Relationship dossier
Australia
Kuwait
Relationship assessment
Cooperative ties shaped by Australia’s role in Kuwait’s liberation and later security cooperation
Australia toward Kuwait
+40Australia contributed forces to the 1991 international coalition that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait, directly supporting Kuwait’s restoration of sovereignty. Australia’s subsequent security engagement in the Gulf also involved cooperation with Kuwait.
Kuwait toward Australia
+30Kuwait provided facilities and support for Australian forces participating in operations in Iraq, enabling Australian military activity from Kuwaiti territory.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship includes practical security cooperation, notably Australia’s contribution to Kuwait’s liberation in 1991 and Kuwait’s support for Australian forces operating in Iraq. These actions indicate substantial goodwill and cooperation, although the scale and durability of broader bilateral arrangements are less clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Australia and Kuwait have a cooperative relationship with a notable security dimension. Australia joined the 1991 coalition that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait, while Kuwait later provided facilities and support for Australian forces involved in operations in Iraq. These episodes reflect practical government cooperation, though the breadth and continuity of bilateral cooperation beyond security are less clear.
Key developments
Australia contributed forces to the international coalition that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait and restored Kuwaiti sovereignty.
Kuwait provided facilities and support for Australian forces involved in operations in Iraq.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of ongoing bilateral defense cooperation are unclear.
- Details of cooperation in trade, education, and other civilian fields are limited.