Areas of Kuwait

Kuwait is divided into six governorates, and in each there are several areas (Arabic: مناطِق). Areas are much less commonly called by other names such as districts or towns. However they are commonly known inside the English-speaking community in Kuwait as, and are officially translated as, areas.^[1][2][3] The Arabic word for area, Mintaqah, can mean both mean area and region.^[4][5] Areas are further subdivided into blocks, each of which is refereed by to a number. All blocks are divided into streets (شوارع) (singular شارع šāriʿ). However, some areas may be further subdivided into جادات Jaddāt (singular جادة Jadda), which might be translated to avenue or lane.

Map of the Areas of Kuwait

Each area in Kuwait has an official governmental facility called a co-op society or just society (Arabic: جمعية). For example, in Surra, it's called Surra Co-op Society. Societies are mainly supermarkets that provide foods and produce, and they may take part in maintaining some of the areas' landmarks like parks and schools, but they're not legally obliged to. Societies have elected members who manage them. Only residents of the area can vote for their society's membership.

Al Aasima

Location of Capital Governorate in Kuwait

The centre of Kuwait City at night, with the Kuwait National Assembly

Failaka Island ruins

Date seller in Kuwait's traditional Sūg li-Mbārkīya

The Capital Governorate (Arabic: العاصمة, romanized: al-ʿĀṣima Gulf Arabic: il-ʿĀṣma) comprises the core areas of Kuwait City and several offshore islands, among them Failaka Island.

Areas of Capital Governorate

Official English	Arabic	Gulf Arabic Transliteration	Year Established	# of Blocks[6]	Population (2011)[6]	Notes
Abdulla Al-Salem	ضاحية عبد الله السالم	Ð̣āḥyat ʿAbdalla is-Sālim	1963[7][8]	4	13,098	Often referred to simply as ið̣-Ð̣āḥya 'the suburb'.
Adailiya	العديلية	li-ʿDēlīya	1963[7]	4	11,006
Bnaid Al-Qar	بنيد القار	Bnēd il-Gār		2	13,171
Daʿiya	الدعية	id-Diʿīya	1957[7]	5	11,289
Dasma	الدسمة	id-Dasma	1954[7]	6	12,455
Doha	الدوحة	id-Dōḥa		4	22,047	Not to be confused with the Qatari Capital
Doha Port	ميناء الدوحة	Mina id-Dōḥa		-	573
Faiha'	الفيحاء	il-Fēḥa	1956[7]	9	12,333
Failaka	فيلكا	Fēliča		-	147	A historic island. Its name comes from Greek φυλάκιο(ν) - fylakio(n) 'outpost'. Used to be inhabited until the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Birthplace of Fēliča (sub)dialect of Kuwaiti Arabic.
Granada	غرناطة	Ġirnāṭa		3	8,752	It was named after the city of Granada in Spain. Appears officially in variant forms, including Granda and Ghornata.
Jaber Al-Ahmad City	مدينة جابر الأحمد	(Madīnat) Jābir il-Aḥmad		7	40,591
Jibla	جِبْلَة			15	4,772
Kaifan	كيفان	Kēfān	1955[7]	7	17,300
Khaldiya	الخالدية	il-Xāldīya	1961[7]	4	9,820
Mansūriya	المنصورية	il-Manṣūrīya	1965[7]	2	5,589	Location of Al-Arabi SC, one of the oldest sports clubs in Kuwait.
Mirgab	المرقاب			3	3,699
Nahdha	النهضة	in-Nahð̣a		3		Formerly East Sulaibikhat
North West Sulaibikhat	شمال غرب الصليبيخات	Šamāl Ġarb li-Ṣlēbixāt		3	7,941	Temporary name
Nuzha	النزهة	in-Nizha	1963[7]	3	8,372
Qadsiya	القادسية	il-Qādsīya	1958[7]	9	14,389
Qurtuba	قرطبة	Qurṭuba		5	28,736	Named after Cordoba in Spain
Rawda	الروضة	ir-Rōð̣a	1965[7]	5	21,535
Shamiya	الشامية	iš-Šāmīya	1955[7]	10	14,708
Sharq	شرق			8	3,699
Shuwaikh	الشويخ	li-Šwēx	1954[7]	8	3,012
Shuwaikh Industrial Area	الشويخ الصناعية	li-Šwēx iṣ-Ṣināʿīya		3	2,518
Shuwaikh Port	ميناء الشويخ	Mina li-Šwēx		-	185
Sulaibikhat	الصليبخات	li-Ṣlēbixāt		5	23,686
Surra	السرة	is-Sirra		6	30,264
Umm an Namil Island	جزيرة ام النمل	(Jazīrat) Umm in-Namil		-	0
Yarmouk	اليرموك	il-Yarmūk		4	15,385
Total population (2011)					359,245

