Culture of Kuwait describes the cultural aspects of the Kuwaiti society and is part of the Eastern Arabian culture.

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Ku ...

popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...

, in the form of dialect poetry, film, theatre, radio and television soap opera, flourishes and is even exported to neighboring states. Within the

Arab states of the Persian Gulf The Arab states of the Persian Gulf refers to a group of Arab states which border the Persian Gulf. There are seven member states of the Arab League in the region: Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emir ...

, the culture of Kuwait is the closest to the culture of

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and a ...

Art

Performing arts

Kuwait has the oldest

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perfo ...

industry in the Arabian Peninsula. Kuwait is the main centre of scenographic and performing arts education in the GCC region. Many famous Arab actors and singers attribute their success to training in Kuwait. The Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts (HIDA) provides

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after compl ...

in theatrical arts.

Television and soap operas

Kuwait's television drama industry is the largest and most active Gulf Arab drama industry and annually produces a minimum of fifteen serials. Kuwait is the main production center of the Gulf television drama and comedy scene. Most Gulf television drama and comedy productions are filmed in Kuwait. Kuwaiti soap operas are the most-watched soap operas in the Gulf region. Soap operas are most popular during the time of

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

, when families gather to break their fast. Although usually performed in the Kuwaiti dialect, they have been shown with success as far away as

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

Theatre

Kuwait is known for its home-grown tradition of

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

. It is the only country in the Gulf with a theatrical tradition. The theatrical movement in Kuwait constitutes a major part of the country's cultural life. Theatrical activities in Kuwait date back to the 1920s when the first spoken dramas were released. Theatre activities are still popular today. Kuwait is frequently dubbed the "

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

of the Gulf" due to the popularity of its television soap operas and theatre. Theatre in Kuwait is subsidized by the government, previously by the Ministry of Social Affairs and now by the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL). Every urban district has a public theatre. The public theatre in Salmiya is named after the late actor

Abdulhussain Abdulredha Abdulhussain Abdulredha ( ar, عبد الحسين عبد الرضا, ʿAbd al-Ḥussain ʿAbd ar-Riḍā; 15 July 1939 – 11 August 2017) was an iconic Kuwaiti actor. Background Abdulredha was born in Derwazat Al Abdulrazzaq, Al-Awazem villag ...

. The annual Kuwait Theater Festival is the largest theatrical arts festival in Kuwait. Kuwaititabla

Music

Kuwait is the birthplace of various popular musical genres, such as sawt and fijiri. Traditional Kuwaiti music is a reflection of the country's seafaring heritage, which was influenced by many diverse cultures. Kuwait is widely considered the centre of

traditional music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

in the GCC region. Kuwaiti music has considerably influenced the music culture in other GCC countries. Kuwait pioneered contemporary Khaliji music. Kuwaitis were the first commercial recording artists in the Gulf region. The first known Kuwaiti recordings were made between 1912 and 1915. Kuwait is home to various

music festivals A music festival is a community event with performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock, blues, folk, jazz, classical music), nationality, locality of musicians, or hol ...

, including the International Music Festival hosted by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL). The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre contains the largest opera house in the Middle East. Kuwait has several academic institutions specializing in university-level

music education Music education is a field of practice in which educators are trained for careers as elementary or secondary music teachers, school or music conservatory ensemble directors. Music education is also a research area in which scholars do origin ...

. The Higher Institute of Musical Arts was established by the government to provide

bachelor's degrees A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in music. In addition, the College of Basic Education offers bachelor's degrees in music education. The Institute of Musical Studies offers music education qualifications equivalent to

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

. Kuwait has a reputation for being the central music influence of the GCC countries. Over the last decade of satellite television stations, many Kuwaiti musicians have become household names in other Arab countries. For example,

Bashar Al Shatty Bashar al-Shatti ( ar, بشار الشطي; born 22 September 1982) is a Kuwaiti singer, songwriter and actor, and plays piano and guitar. He began his career as an orchestra chorale member. He served as a judge in the singing competition ''Arab ...

became famous due to ''

Star Academy ''Star Academy'', called ''Operación Triunfo'' ("Operation Triumph") in Spanish-speaking countries, is a highly successful television pop music talent contest with viewer voting and reality show elements. Format There are many versions of t ...

