Kuwait

Brief Fact File

Capital	Kuwait City
Currency	Kuwaiti Dinar (KD)
Language(s)	Arabic (official), English widely spoken
Local time	GMT + 03:00
Telephone code	965
Major cities

Economy
Kuwait's economy is an open economy with crude oil reserves accounting 10% of world reserves. 95% export revenues is from petroleum which is 80% of government's income. Excluding fish, all the food items are imported. Approximately 75% of potable water is distilled or imported. The first three import countries of Kuwait are the United States, Germany and Japan.

Major Exports:

• Oil And Refined Products
  
• Fertilizers
  
• Hydrocarbons (90% of total exports)

Major Imports:

• Food
  
• Construction Materials
  
• Vehicles And Parts
  
• Clothing

Business Practices

Business Dress

• Business attire is conservative.
  
• Men should wear lightweight, good quality, conservative suits, at least to the initial meeting.
  
• Women should avoid giving offence and refrain from wearing revealing or tight fitting clothing. Skirts should cover the knee and sleeves should cover the elbow and fasten at the neck.

Communication Guidelines

• Kuwaitis prefer to do business with those with whom they have a personal relationship. So, they spend a great deal of time on the getting-to-know-you process.
  
• Be patient as impatience is viewed as criticism of the culture.
  
• Kuwaitis judge on appearances. Hence, dress and present yourself well.
  
• They respect education, so mention it carefully if you have an advanced degree, especially if it is from a prestigious university.

Business Hour
Banks are open for customers from Sunday to Thursday from 8.00 am to 1.00 pm.

Important Contacts

Associations / Ministries
Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry - ICC Kuwait
Website: http://www.kcci.org.kw
                 http://www.kuwaitchamber.org.kw

Indian Embassy / Counsulate

Embassy of India
Diplomatic Enclave
Arabian Gulf Street
P.O. Box No.1450-Safat
Safat, 13015
Tel.: +(965)-2530600
Fax: +(965)-2525811
E-mail: indemb@qualitynet.net

Visiting this Country

Business Visa Rules for Kuwait

• You must have at least 1 year of validity left on the passport beyond the intended stay in Kuwait. You must have at least one blank visa page. Amendment pages are not countable.
  
• Two Visa Application Forms completely filled.
• Two passport size photographs.
  
• Flight itinerary or copies of your round trip air tickets.
  
• Original visa approval obtained by the sponsor in Kuwait.
  
• One Business Letter on company letterhead detailing the nature of visit, including the dates of stay, hotel information and addresses, organization to be visited in Kuwait and a financial guarantee from the company, signed by a senior manager.

Public Holidays

Festival	Date	Detail
New Year	January 1
Eid al Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)		Date Varies
Islamic New Year		Date Varies
National Day	February 25
Liberation Day	February 26
The Prophet's Birthday		Date Varies
The Prophet's Ascension		Date Varies
Eid al Fitr (End of Ramadan)		Date Varies

Trave Tips

• Be extra cautious because of the high threat of terrorist attack.
  
• 10% tipping is expected if a service charge, usually 15%, is not added to the bills of hotel, restaurants and clubs.
  
• The departure tax is KD2. Children under 12 are exempted.
  
• It is strongly recommended to take out comprehensive travel insurance that covers any overseas medical costs, before you depart for the country.
  
• Make two photocopy of the passport, credit cards and other valuables. Leave one at home and pack other in your luggage, separate from the original.