Kuwait Hosts Five-Day Exhibition Celebrating 250 Years Of India-Kuwait Friendship

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cultural diplomacy finds resonance in the Gulf as Kuwait hosted a grand five-day exhibition, Rihla-e-Dosti: 250 Years of India-Kuwait Friendship, inaugurated at the National Library in Kuwait City on 20 May.

Indian Ambassador Adarsh Swaika and Mohammad Al-Jassar, Director General of the National Centre for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), jointly opened the event, underscoring the deep-rooted historical bonds between the two nations.

The exhibition offers visitors a fascinating journey through centuries of India-Kuwait ties.

On display are rare artefacts, trade manuscripts, Indian currency, stamps, photographs of leaders, and historic documents tracing maritime and commercial exchanges.

Organised in partnership with the NCCAL and supported by the Kuwait Heritage Society, India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the National Archives of India, the exhibition provides a well-curated insight into Indo-Kuwaiti interactions since the 18th century.

Fahad AbdulJaleel, President of the Kuwait Heritage Society, curated the collection.

His contribution includes personal and archival material showcasing how Kuwaiti families, especially merchant dynasties, maintained close ties with Indian ports.

A booklet featuring selected images was also launched at the exhibition’s opening.

Voices Of Legacy

In a special panel discussion, members of notable Kuwaiti merchant families, Ibrahim Abdullatif Al-Ibrahim, Suliman Abdulmohsen Al-Khames, and Abdullatif Abdulrazza, shared vivid accounts of their ancestors’ journeys to India during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Their stories recounted trade in dates, wood, and pearls, with families often residing in Indian port cities.

DG Mohammad Al-Jassar highlighted the role of art and culture in bridging people across nations.

He recalled how, in 1775, a Kuwaiti ship first docked at an Indian port, launching a flourishing trade relationship that made Kuwait a major maritime hub.

He praised India’s consistent support in strengthening bilateral ties through cultural exchange.

Ambassador Swaika affirmed the historic and contemporary relevance of Indo-Kuwaiti ties, hailing commercial connections that began in the 18th century and continue to flourish.

He noted the exhibition’s importance in educating the younger generation about their shared heritage and called it a landmark step in cultural diplomacy.

The exhibition not only commemorates a rich shared past but also strengthens people-to-people contact, offering a renewed cultural vision for future cooperation between India and Kuwait.

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