Finance Ministry opens door to heritage traders at Al-Mubarakiya
. . . reserves 44 shops reserved for Kuwait's traditional businesses
The Ministry of Finance has announced plans to revive heritage shops in Al-Mubarakiya market by inviting applications from those seeking to operate 44 commercial outlets in the seventh commercial plot in Al-Qibla. The shops, located within state-owned private property, will be exclusively allocated to people with a genuine historical connection to Al-Mubarakiya and its traditional commercial heritage.
According to an announcement published in the official gazette, Kuwait Alyawm, the initiative aims to support activities reflecting the market’s traditional identity. Eligible businesses include handicrafts and traditional industries, popular restaurants and cafes, perfume shops, nut and traditional food outlets, leather manufacturing and sales, tailoring, prayer-bead shops and fishing-related businesses.
The ministry has set specific eligibility conditions for applicants. They must be Kuwaiti citizens and maintain this status from the start of the contracting procedures throughout the lease period. Applicants must also have full legal capacity and be at least 21 years old.
Applicants must not have a final conviction for a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, unless they have been rehabilitated. They must also have no unresolved legal dispute with the Ministry of Finance arising from a previous contract involving the exploitation of state property or a breach of contractual or financial obligations, unless the dispute has been concluded through a final court judgment or an approved settlement.
A key requirement is proof of a genuine and documented historical connection to Al-Mubarakiya market and its traditional professions, crafts or commercial activities. The ministry said this connection may be established through the applicant’s or family’s longstanding presence in the market across generations, or through the practice of a traditional craft, trade or business by the applicant, an ancestor or a family member.
Previous ownership, occupation or operation of a shop or property in the market will also qualify as evidence, even if that ownership or association has since ended. Continued involvement in activities forming part of the applicant’s historical identity, as well as other relevant facts and documents demonstrating a genuine connection to the market, may also be considered.
