Kuwait - Alberta Relations

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PROFILE DID YOU KNOW? . The Government of Alberta has sent several trade missions to Kuwait in the recent years, Capital: Kuwait City . Since its independence in 1961, Kuwait has including a mission led by Minister of held regular parliamentary elections. Population: 4.1 million (2017) International and Intergovernmental Relations . Canada was the fourth largest non-Arabic in January 2011. Language: Arabic (official), English widely contributor to the coalition that liberated spoken Kuwait following the Iraqi invasion in 1990, . Between 2007 and 2011, 74 foreign students providing a naval squadron, an augmented F- from Kuwait were issues a permit to study in Government: Constitutional Emirate 18 squadron and a field hospital. Alberta. Head of State: Amir Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber . In 2005, Kuwait female citizens received the al-Sabah (since January 29, 2006) right to vote and run for election. In May 2009, TRADE AND INVESTMENT four Kuwaiti women were elected to its Head of Government: Prime Minister Jabir al- . In May 2017, Pembina and PIC executed a Mubarak al-Hamad al-Sabah (since November National Assembly. 50/50 joint venture on a proposed integrated 30, 2011) propylene and polypropylene production . Due to budget surplus generated from oil facility in Sturgeon County, Alberta. The new Currency: Kuwaiti Dinar CAD $1.00 = 0.24 prices, Kuwait survived the economic crisis entity is Canada Kuwait Petrochemical KWD (2017 average) that began in 2008, and in 2009 it posted its Corporation (CKPC). GDP: USD $110.9 billion (2016) eleventh consecutive budget surplus. . April 2016 – Pembina Pipeline Corporation . In Kuwait, there is no tax on the income of GDP (PPP): USD $303.7 billion (2016) announced a joint feasible study with individuals, and tax on nationals is limited to Petrochemical Industries Company K.S.C. GDP Per Capita (PPP): USD $71,900 (2016) zakat (charitable) deductions. (“Pic”), s subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum GDP Growth Rate: 2.5 per cent (2016) RELATIONSHIP OVERVIEW Corporation, for evaluating of a world-scale combined propane dehydrogenation (“PDH”) Inflation: 3.5 per cent (2016) . Kuwait was allocated some 50 scholarships for and polypropylene upgrading facility in Alberta. Key Industry Sectors: Petroleum, university studies in Canada, and interest is petrochemical, cement, ship building and repair, growing in Canada as a destination of choice . Between 2012 and 2016, Alberta’s annual water desalination, food processing and for port-secondary education. exports to Kuwait averaged CAD $65.75 construction materials. million and consisted mainly of machinery but . There has been a mutually-supportive pattern also include iron and steel, precision Sources: of political cooperation between Canada and instruments and cereal. This figure does not Bank of Canada, CIA World Factbook Kuwait, based largely on a commonality of include trade in services (e.g. tourism, views and interests. architecture and engineering, or information technology services). . The Government of Kuwait, through the Kuwaiti Embassy in Canada, began to award a Liberation of Kuwait Medal in 2006 to Canadian Soldiers who served in the first Gulf War.

November 2017 | Input provided by Alberta Ministries of: Advanced Education, Agriculture and Forestry, Economic Development and Trade, Education, Energy, and Labour.

. Between 2012 and 2016, Alberta’s annual cent of export revenues, and 95 per cent of IMMIGRATION AND COMMUNITY direct imports from Kuwait averaged CAD government income for Kuwait. $639,428 and consisted primarily of fertilizers . Between 2012 and 2016, 12 citizens of Kuwait but also include iron and steel, electrical . As a result of participating in the 2016 ADIPEC became Permanent Residents of Canada, with machinery and beverages. This figure does mission, an Alberta company signed an Alberta as their intended destination. not include goods sold in Alberta that arrived agreement to distribute intellectual property in Approximately 67 per cent were economic via distribution hubs in other provinces. Saudi Arabia that turns hazardous waste into immigrants, including principal applicants, fuel, as well as signed an agent agreement spouses, and dependents. . The Kuwait National Assembly passed a law in gaining market access to Saudi Arabia, Qatar 2007, setting the foreign corporate tax rate at and Oman, where the locally based agent will . Between 2012 and 2016, 92 citizens of Kuwait a flat 15 per cent, to attract more foreign distribute equipment. They are currently in the had international study permits come into investment. The corporate tax rate previously process of evaluating an agent for Kuwait. effect for Alberta. ranged from zero per cent to 55 per cent. EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES . CKER-FM Broadcasts across Alberta in many . Canadian foreign direct investment stocks in different languages, including Arabic. . Ongoing opportunities exist for Alberta Kuwait were CAD $4.0 million in 2016. companies in: agriculture, food and beverages, . While there are very few Albertans of Kuwaiti Investment into Canada from Kuwait reached building products and constructions services, descent, there are 38,000 of Arab origin. CAD $2.3 million in the same year. education, health industries, oil and gas RECENT VISITS ENERGY equipment and services, and services industries and capital projects. . June 2015: Canadian Ambassador Martine . Kuwait ranked sixth worldwide as a net Moreau led a Kuwait delegation to the Global exporter (2011) with its 101.5 billion barrels EDUCATION Petroleum Show in Calgary. (bbl) in proven oil reserves (2011). Alberta is . From 2014 to 2017, 106 foreign students from the third with 170.2 billion barrel (2012). Kuwait were issued a permit to study in . November 2012: The Alberta Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations . In 2011, Kuwait was the world’s tenth largest Alberta's Post-Secondary Institutions. spent two days in Kuwait City meeting with oil producer, with 2.5 million barrels per day . Advanced Education provides funding to Minister and National Oil Companies. (bpd). Alberta post-secondary institutions through the . January 2011: The Alberta Minister of . Kuwait’s Burgan oil field is the second largest Campus Alberta Grant for International International and Intergovernmental Relations in the world, with Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar field Learning which allows institutions to develop led a mission to the Middle East to strengthen as the largest. short-term study abroad programs in other countries including Kuwait. economic ties with Alberta, and met with key . Kuwait was estimated to yield 2.68 bpd (2011), business and government leaders. while Kuwaiti officials have committed to . In 2009-2010, some 2900 students were increasing oil production to four million bpd by enrolled in locally developed Arabic language DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION programs in Alberta schools. In addition to the 2020. . Kuwait’s Ambassador to Canada is His 910 students in Arabic bilingual programs Excellency Alfailakawi. . The country only consumes a small portion of (grade 1-7) just over 2000 students in two its total petroleum production, leaving public jurisdictions, one charter school and two . Canada’s Ambassador to Kuwait is Martine petroleum export to account for nearly half of private schools in Alberta were enrolled in the Moreau. its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 95 per Arabic Language and Culture program, receiving second language instruction.

For more information, contact: Alberta Economic Development and Trade Phone: 780-427-6543 Fax: 780-427-0699 albertacanada.com international.alberta.ca