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Al Ahmadi

An oil company town of the 1940s, laid out with gardens and a strict street grid.

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Typecompany town
WhereAl Ahmadi
Nearest cityKuwait City
Best seasonNovember to March
Time to allowHalf a day
Getting thereSouth of Kuwait City; road, around thirty minutes
EntryFree; oil display museum charged

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.

What you actually see

  • 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.

Honest expectations

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.

What to pack for Al Ahmadi

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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