Kuwait

Kuwait, country of the Arabian Peninsula located in the northwestern corner of the Persian

Gulf. Kuwait is a small emirate nestled between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait City has most of
the country’s population, which makes Kuwait one of the world’s most-urbanized countries.

Arts
Kuwait has the oldest modern arts movement in the Arabian Peninsula. Beginning in 1936,
Kuwait was the first Gulf country to grant scholarships in arts. The Kuwaiti artist Mojeb al-
Dousari was the earliest recognized visual artist in the Gulf region. He is regarded as the
founder of portrait art in the region. In 1943, al-Dousari launched Kuwait's first art gallery.

Kuwait is home to more than 20 art galleries. The Sultan Gallery was the first art gallery in the
Gulf region. Khalifa Al-Qattan was the first Kuwaiti artist to hold a single artist art exhibition in
Kuwait. He founded a new art theory in the early 1960's known as "circulism".

Kuwaiti folk arts remain important, and Bedouin crafts are the most prominent. Though few
Bedouins now inhabit Kuwait, their art traditions, especially weaving, have been maintained.
The intricately woven fabrics are made on a sadu, a Bedouin loom, and are common sights in
souks (bazaars). Sadu House, a museum for Bedouin crafts, offers classes on weaving. Also
popular are traditional dances, including the ʿarḍah, which features swords and poetry singing.