Kuwait

Kuwait An autonomous emirate since the eighteenth century, it recognized the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire in 1829, and came under British protection in 1899, becoming officially a British Protectorate in 1913. From its foundation, Iraq has always claimed Kuwait as its own territory, but was induced to acknowledge the country twice, upon its foundation in 1922, and in 1963. Oil production began in 1946, which transformed it into one of the world's wealthiest countries, with some of the world's largest oil reserves. By the 1980s, 60 per cent of its population consisted of foreign nationals, of whom one-third came from Palestine, with most of the other immigrants coming from other Muslim countries. The ruling al-Sabah dynasty became the world's wealthiest family, while some of the wealth was also shared between Kuwait's nationals, through the absence of taxation, and a free medical and health system. Economic wealth and liberalism contrasted with religious traditionalism among the Islamic population, and political illiberalism. The Emir ruled independently of parliament (dissolved 1986–92), while political opponents were incarcerated.

On 2 August 1990, Kuwait was invaded by the Iraqi army led by S. Hussein, who sought to integrate Kuwait as Iraq's nineteenth province. Most Kuwaitis left the country, though the annexation was welcomed by the disadvantaged Palestinian minority, which explains Arafat's support for Iraq. Under the initiative of US President Bush, a multinational force gathered in Saudi Arabia, and in 1991 liberated Kuwait in the Gulf War.

Liberation from Hussein's dictatorship did not mean the advent of democracy, however. Though forced to concede parliamentary elections in 1992, the ruling al-Sabah dynasty under Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmed al-Jaber as-Sabah remained firmly beyond the influence of parliament. Parliament was powerful enough, however, to reject a law introduced by the royal family to enfranchise women. In an economy heavily reliant on foreign labour that made up the majority of the resident population, the war had exacerbated social tensions. Thus, Palestinian and Egyptian workers, many of which had sided with the Iraqi occupation forces, were discriminated against further. The government also moved to establish its control over the migrant Bedouin population. A further legacy of the war was long-term environmental damage, caused by the ignition of 600 oil wells, and the destruction of Kuwait's desalination plants. Towards the end of the 1990s the economy benefited greatly from an increase in the price of oil, but its international situation continued to be fragile owing to border disputes with Iraq.