I’m not really sure how I initially found out about this specific yellow pages directory from the American Women’s League of Kuwait, but it was on my watch list for some time and one eventually popped up for sale a few weeks ago. I tend to find out about random books and then add them to my watch list and wait patiently, usually, years before a copy eventually/hopefully pops up somewhere online and I get a notification. When this book popped up on eBay and knowing how difficult it is to find because it really isn’t a book you’d generally save, I quickly purchased it without even trying to negotiate on the price. I like directories because they usually help me connect various things together.
For example, on the Salmiya map on one of the pages it showed a “Camping Area” which confused me, how did Salmiya have a camping area? Then a follower on Instagram helped me figure out where that area was (Google Maps) and I realized that was the location of the Salmiya Youth Hostel which was supposedly run by the Kuwait Boy Scouts.
Then under the grocery store section, it listed various supermarkets, many I actually need to research especially New Supermarket because I remember the Salmiya location from the early 80s. But one of the supermarkets listed was Khalaf, which last year I happened to find photos of their Salmiya location.
Since I felt this was worth sharing, I took photos of the most significant pages and turned them into a 44MB PDF. You can download it here.
18 replies on “Kuwait Yellow Pages Directory – 1976”
A wonderful wealth that you have obtained and reminded me of your obtaining it during the days of the Peace Palace Museum. We have gone to the popular European and used markets to search for any holdings of the palace, and they also found historical and valuable things of historical value
Hi Mark
Is there any update of Silk City Kuwait and Mubarak al kabeer Port when it will complete…
no, nobody cares about silk city when our roads can’t get sorted.
I can’t agree more 😂
Camping area in Salmiyah – well, back in the day there were designate areas where you could be camp and where you could be butch.
Khalaf stores?? Is it the same location as Khalaf & Ziad stores behind the Sheri Lyn salon?
Could be.
I smell Sunkist here. Do they even manufacture it anymore? There are things that you associate with that era just thinking about it: Vimto, Sunkist, Animal Bar chocolate, Zoo biscuits to name but a few. There was rather limited variety on offer but things were a class apart. And parfum meant only Chanel.
Yeah Sunkist still available
That PDF is lovely. Thanks for sharing.
I found Marzook Pearl Supermarket listed there and remembered how incredibly amazing it felt going there back then as a kid. It was at one point even better than Sultan Center (though smaller, but with such lovely variety of American products).
Wondering aloud – Had Kuwait and Kuwaitis become rich by 1976?
yes
That was near peak wealth (GDP/capita). Kuwaiti citizens’ population has more than quintupled since then, effectively wiping out 80% of each individuals claim to the riches beneath the sand.
Another convenience was the mini super, inside Aisha Al Salem 👌
And don’t even get me started on the New Supermarket both in its Sharq Avatar as well as the Salem Mubarak outpost. Fabulously European. I still remember the very kind avuncular Lebanese gent at the till who would often be seen enjoying a game of backgammon with his bud.
So salmiya one I remember vaguely, had a brick facade and I remember buying a matchbox Pepsi truck from there
https://toyhunteruk-wp-media.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/53D4B70B-5904-4212-A779-1F72162E8F67.jpeg
Any idea when the streets of Kuwait were named? The streets of Salmiyah specifically?
Many thanks for such a fabulous walk down memory lane!
I went to Kuwait with my parents in 1973, went to the New English School, old campus, and continued to live & work there until 1994 (interrupted by the invasion of course).
It was wonderful to see all the places that my friends and I frequented!
Check out my NES post! https://248am.com/mark/interesting/new-english-school-circa-1969/