According to the description under the image above, this was the first concrete and bricks building in Kuwait and it was built by Alkurafi & Almatrook opposite the customs in Al Seif Street. I wonder if it’s still standing today. [Link]
Update: Mithos from the blog Habatq8 sent me a scan from what looks like an old Kuwait almanac. On the page there is a list of “Prominent Merchants” (see above) and topping that list is Alkurafi & Almatrook who were listed as “Grocer and a dealer in piece goods”. Here is a link to the full scan [Image]
14 replies on “First concrete building in Kuwait”
oooh how beautiful! i must go take a look and see if it’s still there… this building must be preserved!
This is my great grandfather’s ,Mohammed AlAbdullah AlMatrouk, building with Abdulmohsen AlNasser AlKharafi. This is the first time I see it. Thanks Mark
Do you know Dhurgham Abdullah AlMatrook? Or Aslan?
Al Matrouk??? Shit I lived and grew up in a 04 winged appartment building called Al Matrouk Building in Darwaza Abdul Razzak / Sharq; it was bang on Ahmed Al Jaber Street right next to the Old Universal Hotel oppossite the same old buiding that had Al Warba Insurance company today. Could it be possible that this building was built by him or his sons as well? Today the hotel and building no longer exist but it was there when I was born in 1973 until we left in 1997. The tower that houses Coffee Republic replaced the Hotel and a brand new tower opposite Al Sarraf Tower is being built on the site where the old Matrouk Building used to be. Man… talk about memories and a blast from the past š
Security Advisor, Al Matrouk Building in Darwaza Abdul Razzak / Sharq is my grand father’s , Abdullah Mohammed AlAbdullah AlMatrouk, building. He is the son of the person who owned the building pictured above.
Danderma
I am afraid you may be a little too late all the old appartment buildings starting from the Sharq round about all the way to the traffic lights opposite Kuwait Souk were wiped out long ago. Even the old ones my friends used to live in opposite the Amiri Hospital. Only remrants of old glory architecture are the old buildings opposite the Commercial Bank and next to the Seif palace. I remember biking there with my friends… happy days š
The first concrete building in Kuwait was the American Hospital in 1914.
First commercial concrete building owned by business men Abdul mohsin Al Kharafi & Mohammed Al Matrook.
here is AL-matrook website
https://www.bin-matrook.com/english.html
all the stories about Mohammed Al-matrook
if you are interested to know more
Hey AlMatrouk,
Nice to know.. my dad had once introduced me to an older gentleman in the office when I had gone along with him to pay the rent. Told me later that he was Mr. Matrouk the owner of the building. Dont know though if he was your grand father or some one else but we did know the younger guys as his sons.One had a baby furniture and oil heater showroom up front and the other had a Pet cum Aquarium store right next to the Sisha Joint on the side where I lived. We knew he was ther coz He always had his brand new red Honda CRX parked out side the Pet shop and always smiled and allowed us kids to play with the hamspters and guniea pigs. Used to tell the Indian helper to give us a gold fish in a bag. He was a really nice guy š
Security adviser the one you met to pay the rent was Mohammad Almatrouk Grandson. The one at the store who owned a brand new Honda was someone who worked for Mr Almatrouk, so he is not the actual owner.
Woohoooow goo Awadhi!!
I can’t help but notice, how the currency is Rs.(Rupees) Which If i recall right was they 1st currency used by Kuwait issued by the government of India..
how did khalid al zaid become khalid ezzaid lol