Rebuilding the Kuwaiti Dream One Mess At A Time: Subbiya’s “Silk City”

Like most citizens of Kuwait, Abdullatif Al-Mishari understands the gravity of the country’s disheveled policies.

From its infrastructure to its education, from the way it distributes its finances to its reliance on oil, Kuwait’s policies are failing its citizens on a drastic scale. Sooner or later, oil wealth will run out. Once it does, Kuwait’s current policies will obstruct its transition into an efficient society. Time is running out to create alternative philosophies, policies, and practices. Though most Kuwaitis view this impending doom with despair, Abdullatif Al-Mishari considers the present as a gift. The more chaotic and muddled the state’s policies become, the more new ideas and change will be coveted. Concerned citizens should thus rejoice; for if Kuwait has reached an all-time...

low, it means things can only get better from here.

After the events of September 11, when most Arab students terminated their studies in the United States of America, Abdullatif booked a ticket to the University of South California, traveling forward at a time when people were coming back. This mentality—seeing hope where others see despair—would later form the foundation of Arabana, a territorial curatory collaborative. Arabana is Arabic for trolley, a name that highlights both the project’s nucleus (which stresses mobility, change, and forward progress) as well as its Arab origin. The project’s bifocal aim can be summed up into achieving a sustainable future for Kuwaiti society. Abdullatif explains further, “Arabana is a basic ubiquitous urban tool that resides and operates in all types of places and situations. It is flexible, light, transportable, changeable, and fluid. It acts as an urban catalyst and as an experience prototyper.”

Abdullatif returned to Kuwait after spending seven years abroad, majoring in architecture and business. Upon his return he decided to see Kuwait’s critical situation as an opportunity rather than a hindrance; an opportunity to rebuild our Kuwaiti dream one mess at a time, starting with the myth of the two storey house. “The Kuwaiti dream is not sustainable,” says Abdullatif, “Giving a one thousand [square] meter house to every Kuwaiti is not only financially impractical, but impossible. Add on to that free healthcare, education, highest level wages for all sectors of society, and you will quickly deplete the national treasury.” What complicates matters further is the country’s dependency on oil and foreign expeertise. Kuwaitis lack both the knowledge and the incentive to participate in the rebuilding of their own environment.

One issue that fundamentally impacts the country’s growth is subsidies. Architects and businessmen avoid greener energies because electricity and oil are subsidized. And herein lies the predicament: subsidizing electricity (making it significantly cheaper than its market price) is necessary for the modernization of the country; however, it simultaneously forestalls our development in other areas, such as innovative technologies and sustainable energy. It seems that Kuwait tethered its philosophy of modernization to Abdullah Al-Salem’s development plan of 1952. But this plan cannot sustain itself into the future. And here’s where Arabana comes in. Unlike other progress- oriented projects, Arabana seeks the integration of various experts to solve specific quandaries. Abdullatif states, “Arabana prioritizes an integrative awareness approach. It values, organizes and brings together different and diverse disciplines, people, stakeholders, thoughts and ideas in an effort to explore untapped territories and hidden potentials.”

Collaboration plays a vital role in Arabana. For example, when Kuwait Municipality proposed a new master plan for the development of Subbiya, the northern sub-region of Kuwait, Arabana called the American University of Kuwait’s Center for Gulf Studies to organize three panel discussions on “the largest single national project Kuwait has ever undertaken.” Subbiya project proposes the creation of a “Silk City” with the help of the private sector. Although this massivecolossal enterprise promises the creation of resorts, residential neighborhoods, institutions, and cultural services, it had still not received adequate media publicity. Thus, AUK and Arabana decided it was time to increase public awareness and educate Kuwaiti citizens about the project’s ramifications and complexities. The goal is to ultimately generate an intellectual discussion that will empower citizens and allow them to participate in the rebuilding of their own environments.

The first panel organized for this purpose focused on the social and cultural implications of the project, bringing together experts in the fields of architecture, archaeology, and tourism to analyze its social and cultural consequences. The panel was moderated by Dr. Farah Al Nakib, the Director of the Center for Gulf Studies. The Senior Professor of Archeology at Durham University, Dr. Derek Kennet, delineated the historical background of Subbiya and its surrounding region. He described the rich archeological finds identified in the area, which include some of the oldest representations of seafaring vessels ever found around the world. Dr. Kennet indicated that Subbiya’s past could serve as a new touristic feature for the country.

