Archive-name: kuwait-faq ************************************************************************ **** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ************************************************************************ **** * 1: INTRODUCTION + 1.1 Copyright + 1.2 Disclaimer + 1.3 New version updates + 1.4 Group objectives + 1.5 Posting guidelines * 2: GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT KUWAIT + 2.1 Historical Preview + 2.2 Constitution o 2.2.1 Sovereignty o 2.2.2 Executive Authority o 2.2.3 Legislature o 2.2.4 Civil Service o 2.2.5 Public Liberties + 2.3 Flag Description + 2.4 Geography & Demography o 2.4.1 Location o 2.4.2 Capital o 2.4.3 Climate o 2.4.4 Language o 2.4.5 Religion o 2.4.6 Area & Population o 2.4.7 Provinces o 2.4.8 Major Cities + 2.5 Kuwait Today * 3: BUSINESS INFORMATION + 3.1 What are the addresses of Kuwait offices in the U.S.? + 3.2 What are the addresses of Kuwait offices in the U.K.? + 3.3 What are the addresses of Kuwait offices in France? + 3.4 What are the addresses of Foreign offices in Kuwait? o 3.4.1 American Embassy o 3.4.2 British Emabassy o 3.4.3 Canadian Embassy + 3.5 What are the addresses of Kuwaiti Corporations? + 3.6 What is the current exchange rate of the KD? + 3.7 Who Are Kuwait's Principal Trading Partners? o 3.7.1 Imports as of 1989 o 3.7.2 Exports as of 1989 * 4: INTERNET ACCESS IN KUWAIT + 4.1 Kuwait University o 4.1.1 Faculty of Science o 4.1.2 Faculty of Medicine o 4.1.3 Faculty of Engineering + 4.2 Commercial Inernet Access Availability + 4.3 Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation (KNPC) + 4.4 Public Authority for Applied Edu. & Training (PAAET) + 4.5 Kuwait Institute fot Scientific Research (KISR) + 4.6 Ministry of Communication (MOC) * 5: TRAVEL INFORMATION + 5.1 Kuwait International Airport (KWI) + 5.2 Kuwait Airways + 5.3 Travel Bibliography 1: INTRODUCTION ================ discussion of Kuwaiti culture, society, and history. This document contains a collection of frequently asked questions about Kuwait and their corresponding answers. This FAQ has a posting frequency of 2/month. The posting dates are the seventh & the twenty second of every month. All internet addresses in this document are in compliance with the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) specifications. I hope that this document will be a helpful resource for everyone. I would like to thank all the people who provided me with any kind of help to get this FAQ compiled, especially those ones who contributed considerable amounts of their time & effort to support my work. AL-Saegh, Ammar T. | P.O.Box:44 | http://civlab0.civil.mtu.edu:3770 Structural Eng. Student | Houghton, | ftp://ftp.civil.mtu.edu/pub/ammar Advanced Systems Consultant | MI 49931 | gopher://mtu- ns.mtu.edu:105/2?ammar Michigan Technological Univ.| USA | finger: ammar@civlab0.civil.mtu.edu Contributors list: 1) Mr. Jeff Bacon - General Systems Hack, Michigan Technological Univ (USA). (bacon@mtu.edu) 2) Mr. John Temples III - System Administrator, Gulfnet Kuwait (Kuwait). (john@gulfa.ods.gulfnet.kw) 3) Mr. Ibrahim Dashti - Computer Science Student, Simon Fraser Univ (Canada). (dashti@sfu.ca) This FAQ is available through the following anonymous ftp sites: Master Copy 1) ftp://ftp.civil.mtu.edu/pub/ammar/kuwait/kuwait-faq Australia Austria 1) ftp://ftp.univie.ac.at/archive/faq/kuwait-faq Brazil 1) ftp://ftp.unicamp.br/pub1/gopher-data/FAQ-RFC-DICAS/kuwait-faq.Z Canada 1) ftp://julian.uwo.ca/doc/FAQ/kuwait-faq Finland 1) ftp://nic.funet.fi/pub/mirrors/usenet-by-hierarchy/soc/answers/kuwait- faq.gz France 1) ftp://ftp.ibp.fr/pub2/doc/faqs/kuwait-faq.gz 2) ftp://ftp.jussieu.fr/pub2/doc/faqs/kuwait-faq.gz 3) ftp://ftp.pasteur.fr/pub/FAQ/kuwait-faq 4) ftp://ftp.univ-lille1.fr/pub/unix/faq/kuwait-faq Germany 3) ftp://ftp.informatik.tu- 5) ftp://ftp.uni-trier.de/pub/info/faq/kuwait-faq/kuwait-faq.gz 7) ftp://gwdu30.gwdg.de/rtfm/usenet-by-hierarchy/soc/culture/kuwait faq Ireland Italy 1) _FAQ Japan 4) ftp://ftp.mei.co.jp/free/news/answers/kuwait-faq.gz 5) ftp://ras.ncc.go.jp/pub/mirror/faq/kuwait-faq Korea Kuwait 1) ftp://ftp.ods.gulfnet.kw/pub/kuwait/kuwait-faq Netherlands 1) ftp://ftp.cs.ruu.nl/pub/NEWS.ANSWERS/kuwait-faq Norway Poland Singapore 1) Sweden 1) Taiwan 1) ftp://ccsun42.csie.nctu.edu.tw/pub/FAQ/soc/answers/kuwait-faq.gz 2) ftp://ftp.ccu.edu.tw/pub/faq/alt/answers/kuwait-faq.gz 3) ftp://ftp.csie.nctu.edu.tw/pub/FAQ/soc/answerskuwait-faq.gz 4) ftp://gate.sinica.edu.tw/pub/USENET-FAQ/alt/answers/kuwait-faq.gz 6) ftp://nctuccca.edu.tw/USENET/FAQ/news/answers/kuwait-faq.gz UK 3) ftp://phoenix.doc.ic.ac.uk/usenet/usenet-by-hierarchy/alt/answers/kuwait- faq 4) ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/usenet/usenet-by-hierarchy/news/answers/kuwait- faq USA Archive) 5) ftp://mcsun.eu.net/disk0/documents/faq/kuwait-faq.Z 1.1 Copyright -------------- Compilation copyright (c) 1994 by AL-Saegh, Ammar T. Non-commercial copy & redistribution of this document is permitted in its complete unaltered form. Modification of this document or any other use which is not specified in this copyright without a written permission of the author is strictly forbidden. 