Hawalli Governorate

Areas of Hawalli Governorate

English	Arabic	Year established	# of Blocks	Population (2011)[6]	Notes/Landmarks
Anjafa	أنجفة		-	596	Anjafa beach
Bayān	بيان		14	39,799	Bayan Palace
Bi'da	البدع		-		Coastal area with many business with sea view.
Hawally	حولي	1906	12	128,549	Notable for its huge commercial activities and dozens of malls.
Hittin	حطين		4	20,809
Jabriya	الجابرية		14[note 1]	56,392	Home of multiple hospitals, including Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Hadi Hospital, and Royale Hayat Hospital, as well as many embassies, the Blood Bank of Kuwait and Health Sciences Campus of Kuwait University.
Maidan Hawalli	ميدان حولي	1960s	1	20,000	Block 11 in Salmiya
Mishrif	مشرف		6	27,391
Mubarak Al-Jabir	مبارك الجابر
Nigra	النقرة	1906	3		Blocks 1, 11 and 12 in Hawally
Rumaithiya	الرميثية	1964	12	41,787	Has the largest number of Husainiyas in Kuwait.
Salam	سلام			22,314
Salmiya	السالمية	1960s	12	196,153	Big commercial activities and a lot of malls.
Salwa	سلوى		12	80,283
Sha'ab	الشعب		8	10,084
Shuhada	الشهداء			15,258
Siddiq	الصديق		6	26
South Surra	جنوب السرة		-		Includes Siddeq, Shuhada, Zahra, Hittin and Salam.
Zahra	الزهراء		8	23,792	Has the second largest mall (360 Mall) in Kuwait.
Total population (2011)				672,910

Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate

The Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate (Arabic: مبارك الكبير, romanized: Mubārak al-Kabīr Gulf Arabic: Mbārak il-kabīir) is the governorate most recently established. It is named after Mubarak the Great.

Areas of Mubarak Al-Kabeer Governorate

English	Arabic	Population (2011)[6]	Notes/Landmarks
Abu Al Hasaniya	أبو الحصانية	1,682
Abu Futaira	أبو فطيرة	57
Adān	العدان	48,095
Al Qurain	القرين	33,616
Al-Qusour	القصور	38,606
Fintās	الفنطاس
Funaitīs	الفنيطيس	578
Misīla	المسيلة	1,022
Mubarak Al-Kabeer	مبارك الكبير	48,196	Governorate seat.
Sabah Al-Salem	صباح السالم	83,437
Sabhān	صبحان	2,903
South Wista	جنوب وسطي	51
Wista	وسطي	570
Total population (2011)		258,813

Ahmadi Governorate

Areas of Ahmadi Governorate

English	Arabic	Population (2011)[6]	Notes/Landmarks
Abu Halifa	أبو حليفة	29,870
Abdullah Port	ميناء عبد الله	24,415
Ahmadi	الأحمدي	21,469	Governorate seat.
Ali As-Salim	علي صباح السالم	42,173
Aqila	العقيلة	13,579
Bar Al Ahmadi	بر الأحمدي	723	Desert area of Al Ahmadi.
Bneidar	بنيدر
Dhaher	بر الأحمدي الظهر	33,197
Fahaheel	الفحيحيل	54,157
Fahad Al-Ahmad	فهد الأحمد	17096
Hadiya	هدية	17,990
Jaber Al-Ali	جابر العلي	38,868
Jawaher Al Wafra	جواخير الوفرة	653
Jilei'a	الجليعة
Khairan	الخيران	1,895
Mahbula	المهبولة	77,988
Mangaf	المنقف	73,378
Miqwa'	المقوع	32
New Khairan City	مدينة الخيران الجديدة	2
New Wafra	الوفرة الجديدة	2,488
Nuwaiseeb	النويصيب	537
Riqqa	الرقة	36,058
Sabah Al-Ahmad City	مدينة صباح الأحمد	1,235
Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City	مدينة صباح الأحمد البحرية
Sabahiya	الصباحية	56,640
Shu'aiba (North & South)	الشعيبة	26
South Sabahiya	جنوب الصباحية	73
Wafra	الوفرة	7,856
Zoor	الزور	2,230
Zuhar	الظهر
Total population (2011)		588,068

