Kuwaiti Commercial Ports - A Geographical Study (Kuwait University Journal of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Special Publications 11)

Abdul-Maqsoud, Zain Al-Din

Published by Kuwait University, Kuwait, 1983

About this Item

An important locally produced study on the history and prospects of Kuwait's commercial ports. Original printed wraps 15x20cm. Printed by the Modern Printing Company, Kuwait. 145, (1)pp Arabic text with several b/w maps, plans and charts. Wraps good, interiors very good with archival tape reinforcement to front hinge, and author's presentation inscription to the half title. Abdul-Maqsud was Professor of Geography at Kuwait University. Likening Kuwait's ports to windows through which it has viewed the outside world and key to its development, he was motivated to write this for his students, by the scarcity of material on the subject. He covers Kuwait's geographical and maritime setting, classifies ports based on their function into commercial and oil, describes their features, development over time (the former since the 18th Century, the latter since 1946), factors affecting them (the building of the Suez Canal, wars with Israel and Iran etc). He goes into detail on selected commercial ports, looking at their location, characteristics, function, development, capacity, etc. This includes the old port of Al Qurain (1756-1959), Shuwaikh (the first commercial port), Shuaiba (established as an alternative to Al Qurain), and Doha Port (established 1978 to relieve pressure on old Kuwait). He ends with a discussion of prospects in the context of numerous factors including oil price trends and OPEC, trade, state budget, increasing population, wars, handling Iraqi traffic, the newly created GCC, credit facilities encouraging Najdi merchants to purchase through Kuwait rather than Al Hasa (something Ibn Saud had unsuccessfully tried to counter), etc. Maps show the location of Kuwait's ports, handling volumes of Gulf ports, historic Kuwaiti trade routes, plans of Al Qurain, Shuwaikh, Doha and Shuaiba, and depths. Charts and tables give port statistics.

Seller Inventory # 4664

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Kuwaiti Commercial Ports - A Geographical Study (Kuwait University Journal of the Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Special Publications 11)
• Publisher: Kuwait University, Kuwait
• Publication Date: 1983
• Language: Arabic
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Inscribed by Author(s)