1.2 Disclaimer --------------- This FAQ is presented as is with no warranties or guarantees of any kind. 1.3 New Version Updates ------------------------ Version 1.01 Sat 2.25.95 - More information updates from the world factbook94. 2.4.1 Location 2.4.3 Climate & Terrain 2.4.5 Religion 2.4.6 Area & Population 3: Business Info - Addresses of some foreign embassies in Kuwait were provided by Mr. Ibrahim Dashti. - New chapter about Tavelling to Kuwait is created with help of Mr. Ibrahim Dashti. Visiting Kuwait section is moved to there as an introduction. 5.1 Kuwait International Airport. 5.2 Kuwait Airaways. 5.3 Travel Bibliography - KISR & the MOC have been added to the internet sites in Kuwait. not enough info so far. 1.4 Group Objectives --------------------- is highly appreciated. We are looking forward for this newsgroup to be a "Safe Haven" in the usenet; away from the flame-wars which are associated with many other newsgroups. Hopefully this newsgroup will be a healthy environment where Kuwaitis & Non-Kuwaitis inside & outside Kuwait can participate in educated objective discussions that will promote intercultural communication among people from different parts of the world who might have different cultural, social, and educational backgrounds. In addition to the friendly & educational nature of this newsgroup, we would like to maintain a semi-professional aspect by encouraging individuals as well as organizations to seek & provide business advisement and technical assistance through this newsgroup. We can think of this newsgroup as an international resource which all of us can benefit from by using it to get in touch, make friends, and learn from each others. 1.5 Posting Guidelines ----------------------- No posting requirements are needed in this newsgroup. Everyone is encouraged to post and participate in discussions taking place in here. Nevertheless, following usenet "Netiquette" will make you and everyone who reads your posts much happier in the long run. Here are few guidelines on how to do so: 1.5.1 Be nice to everybody. Treat everyone in here the way you would treat your loved ones :) unless if you happen to be a sadist, and you derive a lot of pleasure by inflicting pain on the people you love :-D 1.5.2 By flaming others, you are only creating a bad image of yourself. So; be good to yourself, don't flame anyone! If a flame-war becomes inevitable, carry it through email. No one enjoys watching people bicker incessantly. 1.5.3 Try to use clear subjects to your articles which are short & precise. It's also helpful to tag your subject to make it more indicative when necessary. 1.5.4 Use a reasonable tone of voice. Only use capital letters when you really need to do so. USING ALL UPPER CASE LITTERS IN THE USENET IS EQUIVALENT TO SHOUTING IN REAL LIFE. DO NOT USE CAPITALIZATION IF YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO SO! 1.5.5 NEVER use profane expressions. Profanity can be socially and religiously provocative for a lot of people. Please try to be as civilized as you can when you post in here. 1.5.6 A lot of people who might post in this newsgroup learned English as foreign language. They might not be very successful in articulating their thoughts and ideas. Also, some people might not be very familiar with UNIX text editors such as vi which may cause their posts to be somewhat messy. Please don't make fun of those people. Everyone should feel welcome to post & followup in here. You can help those people by sending them your comments in this regard privately via email. 1.5.7 Always sign your articles with your real name (preferably your full name). If you have changed your finger name for any reason make sure to set it back to your real name before you post. Posting articles by anonymous authors is extremely unprofessional behavior. 