Malls in Kuwait

Kuwait is a desert country located in the Middle East. With the lack of vegetation to keep it cool,  the winds from Iraq and Saudi Arabia that bring dry desert heat, and the growing urbanization that traps heat in the city, one of the hottest temperatures recorded on earth was here. April through October is so hot that it’s normally uncomfortable to be outside for long periods of time. Therefore, indoor activities are a must. That, combined with the Kuwaiti predisposition for places to gather for coffee or food, make malls the perfect indoor destination. And Kuwait has so many malls.  So if you are looking for some good malls in Kuwait, you’ve come to the right place! 

We were told about the mall culture when we arrived but we couldn’t understand or fathom it until we experienced it ourselves. After being frequent visitors, we’ve decided to write about five of our favorite malls, the pros and cons to each mall, and why we like them! 

The Avenues 

The Avenues mall is the second largest shopping mall in the Gulf Countries after Dubai Mall. Opened in 2007, the mall has won the ICSC Gold Award, has over 1,400 stores, 17,000 parking spaces, and has 1,200,000m² (almost 13 millionft²) of space! There are two hotels inside the mall: the Waldorf Astoria and the Hilton as well as 2 huge movie theaters. It’s incredibly big. But what is most impressive to us is that it’s stunning inside. Every inch of this place is pristine, clean and beautiful. One fun thing for us is exploring the different areas. There is an area set up to look like an old souk or Arab market. One area looks like Parisian streets. There is a palm tree lined walkway with natural light streaming in. There is a futuristic art area as well. We have literally spent hours just walking around the mall. With restaurants from so many different countries offering authentic food, you could eat every meal here! The Avenues definitely tops our list for our favorite mall! Some pros are: beautiful, interesting to look at and doesn’t feel like a mall. There are actual stores we like to shop at here. And did we mention free parking! Cons: since it’s so popular, there tends to be large crowds and lots of people at peak times which can make finding a parking spot a sport in itself. Our pro tip is to go on off peak times for fewer people and an easier time parking! 

360 Mall

The 360 Mall opened in 2009. It is the region’s first mixed-use space containing retail, sport, leisure, and offices. There is an IMax theater, the Rafa Nadal Academy which is a tennis training center with 18 courts, and the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The Arena seats 5,000 and is a multipurpose arena used for conventions, comedy, and music shows. There is a signature vertical garden with over 21,000 plants and a waterfall. Visually this is a stunning mall with many elegant details, gorgeous seating areas, and beautiful restaurants. While not going for size, it is impressive in luxury. The 260 stores offer many high end brands including Cartier, Balenciaga, and Bloomingdales. Pros: Our favorite part of the mall is the visuals as the art and instillations are stunning. However a few cons are that most of the stores are not our style so we don’t shop here. We tend to go to 360 mall to walk around and eat food. 

Marina Mall

Marina Mall feels like the most accessible and down to earth mall with actual stores we shop at. While it is a little older, the mall has been kept up nicely. Parking is on the ground floor, stores on the first floor and only a small food court in the middle on the second floor. The Marina Mall is part of a much larger complex including a 5 star hotel, yacht club, and beach. The indoor walking bridge allows you to cross over the Gulf Road to the Marina Crescent which is a crescent shaped strip of restaurants with outdoor patios facing the yacht marina and the beach. This is a fun place to grab a bite to eat or a cup of coffee and enjoy the people walking by. Many events are held out here by the beach including RedBull Flying Day, Flare Fitness Festival, obstacle races, drone shows, and classic car shows. Pros: super accessible, normal stores. Cons: a little older and not as visually stunning as other malls in Kuwait.  

Warehouse Mall

The Warehouse Mall was opened in 2023 making it one of the newer malls in Kuwait. The design is unique with big open spaces using natural light to highlight the steel beams, and exposed concert, brick, and wood features. The 180 stores are an array including clothing stores, toys stores, and fragrance stores. However it also features many home goods. Warehouse Mall houses the biggest IKEA in Kuwait and it’s wildly impressive. Sticking with the home goods trend, ABYAT is a local upscale home goods store. We spent hours walking through their displays, impressed by all the beautiful home decor. One additional unique thing is the luxury car showrooms. There is an entire wing dedicated to car showrooms with the newest cars showing off new features and advancements in automobile technology. While it may feel farther away from the city, it’s perfectly situated in the middle so residents coming from southern Kuwait can reach it as well. There are a few special restaurants including the first Nandos in Kuwait and the only Jamie’s Italian in Kuwait. Pros: the design is very interesting and it’s a nice mall to walk around. Cons: it’s farther away and you have to pay for parking. 

Assima Mall 

The Assima Mall is situated right downtown in Kuwait City and was opened in 2021. Located in a highrise building, it feels like a traditional vertical mall with retail and restaurants on 6 floors, 19 office floors, residential space, and the Marriott Executive Suites for business travelers. It houses the National Geographic Ultimate Explorer experience, a UFC gym, and a spa. Restaurant options abound with both a traditional food court and high end dining. There is even an outdoor space with cafes on the rooftop patio. Pros: it is very nice inside with more interesting restaurants and it’s located downtown. Cons: it feels like any other mall and parking is atrocious as it’s located in a congested area with too few parking spots. If you’re able to park farther away and walk to it, that might be your best option. 

Not Really Malls – Mall Adjacent

While not traditional malls, we thought these two deserve special recognition. The Al Andalus Complex hosts a beautiful outdoor walkway and outdoor seating for a group of restaurants that line the walkway. While there aren’t many shops here, the restaurants are delicious and the cinema inside is worth going to.

Similarly the Murouj is a stunning line of restaurants and just a few shops on a palm tree lined walkway facing the horse racing track. It’s truly beautiful but honestly is a grouping of restaurants, not a mall. 

Speaking of other things that feel like they should be a mall but aren’t quite there. We found a game store called Good Game located in Sanabil Tower. We were expecting a mall feel but found a bunch of travel companies in a high rise building peppered with a restaurant and a specialty grocery store. Another time we visited Symphony Mall which is just a few restaurants and stores underneath a luxury hotel. For us, it was not worth the visit if you want actual shopping. 

Older Malls

As the country continues to develop and build, that means many older malls are getting left in the dust of the newer sparkly malls. We’ve found many “malls” that seem to be past their prime. Whether there are empty storefronts or the mall is just run down/not kept up, we have found some hidden gems among the older malls. Check out places like Ascend Rock Climbing in EMall, some of our favorite restaurants like Alshorfah and Em Zalfa in Al-Salam Mall, or the few discount/outlet stores in Boulevard Mall. 

There are a few places I wouldn’t consider a mall but still have the name like Cube Mall which is just a bunch of older restaurants and we couldn’t find a lot of stores or Souq Shark which may have had its heyday but feels empty now. 

Overall, Kuwait has a thriving mall scene. They are great places to beat the heat, meet up with friends, grab a bite to eat, and shop til you drop. Each place offers its own unique thing and with a plethora of options, you’ll never run out of places to explore.