Relationship dossier
Kuwait
Palestine
Relationship assessment
Longstanding Kuwaiti support for Palestinian statehood, alongside a major rupture over the 1990 invasion of Kuwait
Kuwait toward Palestine
+55Kuwait has supported Palestinian statehood in international forums and provided political and financial assistance to Palestinians. This support has persisted despite the serious strain caused by the PLO leadership's position during Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
Palestine toward Kuwait
+30Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas apologized to Kuwait in 2004 for the PLO leadership's position during Iraq's invasion, a step that helped repair relations. The breadth of subsequent Palestinian government cooperation with Kuwait is unclear.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship is shaped by durable Kuwaiti backing for Palestinian statehood and assistance, but also by the severe rupture following the PLO leadership's position during Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Abbas's 2004 apology helped restore ties, leaving a substantially supportive relationship marked by a significant historical grievance.
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
Kuwait has been a longstanding supporter of Palestinian statehood and has provided political and financial support to Palestinians. Relations were seriously strained after the PLO leadership's position during Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, but ties later improved. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas apologized to Kuwait in 2004, helping restore relations. The relationship combines sustained Kuwaiti support with the legacy of that rupture.
Areas of tension
- The PLO leadership's position during Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait severely strained relations.
Key developments
The PLO leadership's position during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait contributed to a major rupture in relations.
Mahmoud Abbas apologized to Kuwait for the PLO leadership's position during the invasion, helping repair relations.
Major uncertainties
- The scale and continuity of Kuwaiti financial assistance to Palestinian institutions are unclear.
- The extent of current bilateral government coordination is unclear.