Kuwait’s Polity

Kuwait was founded in the early 1700s after tribes from Central Arabia settled in the Bay of Kuwait City. The Al-Sabah family has been in power since 1756. Fearful that the Ottoman Empire would expand further south, Kuwait came under British protection in 1899. In 1961 Kuwait gained independence from Britain while Iraq pressed a territorial claim to the country. Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait on August 2, 1990. On February 26, 1991, a US-led international coalition liberated Kuwait by ousting Iraqi troops.

            Kuwait is a hereditary Amirate with an elected National Assembly and a democratic style of governance. HH the Amir is the Head of State and appoints the Prime Minister who heads the Government. The Constitution provides for separation of powers among the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature. Unicameral National Assembly (Majlis Al-Umma) with 50 members elected for a four-year term.  Number of constituencies was reduced to 5 in July 2006. Ministers are not elected but sit as ex-officio MPs. The number of Ministers is fixed at 16 including the PM (⅓rd the strength of the House). One MP has to be included in the Council of Ministers. To complete the National Assembly quorum, at least one Cabinet Minister has to attend session.

Following the demise of the 13th Amir, HH Sheikh Jaber AI-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in January 2006, the Kuwaiti cabinet announced the appointment of the Crown Prince, HH Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, as the 14th Amir of Kuwait.   However, due to his ill health, then Prime Minister HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was appointed the 15th Amir of Kuwait. HH the Amir appointed HH Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as the new Crown Prince and HH Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as the new Prime Minister on February 7, 2006.

The last elections (13th) to the 50-member National Assembly (Parliament) of Kuwait were held on May 16, 2009, following which Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah was reappointed. 

India-Kuwait Relations

India and Kuwait enjoy traditionally friendly relations. These are based in history and have stood the test of time. Geographic proximity, historical trade links, cultural affinities and presence of a large number of Indian expatriates continue to sustain and nurture this long standing relationship. India has been a natural trading partner and a destination for higher learning. Until 1961, the Indian Rupee was legal tender in Kuwait. High level visits from India to Kuwait include those by Hon’ble Vice President of India Dr. Zakir Husain in 1965, by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1981 and by Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri M Hamid Ansari in 2009. High level visits from Kuwait to India have included those by HH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah in November 1964, HH the Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in 1980 and again in 1983 (for the NAM Summit), and HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in 2006.

Visit of Hon’ble Vice President of India (April 2009)

            The official visit of the Hon’ble Vice President of India (HVP) Shri M Hamid Ansari, accompanied by Smt. Salma Ansari, to Kuwait took place from April 6-8, 2009, at the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince of the State of Kuwait.  During the visit, HVP called on His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait, and had substantive discussions with him and HH the Crown Prince. Acting Prime Minister and First DPM/Defence Minister HE Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, DPM/Foreign Minister HE Sheikh (Dr.) Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Minister of Oil HE Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Minister of Finance HE Mr Mustafa Jassim Al-Shimali called on HVP during his stay in Kuwait to discuss matters of mutual interest. 

Three agreements were signed during the visit - Education Exchange Programme 2009-2011, Agreement on Cooperation in Science & Technology and Cultural Exchange Programme 2009-2011. From the Kuwaiti side, the first two agreements were signed by the Minister for Education HE Mrs Nouriya Subeeh Barrak Al-Subeeh and the last one by Minister of Information Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. From the Indian side, all three agreements were signed by the Ambassador of India to Kuwait.

HVP addressed the Kuwaiti business community in a function organized by Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry.  He also interacted with the Indian community in Kuwait at a reception hosted by the Ambassador of India to Kuwait.  HVP, accompanied by Smt. Ansari, visited the Grand Mosque and the Kuwait Scientific Centre.  Smt. Ansari paid separate visit to Sadu House, Tareq Rajab Museum and Kuwait Towers.

            HVP was received and seen off at the Kuwait airport by His Highness the Crown Prince accompanied by Acting Prime Minister and other senior Kuwaiti dignitaries including the Deputy Chief of the National Guard Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh (Dr.) Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Advisor at the Amiri Diwan and head of the honorary mission Mohammad Abdullah Abulhassan, Governors and other senior officials.
           
Visit of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait (June 2006)

From the Kuwaiti side, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait, visited India from June 14-19, 2006 accompanied by senior Ministers and officials.  HH the Amir held talks with the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister of India.  In New Delhi HH the Amir addressed a luncheon meeting of representatives of apex Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI.  In Mumbai, HH the Amir met the Governor of Maharashtra and addressed a meeting organized by CII.

Three Agreements were concluded during the visit.  These were an Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement and for the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income (DTAA); an Agreement on Drug Demand Reduction and Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemicals and Related Matters; and an Executive Programme for the Cultural and Information Exchanges between India and Kuwait for the years 2006 – 2008.

Other Recent High Level Exchanges

Mr. Faisal Al Hajji Bukhadour, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, accompanied by Under Secretary of Civil Service Commission Mr. Mohammed Al Roomi paid an official visit to India to meet his counterpart, Minister of State for Personnel from Feb 3-7, 2009. He also met with MOS (EA).

