Mubarakiya’s 44 heritage shops go to families with roots in the souq

Kuwait’s Ministry of Finance is leasing 44 state-owned shops on the Qibla side of Souq Al-Mubarakiya (commercial block 7), and it is not offering them to just anyone. The notice, published in the official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm on 8 November 2026, limits them to Kuwaitis whose families or work are tied to the souq’s history.

Which trades qualify

• Handicrafts and traditional workshops
• Popular restaurants and cafés
• Attar (spice and herbal) shops
• Nuts and traditional foodstuffs
• Leather goods, made and sold on site
• Tailoring
• Prayer beads (misbaha)
• Fishing and hunting supplies

Basic conditions

• Kuwaiti nationality, held for the full term of the lease
• Aged 21 or over, with full legal capacity
• No final conviction for a felony or a crime of dishonesty, unless rehabilitated
• No open court dispute with the ministry over a previous state-property contract

Proving the link

Applicants must submit documents showing a genuine connection to Mubarakiya: a family presence in the souq over generations; the applicant or an ancestor practising a trade historically tied to it; having occupied a shop or property there before, even if that ended long ago; or still working in one of the souq’s traditional trades today. The shop must be used for the trade the documents prove, or another trade on the list.

A ministry committee checks the papers, scores the historical and professional link, and ranks qualifying applicants.

Deadline

One month from the gazette notice of 8 November 2026.

Photo: A covered lane hung with Kuwaiti flags in Souq Al-Mubarakiya, Kuwait City. By Zairon, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Source: Ministry of Finance notice in Kuwait Al-Youm, as reported by Al-Rai and Al-Nahar (9 November 2026).