ABSTRACT
This chapter tries to reconcile the difference between the importance of capital accumulation and the importance of a disciplined and acquisitively motivated labour force. The main factors limiting the ability of the Kuwaiti economy to change its structure can be located in the nature of the labour force and in the political, social and economic institutions. The chapter shows the power relations in the Kuwaiti political set-up and suggests how these influences may be used to resolve internal power conflicts that cannot be resolved satisfactorily in parliament and which may otherwise lead to problems on a national scale. Political parties in Kuwait are forbidden by constitution — the government will always have the power and control. As a result, social and political groups identify themselves on ethnic, tribal and family affiliations. This effectively precludes the national political integration that is necessary for a national identity in Kuwait and for its national development.