''. Contemporary Kuwaiti music is popular throughout the Arab world.

Nawal El Kuwaiti Nawal El Kuwaitia ( ar, نوال الكويتية; born Nawal Thaher Al-Zaid, 18 November 1966) is a Kuwaiti singer and actress. Career Nawal studied at the Music Institute in Kuwait. Nawal's first album was released in 1984. The majority of ...

, Nabeel Shoail and

Abdallah Al Rowaished Abdallah Alruwaished ( ar, عبدالله الرويشد, born July 18, 1961) is an Arab singer and actor from Kuwait. He has released over thirty albums. Biography Alruwaished began his solo career in the early 1980s with the release of his ...

are the most popular contemporary performers.Badley, Bill. "Sounds of the Arabian Peninsula". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East'', pp 351–354. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books.

Visual arts

Kuwait has the oldest

modern arts Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradi ...

movement in the Arabian Peninsula. Beginning in 1936, Kuwait was the first Gulf country to grant scholarships in the arts. The Kuwaiti artist Mojeb al-Dousari was the earliest recognized

visual artist The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts al ...

in the Gulf region. He is regarded as the founder of

portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this ...

art in the region. The Sultan Gallery was the first professional Arab art gallery in the Gulf. Kuwait is home to more than 30 art galleries. In recent years, Kuwait's contemporary art scene has boomed.

Khalifa Al-Qattan Khalifa Alqattan (Arabic خليفة القطان ) (January 1934 in Old Kuwait City – 27 July 2003) was a Kuwaiti pioneer artist. He was the first Kuwaiti artist to hold a solo exhibition A solo show or solo exhibition is an exhibition o ...

was the first artist to hold a

solo exhibition A solo show or solo exhibition is an exhibition of the work of only one artist. The artwork may be paintings, drawings, etchings, collage, sculpture, or photography. The creator of any artistic technique may be the subject of a solo show. Other s ...

in Kuwait. He founded a new art theory in the early 1960s known as "circulism". Other notable Kuwaiti artists include

Sami Mohammad Sami Mohammad Ahmed Saleh (born October 1, 1943) is a Kuwaiti sculptor and artist. He is most known for his bronze sculptures. Most of his artwork deals with the ideas of freedom, oppression, genocide and suffering. In 1971, he was commissioned ...

Thuraya Al-Baqsami Thuraya Al-Baqsami (born 1952) is a Kuwaiti artist and writer. References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baqsami, Thuraya 1952 births Living people Kuwaiti women artists Kuwaiti contemporary artists Kuwaiti writers ...

and

Suzan Bushnaq Suzan Bushnaq (born November 2, 1963) ( ar, سوزان بوشناق) is a Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northe ...

. The government organizes various

arts festivals An arts festival is a festival that can encompass a wide range of art forms including music, dance, film, fine art, literature, poetry and isn't solely focused on visual arts. Arts festivals may feature a mixed program that include music, lit ...

, including the

Al Qurain Cultural Festival The Qurain Cultural Festival is Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the P ...

and Formative Arts Festival. The Kuwait International Biennial was inaugurated in 1967, more than 20 Arab and foreign countries have participated in the biennial. Prominent participants include

Layla Al-Attar Layla Al-Attar ( ar, ليلى العطار; May 7, 1944 – June 27, 1993) was an Iraqi artist and painter who became the Director of the Iraqi National Art Museum. Through her art, al-Attar expressed ideals that attempted to recognize the importa ...

