Al Ahmadi

Al Ahmadi was built from 1946 by the Kuwait Oil Company as a town for its staff, laid out on a grid with wide streets, planted verges, low houses in gardens and a hierarchy of housing by grade that is still legible in the plan. Kuwait's first oil went out through the terminal below it. The Oil Display Centre in the town covers the industry the whole country runs on. The town is named after Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber, who ruled when the first concession was granted.

History

The town, named after Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, was settled by British and Indian staff after oil was found in the region; it was laid out on an American plan to British tastes, with roads meeting at right angles, and divided into north, south, east and west (Wikipedia, Al Ahmadi, Kuwait).

What you'll find

• The company grid - wide planted streets laid out from 1946.
• The graded housing - the hierarchy of company houses still readable in the plan.
• The Oil Display Centre - the museum covering the industry.
• The greenery - planted verges unusual for a Kuwaiti town.

When to go

November to March is the comfortable season. The Oil Display Centre keeps set hours and closes on some days. Summer heat is extreme.

Things to know

Much of the town is company property with restricted access. Photography around oil installations is prohibited. The museum keeps limited hours.

Nearby

Fahaheel is east, and Kuwait City is north.

Key facts