The compound in Dasman that housed the original Kuwait Television studios, and later Villa Moda and Mais Alghanim, has been demolished. It’s located across the street from The Cheesecake Factory on the Gulf Road, near the Kuwait Towers (Google Maps).
I’m not sure how many people who drove past those old warehouse-like buildings knew how historically significant they were. The compound had been abandoned for over 20 years, but I always hoped it would be refurbished and redeveloped either into a creative hub like Qatar’s Fire Station, or a trendy retail space similar to Alserkal Avenue in Dubai.
Besides housing KTV, the first TV station in the Gulf, the buildings later became home to two other iconic Kuwaiti brands.
In 1987, “Mess Alghanim” which started off as a staff cafeteria for the employees of Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Co, moved into one of the old Kuwait Television building and transformed into a warm family restaurant. It was also that year the name of the restaurant was changed to “Mais Alghanim”.
In 1992, Sheikh Majed al-Sabah opened the first Villa Moda there in one of the other buildings. He was the first to bring Western designers like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren to the region. Until today when I think of that store I can’t believe how ahead of its time it was.
As a tribute to the compound’s history, I’ve put together an album on Flickr that includes:
– Black and white images shared by @badshaiji from 1975
– Photos Mais Alghanim when it was still open there
– Villa Moda store after it had shut down and been abandoned
– Photos of the compound taken in 2021 and 2024
– Photos of the compound now being demolished
13 replies on “Goodbye to the Original KTV Studios”
As you know with Kuwait it is out with the old and in the new type of trend. I wonder what will be built there. Probably a skyscraper.
WHY??!!! Can’t they preserve a thing??!! Mix the old & the new and keep the heritage!!
As the song says, history falls to parking lots and shopping malls…
Sad to see it go. Had secretly nursed the idea they would re-purpose it into an art gallery, an avant grade atelier, an outdoors pop up space, a lounge or even a drive through artisanal market
How often u go out to buy art and spend cash on artisan boring stuff? I recon “burger bunny” shawarma in Hawally will make double profit a day compared to what you suggested. Its all about cash and this land is hot. I SAY we erect biggest burger coffee sheikh shack in the world and make KW great again.
How often u go out to buy art and spend cash on artisan stuff? I recon “burger bunny” shawarma in Hawally will make double profit a day compared to what you suggested. Its all about cash and this land is hot. I SAY we erect biggest burger coffee sheikh shack in the world and make KW great again.
The writing on the door saying that Villa Moda will move to Shuwaikh in April 2004 😭
The same Villa Moda that got caught & busted several times selling fake high end products in between the real ones
Fake news!
Cant be as it was in local news years ago unless it was done to smear them
where do you think the term fake news came from? one time it got closed in Fanar and people were like because they were selling fakes and turned out it wasn’t true https://248am.com/mark/kuwait/why-gucci-was-shut-down-for-a-day/
Villa Moda were the dealers of those brands why would they risk selling fakes? if it was true the brands would have stopped dealing with Sheikh Majed but they continued to work with him and I think still work with him. If I remember correctly Sheikh Majed was part of Tamdeen and was essential to bringing the luxury fashion brands to 360 Mall.
The words fake news came from the Greatest President of all time. You’re not allowed to use it.
lol hope u bought the dip!