Yesterday the Amir was presented a video showing a proposed project for developing the Kuwaiti islands Boubyan, Failaka, Awha, Warba and Miskan. I watched the video late last night and I’m in complete awe. The video presentation is around 20 minutes long and showcases ideas on what could be done to our islands. It was pretty inspirational and really made me realize how lucky we are to have all these islands around us. But, it also made me realize how we are under utilizing the islands even though there is so much potential.
I don’t have permission to share the video just yet, I was told it should be launching officially sometime today so for now I’ll just share some screenshots below. I’ve already uploaded the video online so once I get the green light I’ll share it right away.
45 replies on “Kuwait Islands Project 2035”
yay, even more projects that will never come to fruition like silk city which was first supposed to be compeleted by 2025.
fibre internet supposed to be completed over a decade ago. the ministry of communications also said over 2 years ago, that in 2 years all of kuwait will be fibre.
im not holding my breath anymore. ill believe it when i see it and now with oil down, government expenditure will follow.
1 question: is it to be state ran project ? or will it be handled by the private sector as a BOT or PPT project ?
it makes a huge difference at least for me to have faith in
plz no tall buildings,, plzzzz
In the film most of the tall skyscrapers were on Boubyan. Actually the whole video made me feel like listen, we can’t fix Kuwait so we are just going to build another one from scratch the right way on Boubyan.
Will new Kuwait on Boubyan have booze?
That’s the million Dollar question 😉
Kuwait was ripped off long time ago, it is a dead country, no body cares, it’s all about what I can get out of Kuwait, no one thinks of what we can give the country.
“it’s all about what I can get out of Kuwait, no one thinks of what we can give the country.”
Maybe a bit off topic, but damn that’s 100% correct.
Who would want to give back to a place that doesn’t even want them there? The country doesn’t appreciate expats and are blaming all the problems on them. They don’t want us here and the expats feel that hate.
I was in LA for a week last week and when I got back you know what I was telling everyone? I was there for a few days and everywhere I went people would assume I was American that lived in LA. They made me feel like I was one of them and not an outsider. On the other hand I’ve lived in kuwait all my life which is 35+ years and I don’t feel like a local nor am I considered one.
Well Kuwaitis also treat Kuwait this way, just look at all the Kuwaitis who try to find any oppurtunity to leave whenever possible. Ticket prices for Kuwaits national day are already crazy high, everyone looks at the closes oppurtunity to leave.
talk about yourself. loyal kuwaitis still exist even after the horrors we have endured in the past few decades.
as a kuwaiti where the fuck am i supposed to leave?? I’m not rich enough to buy a fuckin mansion in europe nor am i a 3emy to leave kuwait for tehran!!
Nobody can help you, if you are not ready to help yourself. A “Mansion” is something you buy from your hard earned money, to spoil yourself or sit back in old age and say I built this with my blood and sweat. I can understand your statement if you are trying to break-even with 3 wives, 15 children and 9 servants, ’cause the coffers are fast running dry.
Why does it have to be a ‘mansion’ in Europe? I have a couple of Kuwaiti friends my age and they’re on a waiting list for a home but thats gonna take forever and if they want to buy a piece of land in a new residential area and build a home it’ll be upwards of 150,000 KD. That’s insane. What I’m saying is, even normal Kuwaiti folk have a tough time in Kuwait, forget foreigners.
I know exactly what you mean. Feels amazing right?
Mike only LA or Californian do make you feel like that, nowhere else would. I guess
Sam, you’re wrong there my friend. I’m currently in the Mid West and its been quite an eye opening experience. After living most of my 35+ life in Kuwait I recently moved to the States for work. Like Mark said, its a completely different feeling. No one cares if you’re on visa 18 or 20 or what your nationality is. Heck, everyone assumes you’re either a citizen or got a green card.
Mark you are not only an unwanted expat, you are also constantly reminded about it. Anyway that was not my point, and expats are not the only people that should be giving back this country. Before expats do local should. Read the newspapers look at how many are using Kuwait’s name to make money. If they like their country they way a country should be liked things would change (I am not saying all Kuwaitis are the same, like every nation there is the good and the bad, but the good Kuwaiti these days is the one that feels he is left out).
Expats made this country, and ever since it was decided to decrease the countries reliability on them Kuwait has been going down.
Ya well it’s about the color of your skin over there.
Please don’t feel that way. Please don’t think of leaving us. Without the expats Kuwait would be worthless. You’re the only blogger I follow and my biggest fear is that one day you’ll decide that you’re wasting your time with us and leave.
This also applies to Kuwaitis not just expats
dayum, outta nowhere!
i hope this does not remain a dream, we need to shift our economic/financial situation ASAP
“Oh look! Some pretty, undeveloped land just begging to be developed!” How about ecotourism?
That’s difficult in a place where Sultan Center bags are the national bird.
I don’t see how that’s going to happen with oil at $20, and no major increase in the foreseeable future.
Before any further development:
1. New Airport
2. Metro
+1
can’t wait for the video! Only time will tell wether this goes moves ahead or not…
I can tell you it won’t.
