Kuwait practices a system of institutionalized discrimination against its residents known as Bedoons, longtime inhabitants who have been denied Kuwaiti citizenship and are now being rendered stateless. Barred from employment, denied education for their children, restricted in their movements, and living under the constant threat of arbitrary arrest and deportation, Bedoons are a community of "have nots" in one of the wealthiest countries in the world. At the same time, tens of thousands of Bedoons who fled Kuwait during the Iraqi occupation have been barred from returning to their country. After decades of treating Bedoons as citizens and repeatedly promising to confer formal citizenship on them, the Kuwaiti government reversed its practice and declared them illegal residents of the only country they have ever known. Although the policy was adopted before the Iraqi invasion, it has intensified since the Kuwaiti government was restored to power following the victory of the Desert Storm military campaign.

With the thoroughness that this recently spotlighted nation requires, this volume examines Kuwaits internal and external security situation after the turbulent days of the Gulf War and investigates continued Western involvement in its safekeeping. It also examines Kuwaits changing role as an energy exporter. }With the thoroughness that this recently spotlighted nation requires, this volume examines Kuwaits internal and external security situation after the turbulent days of the Gulf War and investigates continued Western involvement in its safekeeping. It also examines Kuwaits changing role as an energy exporter. }

Although small geographically, Kuwait casts a disproportionately large shadow in the areas of international finance, energy, and trade. It enjoys a capital-surplus economy, but is still a developing country and one of the fastest growing markets for goods and services. Kuwait's drive toward economic development and self-sustaining investment both at home and abroad arises from the knowledge that the nation's prosperity derives overwhelmingly from a single, nonrenewable asset—petroleum. Professor El Mallakh delineates Kuwait's economic activities and potential and assesses the country's impact on the global economy. Basing his work on two decades of research and writing on Kuwait and neighboring Gulf states, and on interviews with Kuwaiti officials and financial and business leaders, he presents a wealth of detailed and practical information, little of which is readily accessible elsewhere. He also analyzes the use of Kuwait's capital-surplus funds with reference to the region, to Europe, and to the United States, and looks at the country's priorities for future international investment and development projects.

The third in a new series, the Contemporary Archive of the Islamic World (CAIW), this title draws on the resources of Cambridge-based World of Information, which since 1975 has followed the politics and economics of the region. Kuwait’s documented history begins in the mid-19th Century. Its location established it as an important entrepôt at the head of the Arabian Gulf. Notionally under Ottoman rule, it became a de facto protectorate of Great Britain. The discovery of oil changed Kuwait beyond recognition. It gained full independence in 1971 and was long considered the most developed state in the Gulf. Coveted by Iraq, it was invaded in 1990. It also played a part in the2003 invasion of Iraq.

This volume of documents relates to the legal aspects of the international crisis arising out of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1996.

2011 Updated Reprint. Updated Annually. Kuwait Export-Import Trade and Business Directory