Country Trading Profiles Kuwait - General information

Political outline | Living conditions | Useful resources | Communications

Political outline

Executive Power

The chief of state is the Emir, a hereditary title. The Emir has absolute executive power including dissolving parliament, promulgating laws, referring bills back to the parliament for reconsideration, and appointing military officers. The Emir appoints the Prime Minister, who acts as the head of the government for an indefinite period of time. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the Prime Minister, after being approved by the Emir. The Emir has the power to dissolve parliament but must call anticipated elections within 60 days.

Legislative Power

The legislative power in Kuwait is unicameral. The parliament, called National Assembly, has 50 members which are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. The parliament has the power to dismiss the Prime Minister or any other members of his cabinet by going through a series of constitutional procedures. The people of Kuwait enjoy limited political rights.

Main political parties

Formation of political parties is banned in the country, but political groupings like parliamentary blocs have been allowed to emerge.

Current political leaders

Emir: Sheikh SABAH al-Ahmad al-Jabir al-Sabah (since January 2006)
Prime Minister: Sheikh NASIR al-Muhammad al-Ahmad al-Sabah (since February 2006)

Next election dates

National Assembly: in 2014

Parliamentary: 2012

Living conditions

Health and safety

Health precautions: No compulsory vaccination. But government of Kuwait has strict regulations regarding certain diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis. Medical examinations are required for all residency applications and any applicants who are found positive for these restricted diseases will be asked to leave the country immediately and will be permanently barred from re-entry.
Bottled water is available and is advised for the first few weeks of the stay. Local meat, poultry, seafood, fruit and vegetables are generally considered safe to eat.
Hepatitis B is endemic in the region.
Medical insurance is essential.
For further information on sanitary conditions: Travel advice on US Department of State website
For further information on safety conditions: U.S. Department of State Information about Kuwait.
Worldworx. Travel Safety Guidelines.
Contact your Embassy: Embassy of Greece in Kuwait
Khaldiya, Bl4 str44 Hs4 POBox 23812
Safat 13099, Kuwait
Phone: 00965-4817100/1/2
Fax: 00965- 4817103
grembkw@hotmail.com

Emergency numbers

Emergencies	777
Civil Security	5393460
Port Authority	4812622
Fire Department	2432111
Kuwait City Police	2434064

Time difference and climate

Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Kuwaït City (GMT+3 )
Summer time period: Summer months are between June and October. The temperatures can get over 100°F (40°C).

Map of the time zone

Type of climate: Kuwait enjoys a variable continental climate. Summer months are between June and October and the rainy season (if you can call it that) runs from December to February, when humidity can also be high. In summer temperatures can get over 100°F (40°C), but they drop below 70°F (21°C) in winter.
The most pleasant months to travel to Kuwait are in winter, between November and April, when days are warm and sunny, although at night temperatures plummet and can be close to freezing.

For further information: Visit Asia Rooms website for further information

Average annual temperatures and rainfall

Useful resources

To find an accommodation: Website about hotels in Kuwait
Website offering hotel promotional prices in Kuwait.
Website proposing hotels in Kuwait City, Safat and Salmiya.
To find an apartment: Real Estate and Rentals in Kuwait
Al Bab Real Estate Agency
Arkadia Real Estate Agency, Kuwait

El Waseet in Kuwait, site of classified ads.
To find a job: Middle East and Gulf Employment.
Employment Ads in Kuwait.
Recruitment at the Gulf.
Employment Ads in Kuwait, in Arabic.
Job Ads in Kuwait.

Communications

Telephone codes: To make a call from Kuwait to Greece: dial 00 (or +) 30
To make a call to in Kuwait from Greece: dial 00 (or +) +965
Mobile telephone standards: In Kuwait, the technology GSM (the standard mostly used in Europe) is widely used. It is not essential for European travelers to obtain a special cellular telephone.
Internet suffix: .kw

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