At the cusp of the Gulf crescent, the tiny city state of Kuwait (Al Kuwayt) is wedged between powerful neighbours in a region defined by Islam and new wealth. Settled for centuries by seafarers and traders, Kuwait City provided ‘bread and salt' for the Bedouin from the Arabian interior.  More recently, the capital offers all the diversions of a burgeoning metropolis with excellent museums, modern shopping malls and sophisticated marinas. Beyond Kuwait City, the desert unwraps across a barren plain of oil installations but it has two great attractions: a limitless sandy coastline and a surprising dusting of vegetation after spring rains, both of which come as a pleasant surprise to visitors.

Oil and wealth
‘Black gold' which was discovered in Kuwait early in the 20th century, has of course been the secret of Kuwait City's dramatic transformation from modest pearling town to thriving, international business hub.  The first well was drilled in 1936 and production has continued seamlessly, except during the invasion of Iraq (1990-91), for over half a century.  

Unity through adversity
While a museum and a memorial is about the only physical reminder of the invasion by Saddam Hussein in the early 1990s, the war has had a more lasting psychological effect. Kuwaiti citizens of all nationalities share an intense pride in a city that showed great bravery under attack.

When to go
With daytime temperatures in excess of 45°C (113°F), Kuwait City experiences some of the hottest temperatures on earth between April and September - although air conditioning makes life among the tower blocks tolerable. The climate is more pleasant in the cool winter months (December to February), although nights are cold.