. In 2004, the Al Kharafi Biennial for Contemporary Arab Art was inaugurated. In 1958, '' Al Arabi'' magazine was first published, the magazine went on to become the most popular magazine in the Arab world.

Ismail Fahd Ismail Ismail Fahd Ismail or Ismāʿīl Fahd Ismāʿīl (1940 – 25 September 2018). was a Kuwaiti novelist, short story writer, and literary critic. He was acclaimed as the finest and most prolific writer in the history of Kuwait, with over twenty nove ...

was one of the first Kuwaiti writers to achieve success in the Arab world. Taleb al-Refai,

Laila al-Othman Laila al-Othman (sometimes Laylā al-'Uthmān) is a Kuwaiti writer, novelist, short story writer, and a famous fictionist who was born into a prominent Kuwaiti family in 1943, and only 22 years later she made her writing debut in a local newspape ...

A. H. Almaas A. H. Almaas ( ) is the pen name of A. Hameed Ali (born 1944), a Kuwaiti American author and spiritual teacher who writes about and teaches an approach to spiritual development informed by modern psychology and therapy which he calls the Diamo ...

, Taibah Al-Ibrahim, Najma Idrees, and Fatimah Yousif al-Ali are also among the pioneer writers.

Museums

The new Kuwait National Cultural District (KNCD) consists of various cultural venues including

Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre The Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Centre () is a cultural complex located in Kuwait City Kuwait, owned by the Amiri Diwan. It consists of six main components; The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Space Museum, Arabic Islamic Science M ...

Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmad Cultural Centre The Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre (JACC), informally known as the Kuwait Opera House, is a cultural center in Kuwait, located on the Gulf Road in the capital Kuwait City. It is the largest cultural center and opera house in the Middle Eas ...

Al Shaheed Park Al Shaheed Park is the largest urban park in Kuwait. Al Shaheed Park is considered the most significant green infrastructure project in Kuwait and has one of the largest overstructure greenroofs in the world. Al Shaheed Park is the largest green ro ...

, and Al Salam Palace. With a capital cost of more than US$1 billion, it is one of the largest cultural districts in the world. The Abdullah Salem Cultural Centre is the largest museum complex in the Middle East. The Kuwait National Cultural District is a member of the Global Cultural Districts Network.

Sadu House Sadu House is an artistic house and museum in Kuwait City, Kuwait, located near the Kuwait National Museum. History It was established by the Al Sadu Society in 1980 to protect the interests of the Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; ...

is among Kuwait's most important cultural institutions. Bait Al-Othman is the largest museum specializing in Kuwait's history. The Scientific Center is one of the largest science museums in the Middle East. The

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of t ...

showcases the history of modern art in Kuwait and the region. The Kuwait Maritime Museum presents the country's maritime heritage in the pre-oil era. Several traditional Kuwaiti dhow ships are open to the public, such as

Fateh Al-Khayr The ''Fateh Al-Khayr'' is a 226-ton dhow preserved as a museum ship in Kuwait at Kuwait Scientific Center. Built in 1938 in Kuwait by Ali Abdul Rassol for Mohamed Al-Ghanim and Thunayan Al-Ghanim, it is the only surviving Kuwaiti-built sailing ship ...

and

Al-Hashemi-II ''Al-Hashemi-II'' is the largest dhow ever built, and is one of the largest wooden ships in the world today. It sits next to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Kuwait City, Kuwait. It contains a maritime museum known as Al-Hashemi-II Marine Museum. Devel ...

which entered the

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

as the largest wooden dhow ever built. The

Historical, Vintage, and Classical Cars Museum The Historical, Vintage, and Classical Cars Museum is located in Kuwait's Shuwaikh Industrial Area, near the intersection of road 80 and road 55. History and profile The museum was opened in . It consists of two buildings and an outside display a ...

displays vintage cars from Kuwait's motoring heritage. The

National Museum A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...

, established in 1983, has been described as "underused and overlooked". Several Kuwaiti museums are devoted to

Islamic art Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across a wide ra ...

