Kuwait’s Maritime Legacy Lives On in Wind, Water, and Wooden Ships
Kuwait, a nation with no known natural resources, has a rich maritime history. This is evident in the Kuwait Maritime Museum, designed to evoke the feeling of being on a ship, and the water booms that once supplied fresh water to the growing population.
Kuwait's ancestors, despite having no prior maritime experience, became skilled shipbuilders, sailors, and pearl divers. Dr. Ya'qub Al Hijji, Kuwait's foremost maritime historian, explained this transformation. The last great master shipbuilder, Hajji Ali Abdullah Abdul Rasool, worked until around 1995, aged approximately 90.
Water booms, specially adapted for their cargo, played a significant role. They were fitted with large, water-filled tin cans tipped into water tanks through slots in the deck. The first water boom sailed to the Shatt Al Arab River in Iraq in 1925, bringing back fresh water for Kuwait's growing population.
Danish explorer Barclay Raunkiaer left Kuwait in 1912 on a desert journey to find a base for a Danish expedition into the great southern desert of Arabia.
Kuwait's maritime tradition, powered by wind and ingenuity, spanned centuries. Despite the shift to modern water supply systems, the Kuwait Maritime Museum stands as a testament to this history, housing rare artifacts donated by Dr. Al Hijji himself.
