The Kuwaiti-Slovak Archaeological Mission to Failaka (KSAM) was established on the original idea of Mr Shehab A. H. Shehab, Department of Museums and Antiquities Director, National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters, State of Kuwait. His visit to the Slovak Academy of Sciences Institute of Archaeology in May 2004 resulted in agreement about the first research campaign, which was signed between the National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters, State of Kuwait, and the Institute of Archaeology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovak Republic, in September 2004 in Nitra. The KSAM project could have not materialized and would not take its present shape if not for constant and generous support of the National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters, State of Kuwait presided by Secretary General Mr Bader Al-Rafai, and the kindest, expeditious and effective role of Mr Shehab A. H. Shehab. Regarding prolific and smooth cooperation with NCCAL, the help of Director of the Architecture and Engineering Department Mr Ali Al-Youha must be pointed out. Without him documentation of the site as it is being realized would hardly be possible.

KSAM has been designed as a joint Kuwaiti-Slovak multidisciplinary research project fostering international cooperation and ties between young-generation researchers. The major objective of KSAM is salvage excavation of Al-Khidr site on Failaka Island. The project of KSAM was developed, has been elaborated and steered by Ms Lucia Benediková and Mr Peter Barta.

As for Slovak side, the Mission has been working under auspices of the SAS Institute of Archaeology. Thanks to Dr Karol Pieta, SAS Institute of Archaeology Vice-director and Slovak team director, the Mission can take advantage of presence of the specialists on environmental archaeology and geo-disciplines that strongly cross-fertilize archaeological research.

By April 2006 two research campaigns (2004, 2006) of KSAM took place. Apart from senior archaeologists and academicians, the fieldwork has much benefited from the presence of graduates and undergraduates in archaeology and bordering disciplines coming from Kuwait (State of Kuwait National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters, Safat), Slovakia (Institute of Archaeology, Slovak Academy of Sciences and Department of Archaeology, University of Constantine the Philosopher, Nitra) and Turkey (Istanbul University Prehistoric Section, Istanbul).

A warm and cordial welcome of the Mission by the National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters makes our stay in Kuwait pleasant and unforgettable.