I’ve been visiting the old Sultan Center in Salmiya since I was a kid in the 80s, I even spent my after-prom with friends at the Jeans Grill Restaurant that used to be open 24 hours a day upstairs. They used to have a Sega Genesis demo unit connected to a TV upstairs in the 90s, so when I ditched school I’d head to Sultan Center to play videogames (dumbest idea since that’s where my mum did her grocery shopping). Back before there were malls in Kuwait, Sultan Center used to be a go-to place on weekends which sounds bizarre now, but if you think there isn’t anything to do in Kuwait today, you should have been here back when there really wasn’t anything to do.
Over the years I’ve heard multiple of times that they were planning on closing down the location. I think the rumors started when they opened the Shaab branch (which later closed down) and then the rumors got stronger after they opened in Boulevard. But that doesn’t look like it’s happening anymore since they just completed a major facelift and renovation to the store.
Because of all the nostalgic memories I have with the place you’d think I’d be upset about such a major facelift but honestly, the place now looks so much better. It’s probably the nicest looking supermarket in Kuwait reminding me of places like Waitrose in Dubai. They also now have Xcite and Intersports branches upstairs now which is another positive. The only issue I really have with the refurbishment is the check-out area seems smaller than it was before, but other than that I really like the new look. They even uplifted the exterior dropping the light beige color for dark grey. Not a bad job at all really, I’m impressed.
30 replies on “Sultan Center Salmiya Gets Major Facelift”
I remember at one point single guys were not allowed to enter.
Yup they had like a bouncer. So we’d wait for girls who were alone and then ask them nicely if we could walk into sultan with them lol
The TGI Fridays bouncer is the most famous bouncer. You should track him and interview him.
I think it was on specific days only. I remember I was turned away once (I think around 1998).
Yeah just on weekends
Haha yeah also when we werent allowed in we used to sneak in from the back at the door where they let in supplies.
They were implementing that as recently as ~2011, but would let you in if you were white lol.
I haven’t been there in years, I mostly avoided the place because of the rat problems they had. I noticed they changed the exterior, but I’m surprised they changed the interior so much.
It’s grey now so the rats blend in and you can go there now.
I miss the branch at shaab.
yeah me too, used to pass by every day after work, was such a chill branch
I kinda like the latest facelifts of SC’s they remind of supermarkets across Europe, but I’d still choose Lulu for the variety & prices over SC’s quality of the fresh produce.
Lulu stresses the hell out of me. Always super packed and busy, the place also has tight aisles, I really hate shopping there and only resort to it as a last resort.
Try Lulu’s in Dajeej, really well laid out, super big, easy parking and (save peak hours on weekends), hardly any rush. Not so the Lulu’s in Salmiya, which I would avoid like the plague
There is absolutely no reason for me to go all the way to Dajeej just for groceries when I have 2 sultan centers, oncost, Lulu, Grand Hyper and 2 coops basically down the street from me 😅
I have coops and a sultan center literally around the corner, and really convenient no doubt, but it takes me 10-15 mins from Jabriya and definitely worth the trip, particularly when I have a longer than usual grocery list. Can’t stand the traffic, parking hassle and shopping experiance in Salmiya
Actually I believe the checkout area is supposed to be bigger (and it probably is in a technical way), but it does seem to have less cashiers. It used to look like they had a lot of cashiers because they were all set next to each other in a long line. Now they’re installed them in doubles next to each other to save space, but that just made the lines tighter for customers. But yeah, the store overall got well redesigned and looks refreshing.
I loved the Jeans Grill upstairs! That’s where I had my first steak. Yeah, Sultan Center is a treasure trove of memories for everyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s. I’m so glad they changed the layout. It started to look a bit ummm…but now it looks incredibly modern AND you forgot to mention that shopping now is much easier and FASTER because of this new layout. There are no twists and turns.
I miss Jean’s Grill! It was the first restaurant I went to when I moved to Kuwait.
Not a fan of the facelift. They shouldn’t have made the floor tiling black because you can easily see people’s dirty footsteps and dust all over the tiling now. White would’ve been better. Not a fan of the outer exterior as well. The green sultan center text sign outside doesn’t even show against the dark grey background. Maybe I’m seeing this differently and from a design perspective since I’m a designer but this is purely my personal opinion.
I agree. Change is nice but this paint theme was a job half done. Someone made a bunch of money on the paint job. The layout though is nice. It’s more open now when you enter and there’s a sense of space as Mark said.
White for the floor is worse since you can dirt easier and scuffs and marks. The floor isn’t black though as you can see in the photos is a textured grey which is the best when it comes to concealing dirt hence why a similar color is used in commercial kitchens.
The dark grey outside is much more current and gives the whole building a more modern look and feel and more important it’s not beige! Not every building in Kuwait has to be beige yet that seems to be the go to color. This grey is actually super popular in LA with homes and any home makeover show you see they usually repaint the house in this color.
Back in 1994 when me and my sibs first landed in Kuwait, this was our “go to” place, long before malls even existed. For us this was the best place there is during that time. I haven’t been here for years now 😊
Yup, I think fudds opened in 94 or 95? Then Johnny Rockets. Before those two it was even worse.
Okay sorry but I’m super curious now. Did your mom ever catch you ditching school and playing video games in Sultan randomly when she was out shopping?😂
No but my mums friend ran into me once and then told on me 😅
Is it open 24h?
The new Sultan in the new Al Kout Mall extension is even nicer. It looks even more European than the Salmiya one and is very easy to navigate around, highly recommend you check it out if you’re in the area
Sultan center is deserted, there is never any staff to help you find anything you need. Majority of the stuff is either out of stock or hidden away in the wrong isle.
I used to love going to sultan center until I think 2014 or something when they cut down massive number of employees. And it became more like a treasure hunt.
I was there a few months ago while they were mid way through the renovation and it was so dark I hated it. I hope they fixed the lighting as well. I do generally go to Sultan Centre (Boulevard mainly) because I like the set up and I find it relatively easy to navigate around but yes I would have to agree, they are VERY short on staff. I’ve come to appreciate City Centre Salmiya for their great offers and superb customer service. There is always a friendly staff member nearby and the workers in the fish as well as fruit&veg section are so helpful it just makes my day every time. I tend to avoid Lulu Salmiya at all costs due to the nightmare that is parking there plus I can’t stand their setup. That being said they do have great variety and their specials are not bad.