1.5.8 Never post any email messages sent to you without a prior authorization to do so by the person sent you the message. email messages should always remain to be confidential. 1.5.9 When you followup on an article and wish to quote another person, edit out whatever not applicable to your reply. Also, maintain followups in the same thread. Only post a followup as a new post if you want to deviate from the original subject. 1.5.10 If you want to test your message please do so in testing newsgroups newsgroup. 1.5.11 Don't crosspost to this newsgroup unless if you're required to do so by usenet conventions. 1.5.12 Newsgroups come in all different colors and flavors :) to optimize the purpose of your article you must first select the most fit group to post it. As indicated by the charter, this group deals with Kuwaiti culture, society, and history. Articles not directly related to these topics could be posted in other newsgroups which are more related to their contents. Some other available groups which you might be interested in are: talk.politics.mideast, Use your best judgement as to which group your article will fit the most ;) 2: GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT KUWAIT ==================================== This chapter contains general information about Kuwait. 2.1 Historical Preview ----------------------- During the years of the Ottoman rule during the 16th century, Kuwait was an autonomous arab monarchy, with an administration controlled by a Sheikh of the Sabah family, which continues to be the ruling dynasty. In 1899, fearing an extension of Turkish control, the ruler of Kuwait made a treaty with the United Kingdom, accepting British protection while surrendering control over external relations. In 1918, at the end of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire was dissolved, and nominal Turkish sovereignty over Kuwait ended. The sheikhdom remained a self-governing British protectorate until 1961. During the reign of Sheikh Ahmed (1921-1950), work began on the development of Kuwait's petroleum industry, the basis of the country's modern prosperity. Petroleum was first discovered in Kuwait in 1938, but exploration was interrupted by the Second World War. After 1945, drilling resumed on a large scale, and extensive deposits of petroleum were found. Supported by revenues from petroleum exploitation, Kuwait City developed from a small dhow port into a thriving modern commercial center. Sheikh Ahmad was succeeded in 1950 by his cousin, Sheikh Abdullah AL-Salim AL-Sabah, who used petroleum revenues substantially for the welfare of his people. A program of public works and educational development, inaugurated in 1951, transformed Kuwait into a well-equipped country, with a comprehensive system of welfare services. 2.2 Constitution ----------------- The principal provisions of the constitution, promulgated on 16 November 1962, are set out below. On 29 August 1976 the Amir suspended four articles of the Constitution dealing with the National Assembly. On 24 August 1980 the Amir issued a decree ordering the establishment of an elected national úÿ úÿ(Continued from last message) assembly before the end of February 1981. The new Assembly was elected on 23 February 1981, and fresh legislative election followed on 20 February 1985. The National Assembly was dissolved by Amiri decree in July 1986, and some sections of the constitution, including the stipulation that new elections should be held within two months od dissolving the Assembly, were suspended. A new national assembly was elected on 5 October and convened on 20 October 1992. 2.2.1 Sovereignty Kuwait is an independent sovereign Arab State; its sovereignty may not be surrendered, and no part of its territory may be relinquished. Offensive war is prohibited by the Constitution. Succession as Amir is restricted to heirs of the late Mubarak AL-Sabah, and an Heir Apparent must be appointed within one year of the accession of a new Amir. 2.2.2 Executive Authority Executive power is vested in the Amir, who exercises it through the Council of Ministers. The Amir will appoint and dismiss ministers on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Ministers need not be members on the National Assembly, though all ministers who are not Assembly members assume membership ex officio in the Assembly for the duration of office. The Amir also formulates laws, which shall not be effective unless published in the Official Gazette. The Amir establishes public institutions. All decrees issued in these respects shall be conveyed to the Assembly. No law is issued unless it is approved by the Assembly. 