Expatriates in Kuwait
 |
| Languages | |
|---|---|
| Persian, Kuwaiti Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly Shi'a Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Persian, Iranian Arabs, Lurs, Qashqai, Iranians in Bahrain |
Iranian Kuwaitis or Persian Kuwaitis (locally referred to as 'Ayam') are part of the continuous and rapid rise in Iranian immigration to the Arabian Peninsula.
Most of these ethnic Kuwaitis of Iranian-origin are not recent immigrants, but have lived in Kuwait for many generations. Only 4% of the population are Iranian nationals, but ethnic Iranians who hold Kuwaiti citizenship alone are 30-40% of the Kuwaiti populace.[citation needed] Iranian Kuwaitis mostly come from the Iranian Provinces of Khuzestan, Bushehr, Lorestan and Baluchistan.
Today, Kuwait claims to have the highest percentage of citizens of Iranian origin in the Arabian Peninsula. The Iranian Kuwaiti community has produced a sizeable number of well-known individuals, notable in many fields, including business, history, and the country's economic development (in general). Nowadays, they live predominantly in Al Rumaithiya, Mushrif, and Salwa.
Iranian Kuwaitis are of diverse ethnic backgrounds, the predominant being Lurs (who are part of a Persian sub-group) and a locally self-identified group called Tarakma, followed by a sizable ethnic Persian and Balochi community.
Iranian Kuwaitis have raised monuments in Kuwait, such as the Marafi Hussainia in Kuwait City — that was built as a worship place for Shi'a Muslims[1]). The building was founded by descendents of an Iranian merchant better known as Marafi Behbahani; he was one of the first Iranian immigrants to settle in Kuwait,[citation needed] in the late 18th century.
References
- ^ "Kuwait and Iran". Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
In recent years, for example, the relationship between the Kuwaiti Sunites (who retain political power) and the Shi'ite minority (the majority of which is of Iranian origin) has become more tense due to the impact of the Iranian revolution on the Iranians in Kuwait
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