Kuwait City, 19 October (AKI) - The number of immigrants in Kuwait has dropped for the first time in nearly 20 years, as the Gulf region feels the impact of global recession, pan-Arab daily Al-Quds al-Arabi reported on Monday, quoting Kuwaiti officials and analysts.

Immigrants living in the tiny emirate, many of whom come from Asia, fell 0.6 percent in 2009 to 2.34 million, compared with almost 2.36 million in 2008, the daily reported, quoting Kuwaiti officials.

A growing number of immigrants had headed to Kuwait over the past 19 years. Regional economic analysts blame the current global recession and rising joblessness for the new trend.

The number of Kuwaiti citizens, on the other hand, has continued to rise and in June this year stood at 3.4 million.

This contrasts with the situation in at the start of the 1990s when the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait drove many residents abroad.