kuwait has done little to diversify its economy, in part, because of this positive fiscal situation, and, in part, due to the poor business climate and the acrimonious relationship between the National Assembly and the executive branch, which has stymied most movement on economic reforms. Nonetheless, the government in May 2010 passed a privatization bill that allows the government to sell assets to private investors, and in January passed an economic development plan that pledges to spend up to $130 billion in five years to diversify the economy away from oil, attract more investment, and boost private sector participation in the economy. Increasing government expenditures by so large an amount during the planned time frame may be difficult to accomplish.
Unemployment rate: 2.2 %
Non-Kuwaitis represent about 60% of the labor force. The largest group of the expatriates are from India.
Wikipedia
Kuwait is a constitutional monarchy and has the oldest directly elected parliament among the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. The head of state is the Emir or Sheikh, a hereditary office. A council of ministers, also known as cabinet ministers, aids nister, and appoints and dismisses diplomats. Legislative power is vested in the Emir and the National Assembly in accordance with the Constitution. The Emir of Kuwait is immune and inviolable: any criticism against him is not tolerated and punishable by law.[citation needed] He can dissolve the National Assembly and call a national election, or in cases of national emergency can dismiss the National Assembly outright and assume supreme authority over the country. The Emir is the commander in chief of Kuwait's armed forces. The Emir has authority to grant pardon from the death penalty or prison.
There have been several conflicts between the Emir, the government and the National Assembly over various policies. The National Assembly was suspended from 1976 to 1981, from 1986 to 1991 and from May 1999 to July 1999, due to irresolvable conflicts between some members of the government and the Assembly. The Assembly was dissolved again in May 2009 by the Emir leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Sheik Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah and the rest of the Cabinet. Nationwide elections were held on May 16, 2009.
More than two-thirds of those who reside in Kuwait do not hold Kuwaiti citizenship and thus cannot vote in parliamentary elections. Additionally, prior to 2005, only 15% of the Kuwaiti population were allowed to vote, with all "recently naturalized" citizens (i.e. those of less than thirty years' citizenship), and members of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces excluded. On 16 May 2005, Parliament permitted women's suffrage by a 35-23 vote.
This is the same political pattern we see in much of the region, functional autocratic control with essentially cosmetic changes as tokens to calm popular unrest.
There are plans for a large demonstration in Kuwait tomorrow. AFP
Kuwait braced for demonstrations against the government on Tuesday as youth groups promised to take their campaign to oust the prime minister to the streets of the oil-rich emirate.
The Fifth Fence youth group has been using microblogging website Twitter to urge its supporters to join a rally coinciding with parliament's first meeting after a six-week break.
Opposition blocs representing Islamists, liberals and nationalists have separately demanded Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the nephew of the emir, step down after five years on the job.
So far the protest are focused on change within the existing political system by demanding the removal of the appointed prime minister. No one yet dares cast aspersions on the sanctified person of the Emir.