Kuwait has among the highest levels of personal incomes in the Middle East and the best oil reserves to production ratios of all the exporting states. Its good material fortune is offset by its political precariousness engendered by Kuwaiti nationals forming a minority and a heavy dependency on immigrants to sustain the economy. Deep feelings of insecurity have led to calls in Kuwait for an end to immigration and the repatriation of foreign residents of the state. This book, first published in 1985, analyses the degree of dependency of Kuwait on an alien working population from the results...

This book, first published in 1972, describes a Kuwait normally hidden to the eyes of visitors. The author draws upon a vast experience of the country, from both before and after the discovery of oil, and analyses the changes to the physical appearance of the city as well as the changes to the customs and outlook of its people.

For many the story of this small Arabian state begins and ends with the wealth that has accrued from its vast oil deposits. But the real fascination of Kuwait lies in its geological and archaeological history; in its long struggle for survival among powerful neighbours; in its ambitious plans for industrial and economic development. This book, first published in 1972, shows the effects of the new material wealth opened up by oil in relation to the country's remote past and its Islamic background.