There has been regular exchange of visits at the Ministerial level. Visits to India include those of Dr. Ismael Khudhur Shatti, Minister of Communications on June 28, 2006 and Engr. Falah Fahed Mohammad Al-Hajri, Minister of Commerce and Industry to Bangalore to attend the CII Partnership Summit in Bangalore on January 17-19, 2007. The Foreign Minister HE Sheikh (Dr.) Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah visited India in August 2004.  During the visit to India, three bilateral agreements were signed in addition to the Indo-GCC Framework Agreement for Economic Cooperation. 

A 5-member delegation of the Kuwait-India Parliamentary Friendship Group led by Dr. Dhaifallah Buramaiah, MP visited Delhi from March 9-12, 2008, and called on the Hon’ble Speaker and Hon’ble MOS (EA). 

From India, recent visits have included those of Minister of State for External Affairs Mr. E. Ahamed on April 16-17, 2006 on a bilateral visit; on October 16, 2006 for meetings with the Kuwaiti leadership; on November 26-27, 2006 to co-Chair the first meeting of the Kuwait-India Joint Ministerial Commission; on March 10, 2006 to canvas for India’s bid to host the 17th Asian Games in Delhi in 2014; from January 29-31, 2008; and on May 15, 2008 to convey condolences on the demise of the Father Amir His Highness Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah on behalf of Government of India to the Royal Family and the people of Kuwait. Shri S M Krishna External Affairs Minister transited Kuwait on July 12/13, 2009, en route to attend the 15th NAM Summit at Sharm El Sheikh.

Shri Sultan Ahmed, Minister of State for Tourism, Government of India, visited Kuwait from Oct 8-9, 2009. A major multi-product Road Show in Kuwait was organised on October 8, 2009, to which members of the Kuwaiti travel & tourism industry were invited.  Approximately 25 members of the Indian Association of Tour Operators participated in the one-to-one Buyer-Seller Meeting that was conducted as part of the Road Show.  The Road Show gave a special focus to promoting “health tourism” from Kuwait to the Indian State of Kerala. In this context, the Minister of Health of Kerala, Smt P K Sreemathy Teacher led a Kerala Medical Tourism delegation to Kuwait from Oct 7-9, 2009.

International Cooperation

India and Kuwait share common perceptions on various regional and international issues and have cooperated in regional and international fora.  There have been several high level discussions and consultations at political and senior diplomatic levels as well as exchange of visits between the two countries. 

India and Kuwait have signed various Agreements to provide a framework for the development of their bilateral relations.  These include:

• Cultural Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the State of Kuwait signed on November 2, 1970. 

• Trade Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of the State of Kuwait signed on February 13, 1974.

• Cooperation Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of the State of Kuwait signed on February 15, 1992.  

• MOU on cooperation in the field of telecommunication between the Government of India and the Government of the State of Kuwait signed on February 19, 1992.

• Protocol between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) of the Republic of India and Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) for Scientific and Technical Cooperation signed on June 16, 1995. 

• Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of External Affairs of the Republic of India and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait on the Conducting of Bilateral Consultations signed on July 9, 2000.  

• Agreement between the State of Kuwait and the Republic of India for the Encouragement and Reciprocal Protection of Investment signed on November 27, 2001.

• Academic Agreement between Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi and Faculty of Arts, Kuwait University signed on December 2003.

• Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters signed on August 25, 2004.   

• Extradition Treaty between the Republic of India and the State of Kuwait signed on August 25, 2004.

• MOU for Establishment of Indo-Kuwait Strategic Consultative Group signed on August 25, 2004.

• Agreement on Juridical and Judicial Cooperation in Civil and Commercial Matters signed on August 16, 2005.  

• Agreement on Drug Demand Reduction and Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Percursor Chemicals and Related Matters signed on June 15, 2006.

• Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement and for the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income (DTAA) between India and Kuwait signed on June 15, 2006.

• MoU on Labour, Employment and Manpower Development signed on April 10, 2007.

• MoU on Cooperation between the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and Kuwait’s State Audit Bureau signed on July 15, 2008.

• Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation between India and Kuwait signed on April 7, 2009.

• Executive Programme for the Cultural and Information Exchanges between India and Kuwait for the years 2009 - 2011 signed on April 7, 2009.

• Executive Programme for Education and Learning Cooperation between India and Kuwait for the years 2009 - 2011 signed on April 7, 2009.

Kuwait is an active member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), while India and the GCC are dialogue partners. Five India-GCC meetings have been held in New York on the margins of the UNGA – the first in September 2003, followed by those in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009. The Fifth India-GCC Political Dialogue meeting was held in New York on 25 September, 2009, on the sidelines of the 64th UNGA session in New York. The Indian delegation was led by EAM Shri S.M. Krishna.

