AfricaAsia NorthAsia South and SoutheastAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastAfghanistanBahrainEgyptIranIsraelJordanKuwaitLebanonOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaSyriaTurkeyUnited Arab EmiratesNorth AmericaPacific
Start writing the country or territory name in the box. Typing more letters narrows the search. Click "go" or hit "Enter" to go to the information paper on the country or territory.
(We don't have information papers on all countries and territories.)
The removal of the immediate security threat posed by the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq has led Kuwait to develop, in 2004, a new policy of “Economic Diplomacy”. This policy aims to develop greater economic integration, the building of trade alliances and the examination of investment opportunities with other countries. The initial focus has been on increased economic and technical cooperation with China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. New Zealand should also be able to benefit from this new openness.
In the year to December 2007, Kuwait was New Zealand’s third largest export market to the GCC states with exports totalling NZ$96.74 million. The main exports were dairy products. Imports from Kuwait in the year to December 2007 totalled NZ$62.31 million, which was comprised mainly of crude oil.
The Kuwait Finance House (KFH) is one of the world’s largest Islamic banking groups, with total assets of over US$9 billion. A New Zealand investment company, Intellectual Capital Partners Ltd (ICAP), and KFH have created an Islamic private equity fund worth US$100 million, registered in Bahrain and regulated by the Bahrain Monetary Agency, which is investing in New Zealand and Australia.
Some New Zealand companies participated in the reconstruction effort in Kuwait following the first Gulf War, including McConnell Dowell (oil pipelines, construction) and the then Department of Survey and Land Information (delineating the Kuwait/Iraq border). While dairy and meat products continue to dominate the goods trade, potential opportunities include the sale of education services and telecommunications equipment.
Land Area - 17,818 sq km Population - 3.4 million (2007). Kuwaiti nationals make up approximately 37% of the total population - Capital City - Kuwait City - Language - Arabic
Political system - Constitutional Emirate - National government - Power is exercised by the Emir through a Council of Ministers, headed by a Prime Minister who is chosen by the Emir. - National legislature - Unicameral National Assembly of 50 elected members plus appointed cabinet ministers. The Assembly has been dissolved four times by decree of the Emir, in 1976, 1986, 1999 and 2006. - Last election - 17 May 2008 - Next election due - May 2012 - Head of State - Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al Sabah - Head of Government - Prime Minister, Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al Ahmed Al-Sabah
GDP - US$108.4 billion (2007 estimate EIU) - Real GDP growth - 6.9% (2007 estimate EIU) - Exports - US$60.7 billion (2007 EIU estimates) - Imports - US$ 19.4 billion (2007 EIU estimatesl) - Main exports - Crude oil (US$58.5 billion) - (2007) - Current account balance - US$47.5 billion (2007 actual) - Inflation - 5.5% (2007)
NZ Exports (FOB) - NZ$96.7 million (for the year to December 2007) - Main Exports - Milk and cream (36%); butter (14%); timber (12%); cheese (7%) - NZ Imports (CIF) - NZ$62.3 million (for the year to December 2007) - Main Imports - Crude oil (97%); fertiliser (2.8%)
A number of high-level visits have promoted the bilateral relationship. Hon Philip Burdon visited Kuwait in 1991. The Kuwaiti Minister of Higher Education, Dr Ahmed Abdullah Al-Rabai, visited New Zealand in February 1993 and in September 1993 a parliamentary delegation, headed by the Speaker of the Kuwait National Assembly, visited New Zealand to convey similar messages of goodwill. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Rt Hon Don McKinnon, visited Kuwait in 1995. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Sir Peter Tapsell, led a Parliamentary delegation to Kuwait in 1996. There was a subsequent parliamentary delegation visit to New Zealand in 2001. More recently, the Governor-General, Hon Dame Silvia Cartwright, visited Kuwait in June 2004.
Kuwaiti government departments have also visited New Zealand to look at cooperation and reform, such as the Ministry of Education delegation in 1994 and Ministry of Finance teams in 1997 and 1999. In 1994 a delegation from the Kuwait Investment Authority visited to explore investment opportunities.
The Safetravel website provides a travel advisory for travellers to Kuwait [external link].
