Kuwait

Kuwait is a small but strategically located Gulf state at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia and lying close to Iran—a position that has shaped its security concerns since Iraq's 1990 invasion. It is a hereditary constitutional monarchy ruled by the Al-Sabah family, with Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as head of state; its elected National Assembly has historically been among the more assertive parliaments in the Gulf, though recurring deadlock between the ruling family and legislators is a persistent fault line. Kuwait is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League and OPEC, and is a close security partner of the United States while generally pursuing balanced relations across the region. A defining feature is its demographic structure, where citizens are a minority and foreign nationals make up the majority of residents and the workforce.