Bubiyan Island

Bubyan Island

Native name: جزيرة بوبيان
False-color satellite image of Kuwaiti islands at the northwest corner of the Persian Gulf. Bubiyan is the light-blue mass taking up most of the right side of the image.
Location of Bubiyan Island in Kuwait
Geography
Location	Persian Gulf
Coordinates	29°47′N 48°11′E / 29.783°N 48.183°E / 29.783; 48.183Coordinates: 29°47′N 48°11′E / 29.783°N 48.183°E / 29.783; 48.183
Area	863 km2 (333 sq mi)
Length	40 km (25 mi)
Width	24 km (14.9 mi)
Highest elevation	322 ft (98.1 m)
Highest point
Administration
Kuwait
Demographics
Population	uninhabited

Bubiyan Island (Arabic: جزيرة بوبيان‎) is the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal island chain situated in the north-western corner of the Persian Gulf, with an area of 863 km² (333 sq mi). The Mubarak Al Kabeer Port is currently under construction.^[2][3][4][5] As part of Mubarak Al Kabeer Port's development, Bubiyan Island will contain power plants and substations.^[6][3][7][8] A 5,000-megawatt power plant has already been built in Subiya.^[9]

History[]

During the Gulf War of 1991, there was a big oil spill in the area; in addition to this, four spans of the bridge were destroyed; they have been rebuilt in 1999.^[10] The island itself was converted to a military base in 1991.^[11] In November 1994, Iraq formally accepted the UN-demarcated border with Kuwait which had been spelled out in Security Council Resolutions 687 (1991), 773 (1992), and 833 (1993) which formally ended an earlier claim to Bubiyan Island.^[12] The Iranian mainland is also very close to the island.

In response to Kuwait becoming the 169th signatory of the Ramsar Convention, the Mubarak al-Kabeer reserve was designated as the country's first Wetland of International Importance. The 50,948 hectare reserve consists of small lagoons and shallow salt marshes and is important as a stop-over for migrating birds on two migration routes; Turkey to India and Eurasia to Africa. Breeding water-birds include the world's largest breeding colony of Crab-plover (Dromas ardeola), and the surrounding sea is major nursery for many commercial fish species.^[13]

Geography[]

The island is mainly flat, while salt marshes cover some coasts. There are several intermittent wadis in the center of the island.^[14] It is separated from the Iraqi coast in the northeast by the Al-Zubayr channel and from the Kuwaiti mainland in the southwest by the Al-Sabiyyah channel.^[14] The latter channel trends around the northern end of Bubiyan Island, separating it from Warbah Island. 5.4 km (3 mi) northwest of Ras al Barshah, the southernmost point, Bubiyan is linked to the mainland by a concrete girder bridge over the Khawr as Sabiyah channel, 2.38 km (1.48 mi)^[15] long, built in 1981-1983 and opened February 1983.^[16]

Mubarak Al Kabeer Port[]

Mubarak Al Kabeer Port is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative.^[17][18] Under China's Belt and Road Initiative, the Mubarak Al Kabeer Port is part of the first phase of the Silk City project.^[17][18] In September 2020, it was reported that the port is 53% complete.^[19] In March 2021, it was announced that Kuwait and Pakistan will develop linkages between Gwadar Port and Mubarak Al Kabeer Port.^[20][21] The Mubarak Al Kabeer Port is currently under construction.^[2][3][4][5] As part of Mubarak Al Kabeer Port's development, Bubiyan Island will contain power plants and substations.^[6][3][7][8] A 5,000-megawatt power plant has already been built in Subiya.^[9]

See also[]

• Battle of Bubiyan
• Mubarak Al Kabeer Port
• Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Causeway
• Madinat al-Hareer
• Al Mutlaa City

References[]

External links[]

• "Nautical description" (PDF). (607 KiB)

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