, most notably the

Tareq Rajab Museum The Tareq Rajab Museum is located in Kuwait and houses an extensive collection of artefacts accumulated over a fifty-year period commencing in the 1950s. The Museum is housed at two separate locations in Jabriya, Kuwait. The Tareq Rajab Museum, w ...

s and Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah cultural centres. The Dar al Athar al Islamiyyah cultural centres include education wings, conservation labs, and research libraries. There are several art libraries in Kuwait.

's Mirror House is the most popular art museum in Kuwait. Many museums in Kuwait are private enterprises. In contrast to the top-down approach in other Gulf states, museum development in Kuwait reflects a greater sense of civic identity and demonstrates the strength of civil society in Kuwait, which has produced many independent cultural enterprises.

Cuisine

Kuwaiti cuisine is a fusion of

Arabian The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...

Iranian Iranian may refer to: * Iran, a sovereign state * Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran * Iranian lan ...

, and

Mesopotamian Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

cuisines. Kuwaiti cuisine is part of the Eastern Arabian cuisine. A prominent dish in Kuwaiti cuisine is ''

machboos ), ''makbūs/machbūs'' ( ar, مكبوس/مچبوس) , country = Saudi Arabia , region = Arabian Peninsula , creator = , course = Meal , served = , main_ingredient = Rice (usually long-grain, ...

'', a rice-based dish usually prepared with

basmati Basmati, , is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

rice seasoned with spices, and chicken or mutton.

Seafood Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...

is a significant part of the Kuwaiti diet, especially

fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

. Mutabbaq samak is a national dish in Kuwait. Other local favourites are ''hamour'' (

grouper Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" ...

), which is typically served grilled, fried, or with biryani rice because of its texture and taste; ''safi'' ( rabbitfish); ''maid'' ( mulletfish); and ''sobaity'' (

sea bream The Sparidae are a family of fish in the order Perciformes, commonly called sea breams and porgies. The sheepshead, scup, and red seabream are species in this family. Most sparids are deep-bodied compressed fish with a small mouth separated b ...

). Kuwait's traditional

flatbread A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread. Flatbreads r ...

is called Iranian ''

khubz Khubz, alternatively transliterated as ''khoubz'', ''khobez'', ''khubez'', or ''khubooz'', ), date=February 2022, is the usual word for "bread" in Standard Arabic and in many of the vernaculars. Among the breads popular in Middle Eastern countrie ...

''. It is a large flatbread baked in a special oven and it is often topped with sesame seeds. Numerous local bakeries dot the country; the bakers are mainly Iranians (hence the name of the bread, "Iranian ''khubuz''"). Bread is often served with mahyawa fish sauce.

Sport

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

is the most popular sport in Kuwait. The

Kuwait Football Association The Kuwait Football Association ( ar, الإتحاد الكويتي لكرة القدم) is the governing body of football in Kuwait. Kuwait has thrice been suspended by FIFA for political interference since 2007 and were allowed to participate ...

(KFA) is the governing body of football in Kuwait. The KFA organises the men's,

women's A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardle ...

, and

futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...

national teams. The

Kuwaiti Premier League The Kuwait Premier League (), known as STC Premier League due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of the Kuwait football pyramid system. Formed in 1961, Al-Arabi, Qadsia and Kuwait both hold the best record in the competition, having won ...

is the top league of Kuwaiti football, featuring fifteen teams. They have been the champions of the

1980 AFC Asian Cup The 1980 AFC Asian Cup was the 7th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were hosted by Kuwait between 15 and 30 September 1980. The fi ...

, runners-up of the

1976 AFC Asian Cup The 1976 AFC Asian Cup was the 6th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were hosted by Iran between 3 and 13 June 1976. The field of six ...

, and have taken third place of the

1984 AFC Asian Cup The 1984 AFC Asian Cup was the 8th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international association football, football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were hosted by Singapore between 1 Decemb ...

