Kuwait is ramping up efforts to enhance its tourism and entertainment offerings this summer. They are doing this through new private sector partnerships and extended shopping mall hours, officials announced on Sunday.
During a meeting of the Permanent Committee for National Celebrations at Seif Palace, Yousef Al-Azmi, Deputy Director-General for the Development Sector at Kuwait Municipality, presented a series of proposals.
Plans include hosting tourism and entertainment weeks at The Avenues Mall, Assima Mall, and the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Cultural Centre. This will be in collaboration with telecom companies such as stc, Zain, and Tamdeen Group, owner of 360 Mall.
The meeting was chaired by Minister of Information and Culture and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi. It also discussed extending shopping mall hours during the summer holiday period to attract more visitors and stimulate the local economy.
The Follow-up and Evaluation Team at the Public Authority for Youth presented a report on event performance indicators.
They emphasized the importance of using the “Hayakom” platform to monitor and evaluate activities.
Hayakom, which served as the official ticketing platform for the recent Khaleeji-Zain GCC football tournament, remains central to managing Kuwait’s sports, cultural, and entertainment events.
Officials also discussed encouraging hotels and shopping malls to offer promotional deals and new initiatives. All these are to be registered and assessed via the Hayakom platform.
The meeting featured updates on cultural activities tied to Kuwait’s designation as the Capital of Arab Culture for 2025.
The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters presented a visual briefing on licensed theatrical performances planned over the next few months.
Preparations are also underway for a summer cultural festival. The council announced the upcoming launch of the 8th Arab Children’s Theater Festival — the first since 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.