Regional/Cultural Day
Youm al-Tel al-Riqa'i
A day marking the transformation of Kuwait from a country where messages were carried by boat and camel to one of the most connected nations in the Gulf. Kuwait was the first Gulf state to establish a telephone exchange (in 1938), and the first to introduce mobile phones (in 1985). The day is observed by the Ministry of Communications and is mostly ceremonial, but it serves as a reminder that Kuwait's position as a trading port made it a natural hub for communication, and that the dhow captains who once navigated by the stars are the ancestors of the Kuwaitis who now navigate by satellite.