2.2.3 Legislature A National Assembly of 50 members will be elected for a four-year term by all natural-born literate Kuwait males over the age of 21, except servicemen and police, who may not vote. Candidates for election must posses the franchise and be over 30 years of age. The assembly will convene for at least eight months in any year, and new elections shall be held within two months of the last dissolution of the outgoing assembly. Restrictions on the commercial activities of ministers include an injunction forbidding them to sell property to the government. The Amir may ask for reconsideration of a bill passed by the Assembly and sent to him for ratification, but the bill would automatically become law if it were subsequently passed by a two-thirds majority at the next sitting, or by a simple majority at a subsequent sitting. The Amir may declare martial law, but only with the approval of the Assembly. The assembly may pass a vote of `no confidence' in a minister, in which case the Minister must resign. Such a vote is not permissible in the case of the Prime Minister, but the Assembly may approach the Amir on the matter, and the Amir shall either dismiss the Prime Minister or dissolve the Assembly. 2.2.4 Civil Services Entry to the civil service is confined to Kuwait citizens 2.2.5 Public Liberties Kuwaitis are equal before the law in prestige, rights and duties. Individual freedom is guaranteed. No one shall be seized, arrested or exiled except within the rules of law. No punishment shall be administered except for an act or abstaining from an act considered a crime in accordance with a law applicable at the time when the act is commited, and no penalty shall be imposed more severe than that which could have been imposed at the time of committing the crime. Freedom of opinion is guaranteed to everyone, and each has the right to express himself through speech, writing or other means within the limits of law. The press is free within the limits of law, and it should not be suppressed except in accordance with the dictates of law. Freedom of performing religious rites is protected by the State according to prevailing customs, provided it does not violate the public order and morality. Trade unions will be permitted and property must be respected. An owner is not banned from managing his property except within the boundaries of law. No property should be taken from anyone, except within the prerogatives of law, unless a just compensation be given. Houses may not be entered, except in cases provided by law. Every Kuwaiti has freedom of movement and choice of place of residence within the state. This right shall not be controlled except in cases stipulated by law. Every person has the right to education and freedom to choose his type of work. Freedom to form peaceful societies is guaranteed within the limits of law. 2.3 Flag Description --------------------- The national flag (proportions 2 by 1) has three equal horizontal stripes, of green, white and red, with a superimposed black trapezoid at the hoist. 2.4 Geography & Demography --------------------------- Following is a brief description of Kuwait's geography & demography. 2.4.1 Location The State of Kuwait lies at the north-west extreme of the Arabian (Persian) Gulf, bordered to the north-west by Iraq, and to south by Saudi Arabia. The State comprises a mainland region and nine small islands. The larges Kuwaiti island is Bubiyan, although the most populous is Failaka. Immediately to the south of Kuwait, along the Gulf, lies a neutral (Partitioned) Zone of 5,700 sq km, which is shared between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The total land area of kuwait is 17,818 sq km. kuwait shares 464 km of boundries with its neighbours. 242 km with iraq, and 222 km with saudi arabia. 2.4.2 Capital The capital of Kuwait is Kuwait City. 2.4.3 Climate & Terrain Much of the country is arid desert, and the climate is generally hot and humid. Summer temperatures may exceed 50 degrees C (122 degrees F), and in january, the coldest month, temperatures range between -2.8 degrees C and 28.3 degrees C (27 to 85 degrees F). Annual rainfall varies from 10mm (0.4 in) to 370mm (14.6 in). The terrain is flat to slightly undulating desert plain. 2.4.4 Language The official language is Arabic, which is spoken by virtually all Kuwaiti nationals (estimated, on the basis of later definition, to have comprised 28.6% of Kuwait's population at mid-1990) and by many of the non-Kuwaiti residents of the country. English is also used in commercial circles. 