. Kuwait has also been to one FIFA World Cup, in

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C ...

, but tied 1–1 with

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

on the first round. Kuwait is home to many football clubs including

Al-Arabi Al-Arabi may refer to: Companies *Al-Arabi Group, a holding company in the Kuwait Stock Exchange#Services * Al Arabi Investment Group (AB Invest), a subsidiary of Arab Bank * Al Arabi Investment Group Company, a subsidiary of Arab Bank Media *'' ...

, Al-Fahaheel, Al-Jahra, Al-Kuwait, Al-Naser, Al-Salmiya, Al-Shabab, Al Qadsia, Al-Yarmouk, Kazma,

Khaitan Khaitan is an area of Farwaniya Governorate in Kuwait City Kuwait City ( ar, مدينة الكويت) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of Kuwait Bay on the Persian Gulf, it ...

Sulaibikhat Sulaibikhat ( ar, الصليبخات, aṣ-Ṣulaybikhāt) is a district of Kuwait City in Kuwait. It comprises five blocks. Sulaibkhat Camp The British camp was built in Sulaibikhat during the British mandate, and consisted of approximately 20 ...

Sahel The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid cli ...

, and Tadamon. The biggest football rivalry in Kuwait is between

and Al Qadsia. Basketball is one of the country's most popular sports. The

Kuwait national basketball team The Kuwait national basketball team represents Kuwait in international basketball and is controlled by the Kuwait Basketball Association ( ar, جمعية الكويتي لكرة السلة); the governing body for basketball in the country. Th ...

is governed by the Kuwait Basketball Association (KBA). Kuwait made its international debut in 1959. The national team has been to the

FIBA Asian Championship The FIBA Asia Cup (formerly the FIBA Asia Championship and ABC Championship) is an international basketball tournament which takes place every four years between the men's national teams of Asia and Oceania. Through the 2015 edition, the tourn ...

in basketball eleven times. The

Kuwaiti Division I Basketball League The Kuwaiti Division I Basketball League is the highest professional basketball league in Kuwait. The most decorated team in the league is Kuwait SC, who have won 7 titles. Teams * Al Kuwait SC *Al Arabi * Al Jahraa *Al Nasar *Al Qadsia *Al Sahel ...

is the highest professional basketball league in Kuwait. Cricket in Kuwait is governed by the Kuwait Cricket Association. Other growing sports include

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

. The

Kuwait men's national handball team The Kuwait national handball team is controlled by the Kuwait Handball Association. It is highly regarded as one of the most successful national handball teams in Asia and the Arab World. Kuwait has enjoyed great handball success at both th ...

is controlled by the Kuwait Handball Association. Kuwait has achieved handball success at both the national and club level. The sport is widely considered to be the national icon of Kuwait, although football is more popular among the overall population. Kuwait is also the founding member of the Asian Handball Federation, the Asian Championship and Club Champions League. Hockey in Kuwait is governed by the

Kuwait Ice Hockey Association The Ice Hockey Federation of Kuwait is the governing body of ice hockey in Kuwait. Kuwait had first joined the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1985, but was expelled on May 6, 1992 due to a lack of ice hockey activity. Kuwait was re-admitted ...

. Kuwait first joined the

International Ice Hockey Federation The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 ...

in 1985, but was expelled in 1992 due to a lack of ice hockey activity. Kuwait was re-admitted into the IIHF in May 2009. In 2015, Kuwait won the

IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia The IIHF Asia and Oceania Championship (formally the IIHF Challenge Cup of Asia) are a series of international ice hockey tournaments in the continent of Asia. The purpose of the tournament is to provide competitive opportunities for Asian and Oc ...

