Although Arabic is the national language of Kuwait, English is widely used in business and the service sector. However, any effort on the visitor’s part to learn and use any Arabic words or phrases is always greatly appreciated. The most popular form of greeting in Kuwait is the handshake.

Kuwaitis, like many Arabic people, enjoy hosting and entertaining guests. They place great importance on the family unit and the traditional values of hospitality, courtesy and respect. It is customary to offer a small symbolic gift on a first meeting. Kuwaiti men take great pride in wearing their national dress of dishdashas with the head covered by a white head cloth, while women traditionally wear yashmaks. Non-Muslim visitors to Kuwait are requested to dress modestly as a matter of respect. This entails covering the body fully, as exposed flesh is considered disrespectful to a Muslim. When the temperature rises it is advisable to dress in cool layers. The Kuwaiti Dinar (KD) is the unit of currency. The KD is the sum total of 1000 fils.Bank notes come in denominations of KD 20, 10, 5, 1, and 500, 250 fils. Coins come in denominations of 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 1 fils. Major international credit cards, including MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Diners Club, are widely accepted in establishments throughout Kuwait.

Traveller’s cheques are also widely accepted but are preferred in either US Dollars or Pounds Sterling. Automated teller machines are located at the banks. Bank opening hours are generally 8:00 am to 12:00 pm or 2.00 pm, Sunday to Thursday. Service charges in the region of 15% are usually added to the bill in hotels and restaurants. Tipping is not generally expected, but a gratuity of 10% for good service is appreciated. All visitors to Kuwait, with the exception of nationals from other Gulf States, must have a visa as well as a full national passport which is valid for at least six months. Guests may apply for a Business visa via Crowne Plaza Kuwait; this service costs KD 8.000 per visa and is generally valid for one month. A clear passport copy is required and a minimum of four working days (not Friday and Saturday) is needed for the issue of a business visa.

Families might like to note that wives can travel using their husband's passport. Likewise, children can travel under their father's passport. Visitors to Kuwait can bring the following duty-free items into the country, providing such items are for personal use only:

• 500 cigarettes or 907 grammes of tobacco.

The following items cannot be imported under Kuwaiti law:
Alcohol; certain animal products such as pork, bacon and pigskin; unsealed milk products; narcotics; fresh vegetables; food prepared abroad; unsealed olives and pickles; shellfish and related products; mineral water; fresh figs.

Videos and books are subject to censorship depending on their content. More detailed information on importing personal goods can be obtained from the Ministry of Commerce. Visitors can import or export any amount of currency with the exception of gold bullion which must be declared by law. Visitors should have private medical insurance including cover for repatriation costs should the need arise. The Kuwaiti working week is from Sunday to Thursday, therefore most businesses and educational establishments are closed on Friday and Saturday.

Shop trading hours in Kuwait are generally 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and later in the day from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm, Saturday to Thursday. Friday opening hours are from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Some shopping malls are open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm throughout the week.

Government office hours are from 7:00 am to 2:30 pm, Sunday to Thursday during the winter, and from 7:00 am to 2:00 pm during the summer. Business office hours are from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm and from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Sunday to Thursday. On the following dates, shops and businesses will either close or trade for limited hours

• 1st January - New Year's Day
• 25th February - Kuwait National Day
• 26th February - Liberation Day
• Mount Arafat Day – non-fixed date
• Birth of the Prophet – non-fixed date
• Leilat al-Meiraj (Ascension of the Prophet) – non-fixed date

Please note that Muslim festivals are not included in this list due to the dates being fixed according to the various phases of the Moon. The Muslim lunar calendar differs from the Gregorian calendar by 11 days. The month of Ramadan requires Muslims to fast through each day from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is immediately followed by a three-day festival of feasting called Eid al-Fitr During Ramadan business working hours may be disrupted in the lead up to Eid al-Fitr. The Grand Mosque is Kuwait's largest and most modern mosque. It has the capacity to accommodate over 5,500 worshippers. In addition to Islamic mosques, there are churches for the various Christian denominations. Arabic and English newspapers are available from the Concierge.

There are two Kuwaiti-produced English language newspapers - the Arab Times and the Kuwait Times. Both carry comprehensive information on local, national and international news. Arabic readers have a choice of five national newspapers. Kuwait enjoys a variable continental climate. Summer months are between June and October and the rainy season starts in December and lasts until February. This is the time of the year when the desert vegetation begins to bloom. Clocks in Kuwait are on GMT / UTC plus three hours. Officially Kuwait uses metric measurements, although traditional measures are still used in the regions. The electric current is 220V and 240V 50Hz. The State of Kuwait (Dawlat al-Kuwayt) is a constitutional monarchy under Amir His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Amir is selected by members of the ruling Al-Sabah family, of which he is also a member.

Executive power is exercised by the Amir, who appoints the Council of Ministers headed by Kuwait's Prime Minister, His Highness Sheikh Nasir Al-MUHAMMAD Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. Although there are no political parties as such, there are formal political groups whose role it is to support ministers and candidates. A unicameral National Assembly comprising 50 members is elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms.

Until recently, only men over the age of 21 in civilian occupations were allowed to vote but the Amir decreed that women should be able to vote and run for office. This was met with government approval giving women the right to vote. Since 1938, when oil was discovered at Burgan, Kuwait has become one of the world's major oil producers. By the time of the country's independence in the early 1960’s, Kuwait was producing a staggering 16.5 million tons annually.

Today, oil accounts for over 50% of total output and 95% of export income. 10% of total oil income is placed in a special reserve fund for the day when oil reserves are exhausted. The fund is administered by the Kuwaiti Investment Office.

Kuwait is keen to develop a more diverse economy by supporting and encouraging new industries. Light manufacturing industries have benefited from incentives that include exemption from paying customs duties on imported machinery or raw materials. There has been a steady growth in the manufacture of products for the building industry which was briefly disrupted by the Iraqi invasion of 1990.

Kuwait's major industries include petroleum, petrochemicals and desalination. The largest customers for Kuwaiti oil include the US, Japan, Germany and the UK. Kuwait, for the most part, is flat land consisting of desert and scrub, situated in the north-western corner of the Persian Gulf. The highest elevation is a mere 300 metres (1,000 ft), while the bulk of the country is less than 200 metres (660 feet) above sea level.

Only a mere 9% of the land can sustain arable farming in the regions of Wafra and Jahra, both of which have natural water supplies. Other regions take their water from desalination plants.

Vegetation is little more than native bushes and scrub that have adapted to the dry environment. The soil contains a high concentration of saline. Despite an otherwise arid environment, Kuwaitis have a deep affiliation with their native land, and when the desert begins to bloom in the rainy season (December to February) love nothing better than to drive out to the desert on camping expeditions.

Kuwait City is currently being landscaped, with green areas set aside and vegetation being planted that will thrive in the hot, dry climate.