The following is a timeline of the history of

Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) 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 is the political, cultural and economic center of the emirate, containing Kuwait's Seif Pal ...

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

, and its metro

surroundings Surroundings, or environs is an area around a given physical or geographical point or place. The exact definition depends on the field. Surroundings can also be used in geography (when it is more precisely known as vicinity, or vicinage) and ...

18th century

* Early 1700s Small fishing village of Grane or Kureyn under the control of the

Bani Khalid Bani Khalid () is an Arab tribal confederation mainly inhabiting the Arabian Peninsula. The tribe ruled southern Iraq, Kuwait, and Eastern Arabia ( al-Hasa and al-Qatif) from the 15th century to the 18th century, and again under the protectio ...

Emirate An emirate is a territory ruled by an emir, a title used by monarchs or high officeholders in the Muslim world. From a historical point of view, an emirate is a political-religious unit smaller than a caliphate. It can be considered equivalent ...

, independent of Ottoman control since 1670 * 1750s

Bani Utbah The Bani Utbah (, plural Utub; ', singular Utbi; ') is an Arab tribal confederation in the Arabian Peninsula. The confederation is thought to have been formed when a group of clans from Najd migrated to Eastern Arabia in the late 17th century ...

migrants establish the

Sheikhdom of Kuwait The Emirate of Kuwait () was an Emirate. The emirate became a British protectorate between 1899 and 1961 following the Anglo-Kuwaiti agreement of 1899. This agreement was made between Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah and the British Government in India, ...

under the auspices of the Bani Khalid * 17751779

Siege of Basra The siege of Basra, code-named Operation Karbala-5 () or The Great Harvest (), was an offensive operation carried out by Iran in an effort to capture the Iraqi port city of Basra in early 1987. This battle, known for its extensive casualties and ...

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

prompts Iraqi merchants and shipwrights to relocate to Kuwait City, along with trade routes from India, Muscat, and Persia to Baghdad, Aleppo, Smyrna, and Constantinople * 1792 E. India Company establishes Kuwaiti factory, tying the city's trade to East Africa

19th century

* 1871 Al-Hasa Expedition returns Kuwait to Ottoman rule * 1875 Kuwait organized as part of Basra Vilayet * 1899 Treaty with the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

signed by Mubarak Al-Sabah

20th century

* 1901 Population: c. 15,000 * 1904

Seif Palace Seif Palace (Arabic, قصر السيف) is a palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Located opposite the Grand Mosque, one of Seif Palace's best-known features is the watch tower, covered in blue tiles and with a roof plated in pure gold. Local material ...

expansion begins * 1912 U.S. mission established * 1915

Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Salim Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah (; born 1864 – 23 February 1921) was the ninth ruler of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait. The second son of Mubarak I he is the progenitor of the Al-Salim branch of the Al-Sabah family ruling from 5 February 1917 to 23 Febr ...

becomes governor of Kuwait City * 1921 City wall built;

Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Damat Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (1885 – 29 January 1950) () was the tenth ruler of the Sheikhdom of Kuwait from 29 March 1921 until his death on 29 January 1950. Biography Ahmad was the son of Jaber II Al-Sabah, who was the eighth r ...

becomes

sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

* 1930 established * 1936 Central Library established * 1948 Population: c. 80,000 * 1950s Hawally development begins near city * 1951 Urban master plan commissioned * 1957 City wall removed;

Kuwait National Museum The Kuwait National Museum is the national museum of Kuwait, located in Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) 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 is ...

founded. * 1961

Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) (), commonly known as the Kuwait Fund, is the State of Kuwait’s agency for the provision and administration of financial and technical assistance to developing countries. History and profil ...

headquartered in city * 1962 City becomes part of newly established Capital Governorate; Nasir Sabah Nasir Mubarak I becomes governor; '' Al-Watan'' newspaper begins publication * 1963

National Assembly of Kuwait The National Assembly (, ''Majlis al-ʾUmma'') is the unicameral legislature of Kuwait. The National Assembly met in Kuwait City. The National Assembly is made up of 50 elected members and 16 directly appointed government ministers (ex officio me ...

headquartered in city. * 1965 Kuwait Transport Company established; public transit begins with route from city center to Fahaheel District; Population: 99,633 * 1966

Kuwait University Kuwait University (, abbreviated as Kuniv) is a public university located in Kuwait City, Kuwait. History Kuwait University (KU), (in Arabic: جامعة الكويت), was established in October 1966 under Act N. 29/1966. The university was of ...

established * 1967

Arab Towns Organization The Arab Towns Organization (ATO) (Arabic: منظمة المدن العربية) is a network which exists to develop cooperation between Arab cities in order to promote their development, while preserving their Arab identity. History and profile ...

headquartered in

Kaifan Kaifan () is an area in Kuwait City; it is located in the governorate of Al Asimah in Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the norther ...

* 1970 Urban master plan commissioned (approximate date) * 1972 ''

Al-Qabas ''Al-Qabas'' () is an Arabic daily Kuwaiti newspaper and tabloid published by Dar Al Qabas Press Printing Publishing and Distribution Company in Kuwait City. History and profile ''Al-Qabas'' was launched on 22 February 1972. The founding share ...

