History of Kuwait late 16th century, the Portuguese built a defensive settlement in Kuwait. In 1613, the town of Kuwait was founded in the present-day location of Kuwait City. Kuwait was initially under the control of the Bani Khalid clan, who built a fishing village in present-day Kuwait Bay. The beginning of the eighteenth century witnessed the contention of Kuwait by the Bani Utub confederation. They migrated to Kuwait in 1682. As a result of successive matrimonial alliances, they were able to wrest control of Kuwait sometime after the death of Barrak Bin Urair [Bani Khaled] and the fall of the Bani Khaled
'Ajam of Kuwait 'Ajam of Kuwait Ajam of Kuwait or Ayam or Persians of Kuwait are Kuwaiti citizens of Iranian origin, who migrated to Kuwait over the last couple of hundred years. Historically, Persian ports provided most of Kuwait's economic needs. Marafi Behbahani was one of the first merchants to settle in Kuwait in the 18th century. Most Shia Kuwaiti citizens are of Iranian ancestry. However, some Kuwaitis of Iranian origin are Sunni. The Kuwaitis of Iranian Balochi origin are predominantly Sunni Muslim. Balochi families first immigrated to Kuwait in the 19th century. The Persian sub-dialects of Larestani, Khonji, Bastaki and Gerashi have