Joint Ministerial Commission

An “Agreement between India and Kuwait for the promotion of Economic, Commercial and Technical Cooperation” was signed in Kuwait in February 1992 during the visit of then EAM Shri Madhavsinh Solanki.  At the same time both sides also agreed to set up an “Indo-Kuwait Joint Ministerial Commission on Economic and Technical Cooperation”.  During the visit of the Amir to India in June 2006, it was decided that the Joint Commission for Economic and Commercial Cooperation would hold its first meeting in the last quarter of 2006. 

Accordingly, the first meeting of the India-Kuwait Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) for Trade and Economic Cooperation took place in Kuwait on November 25-27, 2006.  The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. E. Ahamed, Minister of State for External Affairs on the Indian side and Mr. Bader Meshari Al-Homeidhi, Finance Minister from the Kuwaiti side.  Discussions were held in four Working Groups dealing with Labour and Employment; Trade, Investment and Finance; Energy, Petroleum, Petrochemicals and Fertilisers; and Science & Technology, Information Technology and Communications, Health and Education.

The second meeting of the India-Kuwait Joint Ministerial Commission was held in New Delhi on July 1-3, 2008. It was co-chaired by Mr. E. Ahamed, Minister of State for External Affairs from India and Mr. Mustafa Jassim Al-Shamali, Minister of Finance from Kuwait. Among the notable decisions of the JMC included forming of a Joint Working Group (JWG) on Hydrocarbons and setting up of a technical level mechanism to review the implementation of the decisions arrived at the Joint Ministerial Commission Meeting.

The next meeting of the JMC is scheduled from March 22-24, 2010 in Kuwait. 

Culture, Science & Technology and Education

In the field of culture, education, science & technology and media, there have been series of regular exchanges between Kuwait and India.  A Cultural Exchange Programme, a MoU in the field of Science & Technology and a Memorandum of Understanding between Kuwait University and Jamia Millia Islamia provide a framework for regular exchanges.  During the visit of His Highness the Amir in June 2006, an Executive Programme for Cultural and Information Exchanges for 2006-08 was signed. During the HVP’s visit to Kuwait in April 2009, the Executive Programme for Cultural and Information Exchanges for 2009-11 were signed.  An agreement to cooperate in the field of Science and Technology has also been signed during the HVP visit.

A “Festival of India in Kuwait” was organized from November 8-14, 2009. It was co-hosted by the Indian Ministry of Culture and the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, State of Kuwait and provided glimpses of performing arts and visual arts from various regions of India. The Festival of India was held across multiple venues in Kuwait, such as the Kaifan Auditorium, the Grand Mosque Auditorium, Al-Sadu House, Al-Fanoon Hall, Discovery Centre, and the Avenues Mall. It was inaugurated by the Kuwaiti Minister of Oil and Minister of Information. It included cultural performances and exhibitions at multiple venues by a 130 strong contingent of top artistes from India. The festival showcased performances by renowned musicians and dancers from India, and included displays of contemporary art, folk art, textiles, photographs, calligraphy, dolls, as well as puppet shows.

The performing arts events include a flute recital by Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, santoor recitals by Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, flute recitals by Pandit Rajendra Prasanna, tabla recitals by Rimpa Siva, Odissi dances by Ranjana Gauhar and her troupe, besides performances by exponents of a wide variety of other Indian classical and folk dance styles. Seven top dance troupes that participated presented Manipuri Raas and Phung Cholam from Manipur, Oppanna bridal dance from Kerala, festive warrior dances from Nagaland, Dandia Raas and Garba from Gujarat, Chhau from Bengal, Bhangra from Punjab, as well as Odissi from Orissa and Kathakali from Kerala. Visual arts on display included an Exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy and an Exhibition of Indian Muslim Religious Posters and Calendar Art brought from the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, an Exhibition of Indian Woven Textiles including Benaras silk saris and traditional shawls from Kutch, an Exhibition of Traditional Indian Dolls, and an Exhibition of Photographs of Mumbai through the Ages. In addition, Traditional and Shadow Puppet shows from Karnataka and Rajasthan were held, besides demonstration of the weaving of Indian textiles, of Madhubani Folk Art, and of the traditional art of Henna Application.

Indian Community in Kuwait

According to the Kuwaiti Ministry of Interior, there are 5,88,930 Indians as on December 8, 2009, who constitute the largest expatriate community in Kuwait. The Indian community is regarded by the Kuwaitis as the community of first preference among the expatriates in Kuwait.  Kuwait views India as a fast growing economy and a source of highly qualified professional and technical personnel. 

Professionals like engineers, doctors, chartered accountants, scientists, software experts, management and financial consultants, architects, skilled workers like technicians and nurses, semi-skilled workers, retail traders and businessmen mainly constitute the Indian community. A large proportion of the Indian expatriates are also unskilled and semi-skilled workers.   In the field of health, India not only supplies top specialists but also para-medical staff who enjoy a high reputation.

Inward remittances from Kuwait to India are substantial and are upwards of US$ 3 billion.

The MoU on Labour, Employment and Manpower Development signed in April 2007 entered into force with effect from October 18, 2007. 

There are 17 Indian Schools in Kuwait affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education. There are 114 Indian community Associations registered with the Embassy.