Geography

Kuwait occupies an area of 17,820 square kilometres, and has nearly 500 kilometres of coastline along the Arabian Gulf. Most of the country is a flat desert plain, broken by coastal dunes, marshes, and salt depressions around Kuwait Bay, and an oasis in Jahra. Coarse grass grows in the desert most of the time. The country has nine off-shore islands. Kuwait is essentially a city-state. There are smaller communities inland and to the south, but the vast majority of people live in Kuwait City on the bay.

Climate and Clothing

In the middle of the summer, Kuwait can have temperatures ranging upwards of 55° Celsius (over 130° Fahrenheit). While any time spent out of doors will be hot indeed, most buildings are air-conditioned, and you may need a jacket or wrap indoors. High temperatures of 35-40° Celsius may last into October, but in the winter the highs fall dramatically, and the nights can be quite chilly. Several times a year the temperature drops below 10° Celsius.

There is an average of 12 centimetres of rain in the winter, usually coming in sudden heavy but irregular bursts, though annual rainfall has been as high as 37 centimetres and as low as 1 centimetre. Light, absorbent, and airy clothes are a necessity for visits between April and October. If you visit in the winter, you should pack clothes suitable for late autumn in northern climates.

People

Native Kuwaitis are Arabs, though centuries as an international port have given them a broad ethnic background. The majority of people in Kuwait are laborers and professionals from abroad, making the country an interesting multiracial and multicultural crucible. They come from all over the Arab world, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the Philippines, China, and beyond.

Language

The official and native language of Kuwait is Arabic, and though Kuwaitis speak the Gulf dialect, all dialects are understood. (Some people exaggerate the differences between the various dialects of Arabic, which are in fact no greater than those between the dialects of any other major world language.) English of varying standards is widely spoken. Educated people are quite facile, and nearly everyone in any kind of service work speaks enough to get his job done, including the workers from abroad. On the streets, you will hear any number of tongues.

Passport and Visas

All visitors to Kuwait, except other Gulf Cooperation Council nationals, need a visa or entry permit. A visitor can procure a one-month visa by submitting his passport and a letter from his sponsor to a Kuwaiti embassy or consulate, or by having his sponsor arrange one through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kuwait. Hotels can often procure visas for their guests. All visitors should carry a supply of passport-sized photos, required when securing official documents and arranging certain services.

All pork and alcohol products are forbidden in Kuwait, as are narcotics and firearms. If you have any prescription drugs you must bring in, make sure that they are in the original properly-labeled container and accompanied by a legible doctor's prescription. Prurient or subversive printed or recorded material is not allowed. There is no restriction on currency or valuable metals, either entering or leaving, but be familiar with the regulations of your destination when you depart.

Health

There are currently no health concerns for travelers within Kuwait. Visitors traveling from areas infected with cholera or yellow fever should have the appropriate vaccination certificates. Should one fall ill while visiting Kuwait, the country boasts advanced health-care facilities and personnel, and provides services free or at a minimal charge.

Expatriates coming to take up employment in Kuwait may have to submit to medical examinations to verify that they are free of certain illnesses, notably AIDS and tuberculosis.

Time

Kuwait is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Transportation

Some major hotels provide transportation from the airport. Otherwise, the best thing is to have your sponsor meet you. If you need a taxi, there is a cab stand at the extreme left end of the arrivals area. Cabs at the airport are red or orange-colored and driven by locals. The fare from the airport to the city center is normally KD4. The fare to any part of the city should be no more than KD5.

For transportation once in the city, you will probably want to use the more modern radio-dispatch cabs, which are generally very trustworthy and reliable, but are unmetered. There is a set rate from one district to another, which may vary a little from one company to another. There are many reputable automobile rental firms operating in Kuwait, offering everything from economy cars to luxury sedans to rugged 4x4s. If you have an international driver's license, you may drive in Kuwait for the duration of your visitor's visa.

For the adventurous, and those who like to experience life on the proletarian level, there is a network of public buses radiating out from the main Safat area downtown.

Currency

The Kuwaiti unit of currency is the Kuwaiti dinar, abbreviated as KD. It is a relatively stable and freely convertible currency. Local newspapers print the prevailing exchange rates daily. The dinar is divided into thousandths known as fils. A price tag reading "44.275" or "44,275" means 44 dinars and 275 fils.

Paper currency comes in denominations of twenty dinars (large and orange and  green), ten dinars (large and purple), five dinars (reddish and smaller), one dinar (small and blue), one-half dinar (small and green), and one-quarter dinar (small and orange-brown). Each note bears the denomination written in the Arabic numerals used internationally as well as the Indian numerals used in the eastern part of the Arab World.

Coins may pose more of a problem, since they carry only Indian numerals and all denominations have the same relief sculpture of a dhow. There are large, silver-colored 100-fils coins, half-size silver-colored 50-fils coins, and small silver-colored 20-fils ones. There are also two brass-colored coins worth ten fils and five fils.

Major banks, which have branches all over the city, can handle all financial transactions. Major hotels undertake currency exchange, as do the many licensed money changers. Many establishments in Kuwait accept major international credit cards.

Accommodation

Kuwait has many lavish hotels with top-flight facilities, including complete business services, international-standard restaurants, and all room amenities. There are also more modest hotels to suit more modest budgets. For those staying some time, agencies can provide full-service apartments. In any case, it is wise to book and confirm in advance.

Water and Electricity

AC power in Kuwait is 220-240 volts, 50 cycles per second. 100-110-volt appliances will burn out. Transformers are available.

Tap water is drinkable, though most people and establishments filter out impurities or use bottled mineral water, which is available in all shops.

Business Hours

The standard work week is from Saturday to Wednesday, with Thursday and Friday making up the weekend. Banks, however, work Sundays through Thursdays in order to coordinate with international money markets, and many private offices work half days on Thursdays.

The government work day is from 7:30 am to 2 pm in the winter, and 7 am to 1:30 pm in the summer. The hours of private companies vary, with some working split shifts around a long mid-day break, and others adopting a Western-style work day. Shops are generally open from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 4:30 to 9 p.m.

It should be mentioned that when an Arab uses the word "afternoon", he is often referring to the late afternoon and evening in Western terms. "Evening" usually refers to the very late evening.

All timings are liable to change during Ramadan, with hours becoming very irregular.