By Ahmad Ali
KUWAIT: There is no questioning the fact that one of the most renowned features in Kuwait, and the Gulf as a whole, are its malls and how big and numerous they are. They are a popular destination for people living in Kuwait, whether to go shopping with friends or dine with their families. "It’s a great place to meet friends to hang out with to do something chill,” said Youssef Majdalani, a Lebanese raised in Kuwait and currently studying in the UK. "During the week, I’d go almost anytime,” he added.
In fact, visiting shopping malls is such a popular activity that it could be argued they are Kuwait’s equivalent to public spaces found abroad. Public spaces, as the name suggests, are areas that are accessible to the general public, such as roads, squares or parks. They are free to access for all and are areas where interactions take place, whether social or commercial. Around the world, public spaces are generally open and outdoor areas that provide public amenities as well as utilities that contribute to their accessibility, functionality and attractiveness.
In Kuwait however, there are factors that restrict the accessibility of outdoor spaces. The weather, notably the exceptional summer heat, limits the desire to take part in outdoor activities. The infrastructure too provides limited possibilities of gaining access to certain areas due to a lack of utilities such as pedestrian paths, bike lanes or parking, especially in neighborhoods further from downtown districts. When questioned about his take on the state of outdoor spaces in Kuwait, Faisal Al-Refai, a Kuwaiti, said there are not many outdoor activities to engage in.
Concurring with Majdalani, he believes that with a couple of exceptions such as Shaheed Park, there’s a lack of general maintenance that would make outdoor spaces pleasant. Raghad Al-Hindi, a Kuwaiti law student, believes developing outdoor public spaces would be beneficial for all parties involved. Malls offer an alternative to the classic outdoor public space. Despite being privately owned, as a concept they provide all the utilities of outdoor spaces confined in a large and climate-controlled environment.
They offer commercial services but also offer entertainment and leisure. Kuwaitis will often go to malls not only for shopping, but also to gather and engage in social experiences with friends and family. Despite being enclosed, malls provide an alternative to the classic outdoor spaces, allowing the same accessibility and usage in a large indoor space. Malls such as The Avenues even go as far as to imitate outdoor public spaces, with indoor treelined streets and paths that copy road networks, buildings resembling downtown areas, a glass ceiling providing natural lighting and various indoor areas that imitate both in aesthetics and in name outdoor spaces such as the Souk, the Forum or the Plaza.
This functionality of malls in the Gulf contrasts with the notion of malls abroad, such as in the US, where they are generally smaller, enclosed and serve a more commercial purpose, since there are other public spaces available that can fulfil more social needs. For example, when asked about where he would conduct social activities in the UK, where he studies, Majdalani said: "I’d usually go to nice restaurants outside and relax, walk somewhere nice and also do fun activities like karting or escape rooms.”
Whereas in Kuwait, Refai says he usually goes to malls three or four times a week to hang out with friends or visit restaurants. There is no doubt about how large the role of malls in Kuwait is when it comes to social activities, providing most of the same activities as outdoor public spaces in a more maintained and comfortable environment, removing factors like the weather. It does remains to be seen however if development projects related to improving the quality of outdoor life and spaces will be more encouraged, since malls already take up most of the same roles and are becoming more and more numerous throughout the country.