KUWAIT NEWZ

Islands in Kuwait

Do you know, how many islands are there in Kuwait? There are nine islands in Kuwait. The names of Kuwait islands are: Bubiyan, Failaka, Miskan, Warbah, Auhah, Umm Al-Maradim, Umm Al-Naml, Kubbar and Qaruh.

1. Bubiyan

Bubiyan is the largest island of the State. It is located in the north-western corner of the Persian Gulf. It has an area of 863 sq km. This island is uninhabited and mostly flat and low. The island is also very close to the Iranian mainland. It is connected with the mainland by a concrete bridge.

2. Failaka

The island of Failaka is located 20 km north-east of Kuwait city. It is situated in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. This is the most beautiful and famous island in Kuwait. It is the combination of both the ancient history of Kuwait and the modern history of Kuwait.

A submarine pipeline (21 km long) connects the island to the mainland. The pipeline provides the inhabitants with more than 100 million gallons of sweet water annually. There are also three submarine power cables from Kuwait City providing electrical energy to the island.

Before the Iraqi Invasion, the island had over 2000 residents and several schools. During the invasion the Iraqi forces depopulated the island, expelling all of its residents to the mainland. Also, many old homes are still empty and decaying. After the war, mines were cleared from Failaka, but it remains under military use.

In the past, before the invasion, visitors were carried daily from the mainland at Ras Al-Ardh (Salmiyah) to the island by ferry boats belonging to the Public Transport Company. Failaka had 5 million sq meter complex for tourists, located in the southern part, which contains a good number of swimming pools, sports playgrounds and restaurants.

3. Miskan

Miskan is a small, uninhabited island in the south of Bubiyan Island in the Persian Gulf. Its area is 750 square meters. It is 1.2 km long and 800 meters wide. The distance between Miskan and Failaka Islands is approximately 3.2 kilometers. The distance of Miskan from the nearest part of the mainland is about 24 km.
Miskan Island has a vital activity on it. It has a lighthouse to guide ships sailing in the Persian Gulf at night. This island is strategically important for Kuwait because it is an important link in a chain of islands along Kuwait’s coastline from north to south. These islands provide Kuwait with a defensive front-line.

4. Warbah

Warbah island is actually a large mudflat, located in the Persian Gulf, near the mouth of the Euphrates River. It is located about 1.5 km north of Bubiyan Island, 100 meters east of the mainland, and 1 km south of Iraq.
It is roughly 15 km long and 5 km wide with a total area of 37 square km. The island has no permanent inhabitants, although, Kuwait maintains a coastguard post on the island.

5. Auhah

Auhah island is a small island in Kuwait. Its area is 800 m by 540 m, which corresponds to an area of about 84 acres or 34 hectares or 0.34 sq km. Its location is 4 km south-east of Failaka and 33 km from Salmiya. The island is uninhabited, however, a lighthouse and a small heliport are available.

6. Umm Al-Maradim

Umm Al-Maradim is in far south of Kuwait borders near the border of Saudi Arabia. This is a deep waters island that enable ships to land directly at its shores. Its area is 1500 by 540 sq meters, which equals an area of 65 hectares. It was the first place of Kuwait that liberated from the Invasion of Kuwait in 1991. During the season of rain, it is fully covered with greenery. It is uninhabited, however, there are some public buildings such as a lighthouse and a police station. Umm Al-Maradim is the rainiest place in Kuwait.

7. Umm Al-Naml

Umm Al-Naml is a Kuwaiti island in the Persian Gulf that is located within Kuwait Bay. It is known for several archeological finds, mainly from the Islamic era, and the Bronze Age. The island is 600m away from the mainland.

8. Kubbar

Kubbar is a sandy island, covered with shrub, in the Persian Gulf. Their location is about 30 km off the southern coast of Kuwait. It is also 29 km off the coast of Failaka. The island is almost circular, with a diameter of 370 to 380 meters, with an area of about 11 ha. The island’s only inhabitants are various forms of wildlife.

A lot of coral reefs are found in the surroundings of Kubbar therefore it is popular among scuba divers.

9. Qaruh

The name of this island is derived from the large amounts of petroleum sediments in the area. It is the smallest of all the islands of Kuwait. It is also the furthest island from the Kuwaiti mainland. Its location is 37.5 km east of the mainland coast, and 17 km northeast of Umm al Maradim. The island is about 275 meters long by 175 meters wide with an area of about 3.5 hectares.

Kuwait Islands on Google Map

To see the islands of Kuwait on the google map click HERE.