The State of Kuwait is a small constitutional monarchy on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north. The name is a diminutive of an Arabic word meaning "fortress built near water."
As of the end of 2005, Kuwait had a total population of 2.992 million people which included approximately 2 million non-nationals. Kuwaiti citizens are therefore a minority of those who reside in Kuwait. About 57% of the Kuwaiti population is Arab; Arab expatriates include a large group of stateless Arabs, locally known as Bidoon (an Arabic word meaning "without" and distinct from "Bedouin"), along with many other Arabs. Other large groups of expatriates include Assyrians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis and Filipinos. In 2003, more than 400,000 Indian nationals lived in Kuwait, making them the largest expatriate community there.
Kuwait enjoys a variable continental climate. Summers (April to October) are extremely hot and dry with temperatures exceeding 51°C (124°F) in Kuwait City several times during the hottest months of June, July and August. April and October are more moderate with temperatures over 40°C uncommon . Winters (November through February) are cool with some precipitation and average temperatures around 13°C (56°F) with extremes from -2°C to 27°C. The spring season (March) is warm and pleasant with occasional thunderstorms. Surface coastal water temperatures range from 15°C (59°F) in February to 35°C (95°F) in August.
The location of Kuwait at the top of the Persian Gulf, in the south-east corner of the Western Palearctic (WP), makes it an interesting birding country, especially amongst birdwatchers who are interested in counting WP species. A change in visa-rules in 2006 made it easier for visitors getting into the country, so in March 2007 the first ever Swedish group of birders visited Kuwait.

The group consisted of: Jan-Michael Breider, Bosse Carlsson, Per Forsberg, Staffan Rodebrand, Seppo Haavisto, Christer Brostam, Sven Karlsson and Johan Sandstrom.
Invaluable help on location from George Gregory – the author of “The Birds of the State of Kuwait” with nearly 20 years experience of birdwatching in the Persian Gulf.