Doesnt it make more sense to try to fix mainland Kuwait first (airports, metros, new residential suburbs on all that empty land, non-oil revenue generating businesses etc) before, spending hundreds of billions of dinars on shiny buildings in the midde of nowhere or on islands?
And you gotta love the timing : wait till oil markets crash and you have your first defict ever to decide to blow all that money on a pipe dream….
+1
If it is coming from Amir’s desk, it is going to happen. Like it or not! He’s a great visionary and kind at heart please don’t try to question his judgements!
Wait till oil markets crash?? Where are u mr Adly,
…seriously?
This project is simply stating the obvious and reminding us what should’ve been done back in 2003. When the US-led campaign in Iraq began, Kuwait was awash in money, people and prominence and from 2003 to 2006, all these grandiose plans to establish Kuwait as a regional/global economic center popped up – redevelop the islands, build the new airport, throw up a bunch of hotels and towers… And what came of it? For the most part: ZERO.
The only island developments we’ve seen lately are two dumps for hotels on Failaka and a massive container port on Bubiyan that’s being built in phases. Kuwait City is flooded with empty office towers, poorly-performing hotels, potholed roads and unpaved sidewalks. The City of Silk/Subiya has nothing up there, yet a billion dollar bridge to nowhere is being put up. Terminal 2 at KWI was pitched back in 2012 and here we are in early 2016 without a shovel in the ground for it or the support terminal that’s supposed to open early next year. The metro’s been on the drawing boards since the 1970s and has been countlessly redesigned in the past five years alone… Yet they’re STILL just talking about it. We were warned of deficits years ago yet the nation continues to be nickeled and dimed senseless because someway, somehow, the authorities acted as if the country was impervious to the bursting of bubbles. Our economy hasn’t diversified from oil because whatever authorities we had/have banked on oil despite it being forever known that oil was not only finite but volatile. We’re now in the age of 20 dollars a barrel and now that Iran is on the cusp of flooding the market with its own share of crude, the idea of 10 dollars a barrel is becoming more and more of a terrifying reality. Basically, now that we’re screwed, we need a contingency plan and it’s arrived in the form of this hilariously-put-together video.
This is too little too late; this entire campaign is nothing more than a pathetic display of Photoshop and CGI skills that will pass through too many hurdles, obstacles and interferences to see the light of day. Kuwait is becoming a country known for its talks and dreams and short of a few great malls built by private entities, we’re being driven into a sad, sad oblivion. I want nothing more than to see this country flourish but unless – dare I say it – ACTUAL ACTION is done and visions are set, then all we’re going to be is a series of renderings and pipe dreams.
Could you point me towards the empty office towers in Kuwait City (other than Hamra) because I have a friend looking for a place and he can’t seem to find any empty space.
Let him check with Baitk tower toady I saw an ad on it about vacancies there. Btw I guess the Hamra used to be empty, many ministries got offices there.
Emirates, KPMG, and Alghanim Industries have all moved to Al-Hamra. This excludes the government sector that moved there (a division that falls under the ministry of industry & commerce, Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority, Capital Markets Authority, etc.)
Don’t forget that there is also a GYM on the 74th floor so how precisely is Al-Hamra empty?
Alghanims new offices are by far the nicest offices in kuwait. Makes me want to work there.
Most of these places which look emtpy are actually rented by the government ( the skyscrappers best customer). Some places actually use the space they rented like the higher education ministry along with the private university council in sanabil tower and ministry of youth in al hamra. Others use it but you don’t see anybody going there since they only specialize in one area. However most like diwan al khidma rent it and leave it empty. Too much corruption goes into building and renting these towers.
The poor build for the rich, so they can serve the rich, after the buildings are built. And then the rich blame the poor for all their problems.
Personally, I’d rather see an “Emirates” version of Kuwait Airways (as one of the main sources of income for this country) as opposed to the project they are demonstrating in this article….
Its so weird like instead of doing any good to the real state itself they wanna make other places better like dubai didnt mske palm island before burj al arab? And plus who would even visit these places yes i do agree this will bring lots of new jobs but if you are going to kick the labor out how would you expect kuwaitis to do all this hard work later?
*sigh*
Its all about freedom. I blame the youth of this country. They are busy with instagram always. Their family must have already made loads of money for the next 5 generations that they dont actually care. I mean look at dubai, bahrain, Muscat. This place would have topped the Middle east if they had a vision in mind. The day this country stops follwing their big bro ” Saudi” this place will develop. Iam an expat raised here in kuwait and been living in this country for 35 years . I really would want to contribute or atleast see this place standout amongst the rest. But the laws and rules let us down always . they dont give us any respect. All they think is that if you dont like this place get lost.. ie.. One and only one solution they have in mind ”” Deport, target exoats…
Countries that over-rely on oil wont survive by then,there are two reasons for that,one is the oil will probably run out by then,second is Green energy will trend and will overtake oil, both seem very likely in fact they’re more likely to happen soon rather than later