The Embassy of the State of Kuwait

An Amiri Decree issued on 17th December 1967 defined the boundaries of Kuwait's territorial waters --- both the mainland and islands --- as 12 miles. It also regarded the Bay of Kuwait as purely inland waters, with the limits of territorial waters starting at the line between the two headlands of the little Gulf (Bay).

The area of Kuwaiti territorial waters is estimated at about 2,200 square miles. They can be divided into two parts --- the shallow northern area, which is less than five meters deep in most places with a muddy bed, and the relatively deep southern area, which has a bed of sand and silica deposits. Most of Kuwait's ports are located in the southern shore to take advantage of the deep waters in this area