A small city state in the cradle of one of the most ancient and most-contested corners of the world, Kuwait is a fascinating and perhaps surprisingly rewarding destination for a visitor to the Gulf.

Many people arrive in Kuwait City expecting to see a county in ruins but, in many respects the recent history of the region is no longer visible nor relevant. What s visible and relevant is the prolific growth of the city, springing back to life in a prodigious blossoming of architecture and investment. Excellent museums; a corniche ornamented with combed beaches and extravagant restaurant; sumptuous shopping complexes and marinas; and long and lazy retreat at new beach resorts.

The burgeoning metropolis of Kuwait City is like a magnet: indeed it has been attracting Bedouin people form the Arabian interior, in search of a sea breeze and an escape from recurring drought, for centuries. Today the capital is still an oasis in a land of desert plains, but rather more of the cultural and epicurean kind.

While no exact figures are available, Kuwait’s population is thought to be around 2.5 million. Of these, about 37 per cent are Kuwaitis, many of Bedouin ancestry, and the remaining 63 per cent are expatriates.