- Failaka Island (Arabic: فيلكا / ; Kuwaiti Arabic: فيلچا /fe:lɪt͡ʃə/) is a Kuwaiti Island in the Persian Gulf. The island is 20 km off the coast of Kuwait City in the Persian Gulf. The name "Failaka" is thought to be derived from the ancient Greek - "outpost". History In 2000 B.C., Mesopotamians settled in Failaka at least a century before the Dilmun civilization.Traders from the Sumerian city of Ur occupied Failaka and ran a mercantile business.Failaka had many Mesopotamian-style buildings ty…