Relationships between two friends, families and countries etc. share friendly ties. However, countries like Kuwait and India extend support to each other during their troubles. Their warm friendship started from the past which remains in the present and also will be there in the future.

Prior to the discovery of oil in Kuwait, India and Kuwait had a trade that revolved around dates and pedigreed horses, with Kuwaiti sailors making annual trips between the Shatt-al-Arab and the western ports of India to conduct the trade. After World War II, the trade turned to pearls and teak-wood. The Kuwait economy, before the discovery of oil depended heavily on maritime activities and trade. Kuwait was a centre for ship-building, pearl-diving and fishing which were important commercial activities. Until 1961 the Indian rupee was the legal tender in Kuwait and Indo-Kuwaiti commerce involved around trade in agricultural roads, textiles and horses. At the time, when Indian rupee was pegged to the British pound, Kuwait replaced the Gulf rupee with its own currency after gaining independence from Britain in 1961.

Nowadays, Indians come to Kuwait for work and they declare that Kuwait too is a safe place for them. Over 500,000 millions of Indians are there in Kuwait. Materials like silk, hand looms, goods etc. were exported to Kuwait from India. Kuwait houses a large expatriate Indian population and is the source for 10-12% of India’s oil imports while India is among the largest trade partners of Kuwait.

Kuwait and India remains to be independent countries and they also will have a better relationship in the future…..

Ann Susan, VIII-B, ICSK Khaitan