Social

Kuwaiti society is markedly more

open Open or OPEN may refer to: Music * Open (band), Australian pop/rock band * The Open (band), English indie rock band * Open (Blues Image album), ''Open'' (Blues Image album), 1969 * Open (Gotthard album), ''Open'' (Gotthard album), 1999 * Open (C ...

than other Gulf Arab societies. Kuwaiti citizens are ethnically diverse, consisting of both Arabs and Persians ('Ajam). Kuwait stands out in the region as the most liberal in empowering women in the public sphere.

Kuwaiti women The women of Kuwait have experienced many progressive changes since the early 20th century. Since then, women have had increased access to education, gained political and economic rights, and financial power. They can serve in the police, mili ...

outnumber men in the workforce. Kuwaiti political scientist Ghanim Alnajjar sees these qualities as a manifestation of Kuwaiti society as a whole, whereby in the Gulf Arab region it is "the least strict about traditions".

Dewaniya

The Dewaniya has existed in Kuwait since time immemorial. In the old city of Kuwait it was the reception area where a man received his business colleagues and male guests. Today the term refers both to a reception hall and the gathering held in it, and visiting or hosting a dewaniya is an indispensable feature of a Kuwaiti man's social life. Dewaniya became a fundamental part of Kuwaiti life. Hence, it has become a mark in their traditional daily life.

Gargee'an

Qarqe'an is an annual celebration, observed in Kuwait, that takes place between the 13th and 15th nights of

. Gergee'an is marked with children dressing in traditional attire and going door-to-door to receive

sweets Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, i ...

from neighbours, whilst also singing traditional songs. The tradition has existed for hundreds of years and deeply rooted in

Kuwaiti culture Culture of Kuwait describes the cultural aspects of the Kuwaiti society and is part of the Eastern Arabian culture. Kuwaiti popular culture, in the form of dialect poetry, film, theatre, radio and television soap opera, flourishes and is even exp ...

. Although the celebration of Qarqe'an shares superficial similarities with the

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...

custom of

trick-or-treating Trick-or-treating is a traditional Halloween custom for children and adults in some countries. During the evening of Halloween, on October 31, people in costumes travel from house to house, asking for treats with the phrase "trick or treat". The ...

, practiced in some western countries, Qarqe'an has no connection with horror and no associated origin with Halloween.

Media

Kuwait produces more newspapers and magazines per capita than its neighbors. The state-owned

Kuwait News Agency Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) is an official state news wire service based in Kuwait. History and structure KUNA was established in 1956. It was reorganized in 1976 as an independent body. However, it functions as a branch of the Ministry of Inform ...

(KUNA) is the largest media house in the country. The Ministry of Information regulates the media industry in Kuwait. Kuwait's media is annually classified as "partly free" in the

Freedom of Press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exerc ...

survey by Freedom House. Since 2005, Kuwait has frequently earned the highest ranking of all Arab countries in the annual

Press Freedom Index The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders since 2002 based upon the organisation's own assessment of the countries' press freedom records in the previous year. It intends to re ...

by Reporters Without Borders. In 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2014, Kuwait surpassed Israel as the country with the greatest press freedom in the Middle East. Kuwait is also frequently ranked as the Arab country with the greatest press freedom in Freedom House's annual Freedom of Press survey. Kuwait has 15 satellite television channels, of which four are controlled by the Ministry of Information. State-owned

Kuwait Television Kuwait Television is Kuwait's official state-run television station, and part of the Kuwaiti Ministry of information. Kuwait Television has 9 channels and a satellite channel: KTV1, KTV2, KTV Sport, KTV Sport Plus, KTV Kids, alQurain channel, A ...

(KTV) offered first colored broadcast in 1974 and operates five television channels. Government-funded Radio Kuwait also offers daily informative programming in several languages including

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

, Persian,

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' AM and SW.

Literature

Kuwait has in recent years produced several prominent contemporary writers such as

, author of over twenty novels and numerous short story collections. There is also evidence that Kuwaiti literature has long been interactive with English and French literature.

References

{{Culture of Asia

pt:Kuwait#Cultura

Art