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Al-Hashemi-II

A wooden dhow built in Kuwait City, among the largest wooden vessels ever made.

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Typeship
WhereHawalli
Nearest cityKuwait City
Best seasonNovember to March
Time to allowAn hour or two
Getting thereOn the Gulf Road at Salmiya; road access
EntryFree to view; interior by arrangement

The Al-Hashemi-II is a wooden dhow built in Kuwait City in the 1990s and completed in 1998, over eighty metres long and holding a Guinness record as the largest wooden dhow ever built, constructed by Kuwaiti and Indian shipwrights using traditional methods on a scale far beyond anything the pearling fleet ever needed. It sits on land beside the Gulf Road with a maritime museum around it.

What you actually see

  • The scale - over eighty metres, recorded as the largest wooden dhow built.
  • The traditional construction - built by shipwrights using dhow methods.
  • The maritime museum - the display built around the vessel.
  • The Gulf Road setting - the ship standing on land beside the corniche.

When to go

November to March is the cool season. Access to the interior depends on events and arrangement. Summer heat outside is extreme.

Honest expectations

The ship functions as an events venue and interior access is not always available. It was built as a showpiece rather than to sail. The setting on land rather than water is unusual.

Nearby

Salmiya is around it, and Kuwait Towers are northwest.

What to pack for Al-Hashemi-II

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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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