Gulf Consult in association with Atkins were engaged to develop a comprehensive detailed Local Plan for Kuwait City entitled ‘Kuwait City Urban Development 2030’. The Plan is to guide development for Kuwait City over the next 20 years to affirm its role as a national/international, financial/business and commercial centre.
Kuwait City is strategically located at the northern peak of the Metropolitan Area overlooking Kuwait Bay, surrounded by the sea to the north east and the 1st Ring Road to the south west. It covers an area of 1,200 hectares and is well connected to the rest of Kuwait through a series of arterial roads that transverse the 1st Ring Road.
The Local Plan proposes that the new development in the city be concentrated in four Action Areas: Sawaber; Mirqab West; Mirqab East and Qibla Commercial Area 1 and 2. The main development premise for these areas is to create mixed use sustainable developments which introduce new land uses into the city.
Also integral to the Plan is the integration of a Park and Open Space Strategy; Transport Strategy; and Utility upgrades and additions.
The Project was completed in six phases: Data Collection and Analysis; Detailed Planning and Traffic Studies; Planning Alternatives for Kuwait City; Detailed Local Plan; Detailed Zoning and Subdivision Plans; and Final Plans and Documents.
The area in question is around Al Tijaria Tower, opposite Al Shaheed Park. It’s currently occupied by old warehouses, an abandoned hospital, a grave yard, garages and tons of stores selling metal pots. The renderings look pretty but since this was just a study, we shouldn’t get our hopes up. More renderings and info [Here]
21 replies on “Kuwait City Urban Development 2030”
There is a massive oversupply of commercial office space in the area. There should be a halt on any more development until (i) there is an increase in demand for such office space and (ii) suitable traffic and parking feasibility studies are completed. Sadly the latter point is more wishful thinking.
Also, you forgot to mention – who exactly is going to be using these office spaces? Its not like the business environment in Kuwait is conducive to – you know – actual business. This isn’t Dubai, as much as they want to hope it to be.
If they want those spaces filled up, they need to think about the long, laborious, chaos driven and archaic processes to set up a business.
noobs ….
they take the gov land for free …. they build a huge skyscraper with gov funding… they rent , sell and lease offices to the gov who never use them.
al hamra , al raya , al mutahida, al tiariya …. the list goes on
ta da
Arraya and Tijarya own the land, they did not take it from government. Alhamra bought the land from Kuwait Cinema Company. Almutahida (no idea).
Yeah bought the land from the gov company …. the gov never sells land in kuwait …. never, they give it out for free …. tijariya is gov land.
+ to build such a big skyscraper you need a license from the gov …. at most you can build 40 floors + you have to pay the gov 200-300 kd for each extra meter squared you occupy …. not one of theses huge skyscrapers above 40 floors paid.
https://baladia.gov.kw/main-web/buldlw/03.htm
البند الاول و البند الثالث
Tijaria is not govt land. Never was government land. this I am 1000% sure of (not that I work there nor do I own it).
you can build more than 40 floors given your land is more than x meter squared, a quick search in baladia.gov.kw and you can see building regulations for commercial land. And yes once upon a time you could buy extra build up area but that stopped in 2008.
As for Arraya, Salhiya real estate Owns the land and it was never government land.
Yaaaay.. More office buildings!
Past performance is an indicator of future performance. Therefore, this is all wishful thinking.
Improving Infrastructure .. is good. That makes a lotta jobs > that makes a lotta expatriates .. that means lotta cars.. tht means traffic jam. STOP. >> Cancel the idea. I need to drive my ride.. smoke a cig and fill my belly.. why would i invite trouble?
so it will finish in the year 2100
I think that study was done back in 2009 or 2010. It serves as reference to decision makers and to my knowledge nothing of that study has been followed or implemented.
In fact, I think it was neither 2009 or 2010. It was 2007 !!
Why do they want to start a project if they didnt finish the bridge to failika island? why do they do everything at once and not step by step? Kuwait government have a really bad management.
building more building is not development
The plan was not about building new buildings as Mark may have conveyed in his post. The plan was to restructure the metropolitan area. Too ambitious, we don’t have decision makers in a mood for such projects.
they forgot to add sandstorms as effects in that image!
Im an optimistic person… But from what i see in kuwait from none real rules and if there is rules they just applied on expatirate… Development not just in buildings… It should be in rules…. For example before that i would like from u to raise and important issue about traffic especially in the morning…we all aware the the problem from school… And what the funny the higher people wants to put rules on expatriate to not get license easily… Why every student in one school come with one car and a driver …. Why not the goverment put special buses whic nice and qualified for student with a good driver obey a specific rules for student safety… And make a wareness for private car once they see a school bus to give him a priority to pass and go safely… And see how much cars will stay in homes in the morning…… Why they want to prevent an employee to get a lisence…. There is should first be developing on the daily routine and timing for school…
Fix what is there first, such as enforce laws, traffic, parking, cleaning up existing “blackspots”, general beautification, move Al Rai and Shuwaikh industrial areas out from the city and then we can start talking about further development!
Never happen. Nothing ever happens