2.4.5 Religion The Kuwaiti inhabitants are mainly Muslims. However, adherents of other religious beliefs can freely practice their rituals in Kuwait. Moslims in kuwait comprise 85% of the total population (kuwaitis+non kuwaitis). 2.4.6 Area & Population Area ................................. 17,818 sq km (6,880 sq mi) Population (Kuwaitis + Non-Kuwaitis) 1980 ................................. 1,357,952 1985 ................................. 1,697,301 1988 ................................. 1,899,377 1989 ................................. 1,979,149 1990 ................................. 2,062,275 1994 ................................. 1,819,322 The population at mid 1990 comprised: Kuwaiti Males ........................ 295,039 Kuwaiti Females ...................... 294,182 Non-Kuwaiti Males .................... 839,675 Non-Kuwaiti Females .................. 633,379 Total Kuwaitis ....................... 589,221 Total Non-Kuwaitis ................... 1,473,054 Total Population ..................... 2,062,275 Percentage of Kuwaitis ............... 29% Kuwaiti:Non-Kuwaiti ratio ............ 1:2.50 Population Density (per sq km) ....... 115.7 It was estimated that in late 1992 Kuwait had a population of 1,350,000. Population Growth Rate ............... 5.24% (1994 est) Birth Rate ........................... 29.43/1000 Death Rate ........................... 2.37/1000 Net Migration Rate ................... 25.35/1000 Infant Mortality Rate ................ 12.5/1000 Life Expectancy (total) .............. 74.99 years Life Expectancy (male) ............... 72.83 years Life Expectancy (female) ............. 77.25 years Total Fertility Rate ................. 4 cildren/woman Literacy Rate (total) ................ 73% (1990 est) Literacy Rate (male) ................. 77% Literacy Rate (female) ............... 67% Labor Force .......................... 566,000 (1986 est) 2.4.7 Provinces (1985 census) Province Area (sq km) Population Capital ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ AL-Asema 199.8 241,356 Kuwait City Hawalli 238.4 493,127 Hawalli Farwaniya 210.0 420,020 Farwaniya AL-Jahra 11,230.2 241,285 Jahra AL-Ahmadi 5,119.6 301,513 Ahmadi City 2.4.8 Major Cities (1985 census) Kuwait City .......................... 44,335 Salmiya .............................. 153,369 Hawalli .............................. 145,126 Jaleeb al-shuyukh .................... 114,771 Jahra ................................ 111,222 South Kheetan ........................ 69,256 Farwaniya ............................ 68,701 Sabahiya ............................. 60,787 Fahaheel ............................. 50,081 Abraq Kheetan ........................ 45,120 2.5 Kuwait Today Kuwait has had a remarkable recovery from the Iraqi invasion of 1990. The oil well fires were put out in less than a year, when many people estimated it would take two years or more. Driving around Kuwait, there is very little visible evidence of the war which occured, and life is, for the most part, back to normal. However, there are still scars on the environment which may take years to repair. 3: BUSINESS INFORMATION ======================== Kuwait is a small and relatively open economy with proven crude oil reserves of about 94 billion barrels - 10% of world reserves. Kuwait has rebuiltits war-ravaged petroleum sector; its crude oil production at least 2.0 million barrels per day by the end of 1993. The government ran a sizable fiscal deficit in 1993. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of GDP and 90% of export and government revenues. National product (GDP) ............... $25.7 billion (1993 est.) GDP real growth rate ................. 15% (1993 est.) GDP per capita ....................... $15,100 (1993 est.) Inflation rate ....................... 3% (1993) Unemployment rate .................... NEGL% (1992 est.) Budget (revenues) .................... $9 billion Budget (expenditures) ................ $13 billion Exports .............................. $10.5 billion (1993 est.) Imports .............................. $6 billion (1993 est.) External Dept ........................ $7.2 billion (1989 est.) 3.1 What are the addresses of Kuwait offices in the U.S.? ---------------------------------------------------------- Following are the addresses of Kuwait offices in the U.S. 3.1.1 Embassy & Chancery 2940 Tilden Street NW Washington, D.C. 20008 Tel: (202) 966-0707 Fax: (202) 966-0517 Consulate: (202) 966-1897 Open 10AM-1PM. 3.1.2 Permanent Mission to the U.N. 321 East 44th Street New York, NY 10017 Tel: (212) 973-4300 Fax: (212) 370-1733 3.1.3 Cultural Office 3500 International Drive, NW Washington, D.C. 20008 Tel: (202) 364-2100 Fax: (202) 363-8394 3.1.4 Health Office 4201 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20008 Tel: (202) 686-4304 Fax: (202) 686-4308 3.1.5 Liason Office 3500 International Drive, NW Washington, D.C. 20008 Tel: (202) 364-2200 Fax: (202) 363-2241 3.1.6 Kuwait University Office 3500 International Drive Washington, D.C. 20008 Tel: (202) 363-8055 Fax: (202) 367-3253 3.1.7 Kuwait News Agency National Press Building Suite 906 529 14th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20045 Tel: (202) 347-5554 Fax: (202) 347-6837 3.1.8 Kuwait Information Office 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW Suite 404 Washington, D.C. 20037 Tel: (202) 338-0211 Fax: (202) 338-0957 3.1.9 Kuwait Airways (Washington) 1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW suite 1117 Washington, D.C. 20036 Tel: (202) 296-4644 Fax: (202) 296-7895 3.1.10 Kuwait Airways (New York) 405 Park Avenue New Yourk, NY 10022 Res: (212) 308-5454 DDM: (212) 319-1222 3.2 What are the addresses of Kuwait offices in the U.K.? ---------------------------------------------------------- 45/46 Queen's Gate London SW7 Tel: +44-71-589 4533 +44-71-581 2698 3.3 What are the addresses of Kuwait offices in France? -------------------------------------------------------- N/A 3.4 What are the addresses of Foreign offices in Kuwait? --------------------------------------------------------- Following are the addresses of some foreign offices in Kuwait. 3.4.1 American Embassy Bnaid al-Gar, Arabian Gulf St., opposite Safir International Hotel (formerly Kuwait International) Tel: +965-242 4151 3.4.2 British Embassy Arabian Gulf St., near Kuwait Towers and Dasman Palace Tel: +965-243 2046 3.4.3 Canadian Embassy Da`iyah, Block 4, al-Mutawakkel St., House 24 Tel: +965-256 3025 3.5 What are the addresses of some Kuwaiti Corporations? --------------------------------------------------------- The best way to research business opportunities in Kuwait is to start with contacting Kuwait Chamber of Commerce. Their address is: Kuwait Chamber of Commerce (f. 1959) P.O.Box: 775 Safat, Kuwait 13008 Tel: (965) 243-3854 Fax: (965) 243-3858 Telex: 22198 Following are the addresses of some major Kuwaiti Corporations. 3.5.1 Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (f. 1980) P.O.Box: 22235 Safat, Kuwait 13083 úÿ úÿ(Continued from last message) Tel: (965) 242-3130 Fax: (965) 242-0779 Telex: 44015 3.5.2 Kuwait National Petroleum Company (f. 1960) P.O.Box: 70 Safat, Kuwait 13001 Tel: (965) 242-0121 Fax: (965) 243-3839 Telex: 22006 3.5.3 Kuwait Oil Company (f. 1934) P.O.Box: 9758 Ahmadi, Kuwait 61008 Tel: (965) 398-9111 Fax: N/A Telex: 44211 3.5.4 Arabian Oil Company (f. 1957 shared with KSA) P.O.Box: 1641 Safat, Kuwait Tel: (965) 243-9201 Fax: N/A Telex: 22095 3.6 What is the current exchange rate of the KD? ------------------------------------------------- One Kuwaiti dinar is worth approximately US$3.35. Kuwait's currency is tied to a basket of Western currencies, so its exchange rate relative to them does not vary significantly. $1000 = KD300 &1000 = KD500 JY1000 = KD3 DM1000 = KD192 FF1000 = KD56 3.7 Who Are Kuwait's Principal Trading Partners? ------------------------------------------------- Following are the principal trade partners of Kuwait. 3.7.1 Imports as of 1989 (KD'000) USA ................................. 244,696 Japan ............................... 237,952 Germany ............................. 147,271 United Kingdom ...................... 121,780 Italy ............................... 100,342 3.7.2 Exports as of 1989 (KD'000) Japan ............................... 586,959 Netherlands ......................... 409,077 Italy ............................... 360,555 Taiwan .............................. 233,893 Pakistan ............................ 168,119 4: INTERNET ACCESS IN KUWAIT ============================= Internet access in kuwait is available through educational and public domains. 4.1 Kuwait University ---------------------- Kuwait University (KU) provide internet access through its full integrated computing facilities. Use of those computing facilities is limited to KU faculty, staff, and students. Unauthorized use of KU computing facilities for non-academic purposes is strictly forbidden. Information provided in this section as a reference. Please DO NOT send email to the system administration addresses provided in this section inquiring information about internet access in Kuwait. 