Farwaniya Governorate

Kuwait International Airport in Farwaniya Governorate, Kuwait

Sheikh Jaber International Stadium in Ardhiya, Kuwait

The Avenues Mall in Rai, Kuwait

Areas of Farwaniya Governorate

English	Arabic	Population (2011)[6]	Notes/Landmarks
Abdullah Al-Mubarak	عبدالله المبارك	61,441	Also known as West Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh.
Airport District	منطقة المطار	29
Andalous	الأندلس	42,325	Named after Al-Andalus, the Islamic name for Spain
Ardiya	العارضية	47,928
Ardiya Herafiya	العارضية حرفية	42,173
Ardiya Industrial Area	العارضية المنطقة الصناعية	203
Ashbelya	اشبيلية	21,848	Named after Seville in Spain
Dhajeej	الضجيج	99
Farwaniya	الفروانية	136,260	Governorate seat.
Fordous	الفردوس	52,173
Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh	جليب الشيوخ	227,980
Khaitan	خيطان	109,901
Omariya	العمرية	17,373
Rabiya	الرابية	18,620
Rai	الري	1,054	Home to The Avenues (Kuwait), the world's second largest covered mall.
Al-Riggae	الرقعي	24,820
Rihab	الرحاب	15,682
Sabah Al-Nasser	صباح الناصر	38,507
Sabaq Al Hajan	سباق الهجن	2,218	Camel racing area.
Total population (2011)		818,571

Jahra Governorate

The Red Palace in Jahra, Kuwait

Areas of Jahra Governorate

English	Arabic	Population (2011)[6]	Notes/Landmarks
Abdali	العبدلي	6,839
Al Nahda / East Sulaibikhat	النهضة / شرق الصليبخات	6,756
Amghara	أمغرة	8,623
Bar Jahra	بر الجهراء	1,044	Desert area of Jahra.
Jahra	الجهراء	38,664	Governorate seat.
Jahra Industrial Area	الجهراء المنطقة الصناعية	1,259
Kabad	كبد	3,602
Naeem	النعيم	13,913
Nasseem	النسيم	18,745
Oyoun	العيون	31,009
Qasr	القصر	42,050
Saad Al Abdullah City	مدينة سعد العبدالله	65,394
Salmi	السالمي	1,187
Sikrab	السكراب	264
South Doha / Qairawān	جنوب الدوحة / القيروان	15,200
Subiya	الصبية
Sulaibiya	الصليبية	58,275
Sulaibiya Agricultural Area	الصليبية المنطقة الزراعية	6,778
Taima	تيماء	52,740
Waha	الواحة	28,154
Total population (2011)		400,975

See also

• Electoral districts of Kuwait

Notes

1. Blocks 1A, 1B, 2, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

"Public Authority of Civil Information Statistical Reports". Public Authority of Civil Information Statistical Reports. January 6, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.

References

1. "KUNA :: Private activities in Jabriya told to vacate premises for major projects 10/02/2011". www.kuna.net.kw. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
2. "You are being redirected..." www.moi.gov.kw. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
3. "Ministry of Electricity and Water". Archived from the original on 2015-07-11. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
4. "area | translation English to Arabic: Cambridge Dictionary". Retrieved 7 August 2023.
5. "region | translation English to Arabic: Cambridge Dictionary". Retrieved 7 August 2023.
6. "Geoportal for Kuwait Census 2011". Central Statistical Bureau of Kuwait. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
7. Alshalfan, Sharifah (2018). "The Masterplan for Kuwait: An Exploration of the Forces that Shape Kuwait City" (PDF). Barcelona Centre for International Affairs.
8. "Planning and Urban Development in Kuwait". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 1980. Retrieved 1 March 2021.