Kuwait Gifts You Can Bring Back

Whether traveling for vacation, going on a work trip, or living abroad, bringing back presents for friends and family is always a nice way to share your experience and a new culture/country with loved ones back home. 

Since we live abroad, this year, we made an Instagram reel asking everyone in Kuwait what they would bring as presents or gifts and we were blown away by the wonderful suggestions. So we are putting together a list of some of the most suggested items so you too can have access to this list of Kuwait Gifts You Can Bring Back. I grouped them in three major buckets: Food and Drink, Scents, and Antiques or Traditional. 

Kuwait Gifts You Can Bring Back – Food and Drink 

Food was a very popular suggestion. And for good reason. Kuwait does sweets very well. 

There are two stores that keep coming up over and over in the comments: Al Shemali  and Nagwa . Luckily, you can either order online from both places or there are many in person stores you can visit while in Kuwait. I mean Nagwa even has a storefront in the airport! From both places the top most suggested desserts are darabeel and rahash. So what are these delicious treats? Darabeel (درابيل) is a crispy rolled pastry filled with delicious spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and brown sugar. It’s flakey and melts in your mouth. Rahash, sometimes called halwa, is made from a sesame seed paste called tahini and sugar. The tahini gives it a creamy, rich texture. This sweet and delightfully nutty flavored dessert is both dense and crumbly. 

We also learned that our favorite date company, Baraka Dates, which is owned by a Kuwaiti family, is making the most adorable gift boxes in a collaboration with a local artist. Each gift box features a Kuwait landmark with the story behind the landmark. And did I mention, the dates are out of this world amazing. They are packaged like luxury items and stuffed with the most amazing fillings. We highly recommend you check them out! 

As odd as it sounds, KDD chocolate milk was the most recommended beverage. Yes, those little chocolate milk boxes that are in every grocery store and convenience store in Kuwait. KDD stands for Kuwait Danish Dairy company and produces some amazing treats like the soft serve ice cream, the chocolate milk, and of course all their juices. Now would I bring boxes of chocolate milk back for friends and family? I’m honestly considering it! 

Arabic Coffee and Karak Tea were mentioned many times. There are instant, powered versions you can buy in the store. If you want to bring the real deal, don’t make the mistake we did and just bring the coffee or tea. We didn’t have the right equipment at our families home to make it so it wasn’t easy and fun to serve. Therefore you will also have to invest in the right equipment to make the coffee or tea. A dallah, Arabic coffee pot, makes a beautiful gift accompanied by some small glasses to serve the beverage. 

Kuwait Gifts You Can Bring Back – Scents 

One of the first things we noticed when stepping foot into Kuwait was the amount of amazing scents. From burning wood (bakhoor) and incense to perfumes and oils (oud), everyone and every place has a delightful Arab scent. So what exactly are these products and how do you buy them?

Bakhoor is wood chips soaked in natural oils. It’s a blend of natural ingredients that has a mild, sweeter fragrance. To extract the scent, you need to burn it on coals. Therefore you would need to invest in the incense burner and the charcoal discs. But Bakhoor is widely available and makes for a great gift because people here actually use it daily. 

Oud on the other hand is a single resin extract that has a stronger, more intense aroma. Oud is used in perfumes and is more rare and expensive.

Two stores that were recommended over and over are Atyab Al Marshoud and Gissah. 

Kuwait Gifts You Can Bring Back – Antiques or Traditional 

Kuwait has a long history of people living in the desert surviving off the things of the land including a boating community that fished and dove for pearls. To honor that tradition, many stores sell a miniature of the two different types of old Kuwaiti fishing and pearl diving boats called a dhow or boom. These small boats make a beautiful present. 

Another miniature that makes a great gift that is pretty popular here is a miniature of the iconic Kuwait Towers. The iconic three towers with a bubble shaped viewing deck is a nice nod to the country’s history and modern day. 

Sadu fabrics, an embroidery fabric in geometrical shapes hand-woven by Bedouin people, are very popular here in Kuwait. Not only can you stop at the Al Sadu House  museum, but they have a beautiful gift shop as well to purchase gifts that use this beautiful fabric goods: like table runners, pillows, purses, and more! 

If you are looking for antiques, there is a small section in the Friday Market that sells older goods like Arabic coffee sets, tea pots, candle sticks, incense burners, and much more. It’s a fun place to scour for unique gifts. 

If you are looking for new goods, check out the Mubarakiya Market for literally everything. The most recommended gifts from here are gold (necklaces, earrings, rings, bracelets), abayas for women or dishdashas for men, or necklaces with friends’ names in Arabic!

A few stores that were recommended are Khat because they have so many traditional options that are great for gifting! And Khaneh Store for beautifully curated gifts from the area. 

As you can see, there are a lot of Kuwait gifts you can bring back to your friends and family. Let us know which ones are your favorite and anything else you would add.