4.1.1 Faculty of Science Domain: kuniv.edu.kw (educational) Main-Server: sun470.sci (sparc server) Auxiliary-Server: sun490.sci (sparc server) Hosts: host1-host29 (sparc stations) Operating-System: SunOS Release 4.1.2 FTP: N/A 4.1.2 Faculty of Medicine Domain: kuniv.edu.kw (educational) Sysadmin: alali@hsccwww.kuniv.edu.kw Main-Server: hsccwww (Quadra800) Auxiliary-Server: N/A Hosts: N/A Operating-System: N/A WWW: http://hsccwww.kuniv.edu.kw/ FTP: N/A 4.1.3 Faculty of Engineering Domain: kuniv.edu.kw (educational) Sysadmin: N/A Main-Server: burgan.eng (sparc server) Auxiliary-Server: fowaris.eng (sparc server) Hosts: N/A Operating-System: SunOS Release 4.1.2 WWW: N/A FTP: N/A 4.2 Commercial Inernet Access Availability ------------------------------------------- Internet access is commercially available in Kuwait. Rates are set by the Ministry of Communication (MOC). Current rate for students is KD45 per month per shell account, while the rate for non-students is KD65 for the same deal. 4.3 Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation (KNPC) ------------------------------------------------- Domain: N/A Sysadmin: N/A Main-Server: N/A Auxiliary-Server: N/A Hosts: N/A Operating-System: N/A WWW: N/A FTP: N/A 4.4 Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) --------------------------------------------------------------- Domain: paaet.edu.kw Sysadmin: N/A Main-Server: paaetms Auxiliary-Server: N/A Hosts: N/A Operating-System: SunOS WWW: N/A FTP: N/A 4.5 Kuwait Institue for Scientific Research (KISR) -------------------------------------------------- Domain: kisr.kw Sysadmin: N/A Main-Server: N/A Auxiliary-Server: N/A Hosts: N/A Operating-System: N/A WWW: N/A FTP: N/A 4.6 Ministry of Comminication (MOC) ----------------------------------- Domain: moc.kw Sysadmin: N/A Main-Server: N/A Auxiliary-Server: N/A Hosts: N/A Operating-System: N/A WWW: N/A FTP: N/A 5: TRAVEL INFORMATION ====================== People holding Western passports will find it relatively easy to get a visa to visit friends and relatives in Kuwait. Contact the Kuwaiti Embassy in your country (some phone numbers provided in 3.2-3.5) for full details. Section 5.3 lists some recommended books that can be used as guides for traveling to Kuwait or other countries in the Middle East region. Traveling by air is the primary trasportation method to get in & out of Kuwait. Currently, there is a total of 7 airports in kuwait. Following is a breakdown of the number of airports in kuwait meeting some different international specification: Airports with permanent-surface runways: 4 Airports with runways over 3,659 m: 0 Airports with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 4 Airports with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 0 At present, Kuwait International Airport is the only operating airport in Kuwait for civilian aviation, and the main air carrier in Kuwait is Kuwait Airways. 5.1 Kuwait International Airport (KWI) --------------------------------------- As of January 1995, the following airlines provided services between KWI and cities mentioned: Aeroflot(SU; Russian): Moscow(MOW) Air China(CA): Beijing(BJS) Karachi(KHI) Air France(AF): Paris(PAR) Air India(AI): Bombay(BOM) Madras(MAA) Paris(PAR) Trivandrum(TRV) Air Lanka(UL): Colombo(CMB) Alitalia(AZ): Rome(ROM) Balkan(LZ; Bulgarian): Sofia(SOF) Biman Bangladesh Airlines(BG): Dhaka(DAC) British Airways(BA): London(LON) New York(NYC) Cyprus Airways(CY): Larnaca(LCA) Czechoslovak Airlines(OK): Prague(PRG) Egyptair(MS): Alexandria(ALY) Cairo(CAI) Luxor(LXR) Emirates(EK): Dubai(DXB) Gulf Air(GF): Abu Dhabi(AUH) Bahrain(BAH) Doha(DOH) Muscat(MCT) Sharjah(SHJ) Iberia(IB; Spanish): Madrid(MAD; in cooperation with Kuwait Airways) Indian Airlines(IC): Bombay(BOM) Calicut(CCJ) Delhi(DEL) Iran Air(IR): Isfahan(IFN) Shiraz(SYZ) Tehran(THR) KLM(KL; Dutch): Amsterdam(AMS) Kuwait Airways(KU): Abu Dhabi(AUH) Alexandria(ALY) Amsterdam(AMS) Athens(ATH) Bahrain(BAH) Bangkok(BKK) Beirut(BEY) Bombay(BOM) Cairo(CAI) Casablanca(CAS) Colombo(CMB) Damascus(DAM) Delhi(DEL) Dhahran(DHA) Dhaka(DAC) Doha(DOH) Dubai(DXB) Frankfurt(FRA) Geneva(GVA) Istanbul(IST) Jakarta(JKT) Jeddah(JED) Karachi(KHI) Kuala Lumpur(KUL) Lahore(LHE) Larnaca(LCA) London(LON) Luxor(LXR) Madrid(MAD; in cooperation with Iberia) Manila(MNL; in cooperation with Philippine Airlines) Munich(MUC) Muscat(MCT) New