The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) is a fine example of the official encouragement and support given to promote the growth and progress of the arts in Kuwait. By request of HH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, a committee was set up to work on creating NCCAL. Established in 1973, the Council was entrusted with the responsibilities of enhancing the art movement, stimulating interest in Kuwait's cultural heritage as well as encouraging research work in the arts.

Apart from its sponsorship of literary and historical publications, the Council is also responsible for hosting and sending art exhibitions to and from Kuwait. Among the NCCAL's other activities are rescuing and maintaining old architectural monuments. The Council has done commendable work in reviving crafts such as traditional architecture and its related crafts, wood carving, traditional ship-building, craftsmanship around leather products, pit-loom weaving, palm leaf basket work, traditional jewellery and ornamentation of women's clothes.

The Council supervises the publication of the World Theatre, World Culture, World of Knowledge, World of Thought and World Creativity series of books. It also organises an annual cultural festival known as the Qurain Festival, through which orchestras and artists from Kuwait, the Arab World and other countries present examples of their creativity to the public.

The festival also includes an intellectual or cultural seminar. Kuwaitis contribute a fair amount to Arab literary, cultural and intellectual output. Two Kuwaiti novels have won appreciation in Arab literary circles and were selected among the hundred best Arabic novels in the twentieth century.

The other fields that the Council provides support and encouragement to are the theatrical arts, music and films. Kuwait has also produced a number of films which have had a good response in the Arab World, including Enough, You Sea and Silence.