'' newspaper begins publication * 1974 Japanese embassy attacked (7 Feb.) * 1975 International School of Pakistan established in

Al Farwaniyah Farwaniya (, Gulf Arabic: ) is an area of Farwaniya Governorate, located within the agglomeration of Kuwait City, Kuwait. The Ghazali Expressway passes to the west of the district and the road leading to Kuwait International Airport Kuwait In ...

; Population: 78,116 * 1976 '' Al-Anba'' newspaper begins publication;

Kuwait Water Towers The Kuwait Water Towers are a prominent group of 31 water towers in Kuwait City, Kuwait that were completed in 1976. Design and construction In 1965, the government of Kuwait commissioned the Swedish engineering company of VBB (since 1997 Sweco) ...

built * 1979

Kuwait Towers The Kuwait Towers are a group of three thin towers in Kuwait City, standing on a promontory into the Persian Gulf. They were the sixth, and last, group in the larger Kuwait Water Towers system of 34 towers (33 store water; one stores equipment), ...

built; Salim Sabah Nasir Mubarak I becomes

governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

(approximate date);

Jahra Governorate Jahra Governorate ( ) is one of the six governorates of Kuwait. It is the largest Governorate in Kuwait accounting for 63 percent of its land area. It includes the town of Al Jahra, most of the northern and western parts of Kuwait, several isl ...

established near city * 1980

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (; KPC) is Kuwait's major national oil company, headquartered in Al Kuwait. The activities of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation are focused on petroleum exploration, production, petrochemicals, refining, marketing, a ...

headquartered in city * 1982 Kuwait National Assembly Building and Al-Fahed Mosque built * 1983

1983 Kuwait bombings 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

(12 Dec.); Dar Al Athar Al Islamiyyah (cultural entity) established
* 1984

Gulf Cooperation Council The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...

meets * 1985 Jabir Abdallah Jabir Abdallah II becomes

* 1986

Grand Mosque (Kuwait) The Grand Mosque () is the largest mosque in Kuwait. Its area spans , out of which the building itself covers . The main prayer hall is wide on all sides, and has teakwood doors. Natural lighting is provided by 144 windows. Overview and history ...

and Al-Marzook Medical Center and Mosque built * 1988 Lycée Français de Koweït established in

Salmiya Salmiya () is an area in Hawalli Governorate in Kuwait. Salmiya is administratively divided into 12 blocks. The blocks located closer to the interior of the district tend to be mostly residential, while those located beside the Persian Gulf c ...

;

Farwaniya Governorate Farwaniya Governorate ( ) is the most populous of the six governorates of Kuwait, and is the country's only landlocked governorate. It is Kuwait's main residential area and also forms an important part of Kuwait's commercial activities. District ...

established near city * 1990

Invasion of Kuwait The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, codenamed Project 17, began on 2 August 1990 and marked the beginning of the Gulf War. After defeating the Kuwait, State of Kuwait on 4 August 1990, Ba'athist Iraq, Iraq went on to militarily occupy the country fo ...

by Iraqi forces (24 Aug.) * 1991 Iraqis ousted (Feb.) * 1993 Liberation Tower (Kuwait) and Al-Mubarrah Community Center built; Urban master plan created by Kuwait Municipality * 1994 National Library of Kuwait headquartered in city * 1995 Population: 28,747 in Kuwait City * 1998 Al-Sharq Waterfront built * 1999

Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate () is one of the governorates of Kuwait which mainly houses residential areas of Kuwait City Kuwait City (; ) is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. Located at the heart of the country on the south shore of ...

established near city

21st century

* 2001 Population: 388,532 in Capital Governorate * 2002

2002 West Asian Games The 2002 West Asian Games was the second edition of the multi-sport event for countries in West Asia and was held in Kuwait City from 3 to 12 April 2002. The competition was initially expected to be organised in Qatar in 1999, but due to unforesee ...

held (Apr.) * 2003 Museum of Modern Art opens; Urban master plan created * 2004

Tower built;

American University of Kuwait The American University of Kuwait (AUK) (Arabic: الجامعة الأمريكية في الكويت) is a private liberal arts institution located in Salmiya, Kuwait. Established in 2003 by Amiri decree, AUK is affiliated with Dartmouth College ...

opens in

* 2005 Dar Al Awadi Tower built in Sharq * 2006

General election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

held 29 June, the first including female voters * 2008

Kuwait International Airport Kuwait International Airport (, ) is an international airport located in the Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait, south of the centre of Kuwait City, spread over an area of . As of 2024 it is the 11th busiest airport in the Middle East. It serves a ...

's new terminal built * 2009

Arraya Tower The Arraya Tower is a skyscraper completed in 2009 in Kuwait City, Kuwait. The tower serves as a grade-A office structure. With sixty storeys, and 300 metres high (with a 45-metre spire), the building was the tallest tower in Kuwait until the con ...

built * 2011 Al Hamra Tower built * 2014 Population: 538,053 in Capital Governorate, 1,094,576 in

, 898,401 in

Hawalli Governorate Hawalli Governorate ( ) is one of the six governorates of Kuwait, consisting of the following areas: Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah became governor in 1962. A more recent governor of the Hawalli governorate is Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah ...

, and 232,428 in

References

Bibliography

;Published in 19th century * * ;Published in 20th century * * * * * * * * * ;Published in 21st century * * * * {{Coord, 29.369722, 47.978333, type:city, display=title Capital Governorate (Kuwait)