Last week I found the old ad above from 1984 for a video game store that was located in Sharq Tower in Kuwait City. I actually visited that store back then specifically to check out the Intellivision gaming console advertised in the ad but ended up getting the ColecoVision instead.
But this reminded me of a computer store that was located in Salhiya back in the 80s on M2 opposite the Korean restaurant that used to be there. I don’t remember the name of the store I just remember they sold computers and they always had Dig Dug playing in the display as well as having computer chess boards.
If anyone remembers it or knew who the owner was please let me know!
Update: Found the Coleco ad below in a 1983 newspaper. I guess now I know where I bought it from!
26 replies on “Does anyone remember the computer store in Salhiya?”
I think it used to be Sakhr Computers.
During the late 80s we got an MSX system from them.
Maybe they rebranded later.
Alamiah sold Sakhr, their shop was in Salmiya near my place. You sure you got it from that small store in Salhiya? I guess they might have carried them as well but I don’t remember seeing any. I think they might have had Amigas or Commodore 🤔
No a 100% sure. Was only 6 years old at that time.
I seem to remember there was a large Alamiah store in central Kuwait besides the one on Salmiya, on one of the main shopping streets but not within the Salhia complex. They of course sold Sakhr, their adverts were everywhere on TV at the time. I used to give lessens on BASIC programming to my cousin who owned Sakhr.
Check out the Coleco ad I just posted, you were right! Alamiah had stores in:
– Fahad Al Salem (street next to Salhiya)
– Salmiya
– Salhiya
– Fahaheel
Great, just saw it. Glad to know I wasn’t imagining things 🙂
A couple of other things I just recalled. Sometime around 83-85 there was a computer expo held at the Hilton Hotel. I recall it was mainly for the home computer market like the C64 and ZX Spectrums, and not for the IBM-compatible PC,. The expo mostly consisted of booths to sell computers and games, pretty much like what you see today.
The other thing I remember is when the Amstrad CPC464 came along in 1984, their dealer was an electronics store in Hawaii. I don’t remember the store’s name, they sold a variety of consumer electronics besides the Amstrad. They had no TV adverts but I think they placed some adverts in some Arabic newspapers, like Al-Qabas if I am not mistaken,.
hmmm I wonder if it was part of this computer expo in 1983
https://248am.com//images/2021/07/computerexpo-scaled.jpg
Wow, you are very good finding references. That seems like the right description and the year but it says it is to be held at the Sheraton, I am trying to remember if it got confused with the Hilton. But I don’t remember ever going to the Sheraton, it was a bit far from the usual bus stops I am familiar with.
There is a typo above. What I meant to say if I got it confused between the Hilton and the Sheraton, though I still feel the expo I went to was at the Hilton. The Hilton was near where I lived and it was a walking distance from our home.
It could be a different one, will keep an eye out for the hilton expo.
Anyone remember the name of the computer store in Salhia complex, I got my first Spectrum 48K from there!
That’s literally what I’m asking lol, but now you got me thinking if they had Sinclairs as well, that would make sense actually. Now that I think about it, it could have been a Spectrum in the window playing Dig Dug!
YES, the shop in Salhia. My father bought me my Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48K from the little shop on the 2nd or 3rd floor of the Salhia complex around 1983 or so. The shop used to be run by a nice young Kuwaiti chap. His store had Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum 48K on sale, plus some peripherals like joysticks. He also sold computer games (bootlegged) on cassettes and he even put his store’s brandname on the cover of these duplicated games. I bought some of these games when I was young before I knew anything about software piracy. I still own all of the cassettes from this shop. I looked at one of my cassettes see the following information regarding this store, I presume it no longer exists.
AL RUSHAID Trading and Contracting company
P.O. Box 25443, Safat Kuwait
Tel 412404, Telex 23721 KT
I still own my original ZX Spectrum and many other versions, though last year I upgraded to the Spectrum Next (https://www.specnext.com/about/) which was released last year.
Hey can you send me pics of the cassettes with his branding??
In other news…
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184310124201
Just because someone has it priced that much doesn’t mean its worth that much. I’ve found like new (mint) condition Spectrums boxed for under $500
god damn it now i’m looking for a Spectrum to buy again. I used to love the ZX Spectrum +2 since thats the one we used to have in school. I bought a boxed one once with a ton of games but it ended up getting lost in the mail.
There’s a place in Rihab complex that sells old consoles.
Ebay spectrum is from Kuwait
Who can forget the wonders School Daze ,Fairlight or KnightLore
I remember getting The Hobbit from an optician store that had games in the basement in Kuwait City – Was that Hassan’s ?
Ahhh just realized it belongs to @retrotechq8 who wanted 150kd for it
https://www.instagram.com/p/CAzyo65JNV4/?utm_medium=copy_link
Still cheaper to get one off eBay and ship to kuwait they aren’t that expensive.
What was Saed & Dawlat again in Salhia ? I remember they had hosted an essay contest on Toys & their role in Childhood. Think it was some kind of Matchbox brand competition. Didn’t they use to deal in computers?
pre-1990 all my games were from muthana complex
after 1990 i remmber a shop in Dasman Complex , a friend took me there so he can buy Amiga games , and that shop started selling PC games later
I got my first Windows computer from Dasman Complex, around 1992 it was a place called BMC which if I remember correctly stood for Blue Marble Company.
Yes Mark, I visited Al Alameyya store and seen the mouse for the first time in my life.
I remember also a big store selling apple computers and a big rainbow apple logo sign was there.
That was bang opposite the al saliyah complex, al Sane
That’s the Apple Store, different place. https://248am.com/mark/apple/my-abandoned-apple-store-photos-are-popular-again/