York(NYC) Paris(PAR) Riyadh(RUH) Rome(ROM) Shiraz(SYZ) Singapore(SIN) Tehran(THR) Lufthansa(LH; German): Frankfurt(FRA) Middle East Airlines(ME; Lebanese): Beirut(BEY) Middle East Airlines(ME; Lebanese): Beirut(BEY) Olympic Airways(OA; Greek): Athens(ATH) Oman Air(WY): Dubai(DXB) Muscat(MCT) Pakistan International Airlines(PK): Karachi(KHI) Lahore(LHE) Philippine Airlines(PR): Manila(MNL; in cooperation with Kuwait Airways) Qatar Airways(Q7): Doha(DOH) Saudia(SV): Dhahran(DHA) Jeddah(JED) Riyadh(RUH) Syrian Arab Airlines(RB): Aleppo(ALP) Damascus(DAM) Deirezzor(DEZ) TAROM(RO): Bucharest(BUH) Turkish Airlines(TK): Istanbul(IST) United Airlines(UA): Frankfurt(FRA; operated by Lufthansa) ZAS Airline of Egypt(ZA): Alexandria(ALY) Cairo(CAI) Luxor(LXR) 5.2 Kuwait Airways ------------------- Main Office: Kuwait International Airport P.O.Box 394 Safat, Kuwait 13004 Tel: +965-434 5555 (20 lines) +965-434 6666 (20 lines) +965-434 7777 (20 lines) Telex: 23036 KT and 23067 KT Offices in English-speaking countries: CHICAGO: 2015 S.Arlington Heights Road, Suite 107 Arlington Heights, IL 60005 Tel: +1-708-437 5455 +1-800-621 2175 Fax: +1-708-437 2292 LONDON: 16 Baker Street London W1M 2AD Tel: +44-71-412 0006 (Admin.) +44-71-412 0007 (Res.) Fax: +44-71-412 0008 (Admin.) +44-71-412 0009 (Accounts) Heathrow Airport, Terminal 3 Tel: +44-81-745 7772-6 Cargo Office Room 9/10G, Bldg 521 Cargo Village, Heathrow Tel: +44-81-745 7426/98 LOS ANGELES: 510 West 6th Street, Suite 117 Los Angeles, CA 90014 Tel: +1-213-627 1485 +1-800-252 2064 +1-213-627 6720 (Cargo) NEW YORK: 350 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 Tel: +1-212-319 1222 +1-212-308 5707 (Ticketing) Fax: +1-212-308 0524 One Cross Island Plaza Rosedale New York, NY 11422 Tel: +1-718-978 9054 +1-800-221 6727 +1-718-525 0132 (Cargo & Sales) Fax: +1-718-525 3845 J.F.K. International Airport East Wing, Building 51 Jamaica, NY 11430 Tel: +1-718-656 4721 (Arr/Dep Info) Fax: +1-718-244 0502 SYDNEY: St. Martin Tower, Level 15 31 Market Street Sydney, NSW 2000 Tel: +61-2-264 8277 Fax: +61-2-264 8299 TORONTO: 77 Bloor St. West, Suite 1504 Toronto, ON M5S 1M2 Tel: +1-416-926 1275 Fax: +1-416-926 1760 WASHINGTON: 1150 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 1117 Washington, DC 20036 Tel: +1-202-296 4644 +1-800-424 1128 In North America, you can also call +1-800-4KUWAIT (458 9248) Other cities with offices worldwide: GULF COUNTRIES: Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dhahran, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Makkah, Mus- cat, Ras Al-Khaimah, Riyadh, Sharjah, Shiraz, and Tehran REST OF MIDDLE EAST: Aden, Alexandria, Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Damascus, Istanbul, Lar- naca, Luxor, Nicosia, and Sanaa REST OF ARAB WORLD: Casablanca, Khartoum, Tripoli, and Tunis REST OF ASIA: Bangkok, Bombay, Colombo, Delhi, Dhaka, Islamabad, Jakarta, Ka- rachi, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Manila, Pattaya, Singapore, and To- kyo REST OF EUROPE: Amsterdam, Athens, Copenhagen, Florence, Frankfurt, Geneva, Ma- úÿ úÿ(Continued from last message) drid, Malaga, Milan, Munich, Nice, Paris, Rome, and Zurich 5.3 Travel Bibliography ------------------------ Middle East on a Shoestring (763 pages) By Tom Brosnahan, Rosemary Hall, Pertti Hamalainen, Gordon Robison, Diana Saad, David St. Vincent, Damien Simonis, Neil Tilbury and Tony Wheeler ISBN 0-86442-208-3 (1st edition) Price: Australia $24.95, USA $17.95, UK 11.95 pounds, and Canada $22.95 Covers Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Arab Gulf States: Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates--a travel survival kit (343 pages) By Gordon Robison ISBN 0-86442-120-6 Price: Australia $21.95, USA $15.95, UK 9.95 pounds, and Canada $19.95 Both guides published by Lonely Planet Publications Australia: P.O.Box 617 Hawthorn, Victoria 3122 Tel: 03-819 1877 USA: Embarcadero West 155 Filbert St., Suite 251 Oakland, CA 94607 Tel: 510-893 8555 UK: Devonshire House 12 Barley Mow Passage Chiswick, London W4 4PH Tel: 081-742 3161 ************************************************************************ **** * AL-Saegh, Ammar T. | P.O.Box:44 | http://civlab0.civil.mtu.edu:3770 Structural Eng. Student | Houghton, | ftp://ftp.civil.mtu.edu/pub/ammar Advanced Systems Consultant | MI 49931 | gopher://mtu- ns.mtu.edu:105/2?ammar Michigan Technological Univ.| USA | finger: ammar@civlab0.civil.mtu.edu ************************************************************************ **** *