Kuwait hosts five-day exhibition celebrating 250 years of 'friendship' with India 

Kuwait City, May 20 (IANS) Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Adarsh Swaika and Director General of Kuwait's National Center for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Mohammad Al-Jassar inaugurated 5-day exhibition cum talk series, 'Rihla-e-Dosti: 250 Years of India-Kuwait Friendship' on Monday at National Library in Kuwait city.  

The exhibition showcases rare artefacts, manuscripts, Indian currency, books, stamps, and photos of leaders from India and Kuwait.

"At the opening of Rihla-e-Dosti exhibition, Ambassador Adarsh Swaika and DG, NCCAL highlighted the centuries-old rich history of India-Kuwait relations. Fahad AbdulJaleel, President of Kuwait Heritage Society, was the main curator and contributor of the exhibition," Embassy of India, Kuwait posted on X on Tuesday.

The exhibition was organised jointly with NCCAL with the support of Kuwait Heritage Society, National Archives of India, External Publicity Division, Ministry of External Affairs, and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India.

A booklet showcasing select photos was released during the opening of the exhibition.

A panel discussion during the event featured prominent merchant families from Kuwait with deep historical ties to India -- Ibrahim Abdullatif Al-Ibrahim, Suliman Abdulmohsen Al-Khames and Abdullatif Abdulrazza shared stories of their families' India connections from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Addressing the exhibition, DG NCCAL, Mohammad Al-Jassar, said relations with India have been a unique example of deep-rooted understanding and cultural exchange.

He stressed the role of culture and arts in boosting relations among people.

Appreciating the growing economic ties between the two countries, he highlighted that in 1775, Kuwait's ship arrived, for the first time, at India's ports, and Kuwaitis after that established a wide trade transport network between the West and the East, turning Kuwait into a vital trade route.

Many Kuwaiti families stayed near Indian ports and worked in exporting multiple vital commodities to the Arabian Gulf ports, like food and wood, he further stated.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Adarsh Swaika affirmed that bilateral relations of the two nations are deep-seated and robust, lauding commercial ties that began in the late 18th century when Kuwait's ship carrying dates, houses, and pearls reached Indian ports.

The ambassador noted that the event, co-organised by the Indian Embassy to Kuwait and the Kuwait Heritage Society, marks the cemented relations and boosts awareness of the two countries' youth on their common rich history.

The exhibition contains documents on trade at India's ports and Kuwait's books about pearls printed in Arabic or local dialects in India, along with other items.