People group profile · PG048623
The Kuwaiti Shia Arabs of Kuwait
The Kuwaiti Shia Arabs of Kuwait, numbering about 459,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a community of ethnic Arab Shia Muslims descended from Baharna seafaring lineages and refugees from Hasa in eastern Arabia who fled Wahhabi persecution, distinct from Kuwait's ethnically Persian Ajam Shia community.
They are an indigenous people in the Arab, Arabian people cluster of the Arab Peoples. Their primary religion is Shia Islam, and they primarily speak Gulf Arabic.
Fast facts
- Country
- Kuwait
- Population
- 459,000
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Arab, Arabian
- Primary language
- Gulf Arabic (afb)
- Primary religion
- Shia Islam
- Strategic Progress Index ?
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- Less than 2%
- GSEC ?
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority ?
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Western Asia, Asia
Where they live
Gospel status
The Kuwaiti Shia Arabs are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Kuwaiti Shia Arabs
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Shia Islam · Islam
100% adherents
Primary language
Gulf Arabic · Afro-Asiatic family
100% speak Gulf Arabic
Gospel resources in Gulf Arabic
- Bible available, published -
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
- JESUS (Arabic Gulf)
- JESUS (Arabic Gulf)
- Magdalena (Arabic Gulf)
- The Savior (Arabic Gulf)
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Kuwaiti Shia Arabs
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
Kuwaiti Shia Arabs in other countries
The same people is also reported in 1 other country.
| People group | Country | Population | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Shia Arabs | Saudi Arabia | 2,840,000 | Engaged yet Unreached |
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