History in Kuwait city

Kuwait City was settled in the early 18th century on the shore of the Persian Gulf, making it a relatively young city for the region. During that time it was no more than a few tents surrounding a make-shift fort. The settlement quickly elected the Al-Sabah family to oversee law and order, and their descendants now make up the royal family of Kuwait. The settlement flourished and by 1760 the first city wall was built and its dhow (a traditional Arab sailboat) fleet included approximately 800 vessels. By the early 19th century, Kuwait City was a successful trading port and home of a thriving pearl trade.

The British and Ottoman Empires

During the early years of Kuwait City, Kuwait was considered a province of the Ottoman Empire, though it was mostly independent. It wasn't until the late 19th century that the Ottoman Empire went bankrupt and saw the flourishing trade city as a source of tax income. This would mark the beginning of nearly a century of foreign dominance of Kuwait's capital city. In 1896, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Sabah was assassinated by his half-brother Mubarak the Great who invited Britain to take control of Kuwait's foreign relations and national security, causing the First Kuwaiti Crisis. Kuwait City's economy collapsed 2 decades later when the Japanese began large scale pearl farming in the area, thrusting Kuwait City and Kuwait into poverty and causing them to become even more dependent on Britain.

Discovery of Oil and Independence

In 1936 oil was discovered in Kuwait and they were the largest exporter of oil in the Middle East by 1953. This created massive amounts of wealth for Kuwait and recreated Kuwait City as a successful trading city. The population of the city exploded from roughly 90,000 in 1950 (including the metro area) to over 2 million in modern Kuwait City. The old city was reinvented and the walls were torn down. City gates still stand as a reminder of old times and are a top tourist attraction. The newly found wealth in Kuwait City allowed Kuwait to gain independence in 1961.

Modern Kuwait City

From 1961 to 1990 the city flourished into a modern oasis of technology and trade with a skyline that you would expect to see in any Western metropolis. Immigrants from Egypt, Palestine, India and around the globe flocked to Kuwait City for work and to live, forever transforming the culture of the city. However, in 1990 Saddam Hussein, then president of Iraq, accused Kuwait of slant drilling into the Iraqi oil wells. Iraq declared war on Kuwait and within a short time Iraqi forces had control of Kuwait City. It was not until early 1991 that UN forces led by America repelled the Iraqi forces and by February 1991 the city was back in Kuwaiti hands. However, the war and occupation had taken its toll and the city was nearly destroyed, with many national landmarks lying in ruin. The people of Kuwait City proved resilient and are actively restoring the city to its former glory.