KUWAIT CITY, Feb 4: Sheikha Intisar Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah on Tuesday launched a revised and expanded second edition of the encyclopedia, 'Kuwait in 400 Years', adding new chapters and updated material that reflect recent developments in the country’s modern history.

Sheikha Al-Sabah, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Al-Nowair Company and the author and publisher of the encyclopedia, unveiled the new edition during a launch ceremony held at the Amricani Cultural Center.

Speaking at the event, Sheikha Al-Sabah said the second edition includes additional events from recent years, as well as a new chapter dedicated to the 17th ruler of Kuwait, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The updated volume also features expanded biographies of previous rulers and emirs of Kuwait.

She explained that the idea for a second edition emerged in 2022 following the passing of the late Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the 15th Amir of Kuwait, and the accession of the late Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the 16th Amir.

“After the passing of the late Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and the accession of His Highness Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, we postponed the release of the book to add a new chapter dedicated to the 17th Amir,” she said.

Sheikha Al-Sabah noted that the encyclopedia is distinguished by the diversity of its content, which covers Kuwait’s historical, social, financial, cultural, political, sporting, humanitarian, and artistic development. The work traces the country’s evolution from the period before independence and even before the discovery of oil, through its emergence as a modern state with a prominent regional and international role.

She added that the concluding section, titled 'Kuwait in Brief', provides information on the country’s geographical location, historical and current administrative divisions into governorates, climate, old and modern terminology, population density since its establishment, native plants, and other topics.

According to Sheikha Al-Sabah, the encyclopedia is the only publication that brings together all of this information in one place and presents it in both Arabic and English.

She also said that the Center for Research and Studies on Kuwait carried out meticulous reviews of the content to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the information. The encyclopedia consists of an introduction and 17 chapters, each dedicated to a specific ruler of Kuwait and detailing, in chronological order, the major events of their reigns.

Sheikha Al-Sabah revealed that work on the new edition began in 2022 with an extensive review of manuscripts, books, references, and archives to locate rare documents and verified information. The 450-page edition was released after extensive efforts to review, document, verify, edit, design, layout, and print, she said.