Dr. Abdulrasool Al Mousa, Professor of Geography at Kuwait University, analyzed the social and geographical dimensions of the project. Dr. Abdulrasool explained that “Although the new city will only be [situated] across a bridge passing over Kuwait Bay, the general idea of a new commercial, economic, recreational and residential city in itself makes it sound as though it is far and distant from the old city crowd.” Creating this bridge might then allow Kuwaitis to veer away from the public sector and trickle into private industries. Most importantly, it would facilitate the creation of a new demographic. Subbiya’s policy makers envision accommodating 200,000 to 300,000 people by the year 2030 and up to one million people in the long run.

The General Manager of Safir Hotels Group in Kuwait, Mr. Nabil Shashatari, discussed Safir Heritage Village in Failaka Island to extrapolate upon lessons learned for the development of Subbiya. Mr. Shashatari explained that although the main aspectfeature of Safir Heritage Village is its touristic attraction, the resort was also built with environmentally-friendly materials, and demonstrates that one need not sacrifice the environment in order to profit.
Finally, the co-founder of AGI Architects in Kuwait, Dr. Nasser Abulhasan, “stressed the importance of policymakers engaging the public on plans for Subbiya before taking any concrete action.” If the engineers, architects, and policy makers on the Subbiya project neglect the needs of the Kuwaiti public, Subbiya’s “Silk City” will be at risk of only satisfying the needs of a select few. But Dr. Abulhasan stresseds the importance of proactive thought. Rather than succumb to pessimism, he encourageds people to think seriously about their own roles in reforming society and to become active participants in the process.

Subbiya’s second panel shed light upon the environmental impacts and opportunities of the project. Maintaining the same collaborative effort as had been presented in the first panel, the second panel counted on experts on ecological conservation, marine biology, and environmental sustainability. Speakers discussed the area’s rich, natural resources and the potential environmental impact of the current project on Subbiya’s land and water bays. This panel was moderated by Arabana’s own Abdullatif Al-Mishari, and featured lectures by the Founder and General Manager of ECO Environmental Consultants, Dr. Ali Khuraibet, and researchers at Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR): Dr. Khaled Al-Banaa and Dr. James Bishop.

Since Subbiya contains archeological information dating back to the seventeenth century, Dr. Khuraibet emphasized the political dimension of the project. Far from being merely being a new resort, or a new Kuwaiti city, Subbiya’s grounds contain vital material from Kuwait’s historical past. It thus has the power to reshape Kuwait’s identity in the future.

From an ecological standpoint, Dr. Bishop listed the significance of Subbiya’s earth on living organisms. He highlights that the area is a natural habitat for “more intertidal mudflats than anywhere else in the Gulf region”. It is rich in biodiversity, shelters rare animal species, and generates necessary fodder for birds during migration seasons. Dr. Bishop intimated the urgency of preserving Subbiya’s “virgin area” as it has not yet been contaminated by human behavior, and offers crucial scientific data which can further environmental research.
The potentially dangerous consequences of the Subbiya project were also discussed. For instance, Dr. Al Banna demonstrated that the proximity of Subbiya’s main power plant to the location of the city may lead to an increase in the salt-level of Kuwait’s Bay, which could in turn create pose major environmental risks. The speakers also tackled the consequences of the twenty-kilometer bridge that would connect Subbiya to Kuwait City. Dredging would be maintained on a continuous basis, which could damage the environment if not carried out properly. Most importantly, the panelists agree that the creationformation of the city itself must not repeat the mistakes of earlier cities, such as the exclusivity of Kuwait City, or the placement of Sabah Al Salem next to an industrial zone, or the proximity of Al-Qurain to landfills.

Apart from the panels organized in partnership with AUK and CGS for the Subbiya project, Arabana also arranged workshops for the future inhabitants of the “Silk City.” One of Arabana’s key aims is to impart knowledge in order to allow citizens to partake in decision-making processes and the development of their own environments. Thus, it joined Malone Given Parsons and Gulf Consult to organize a housing workshop for Subbiya. Malone Given Parsons and Gulf Consult were part of the initial planning stages of the project and needed to collect information regarding the living preferences of Subbiya’s future inhabitants. Arabana partnered with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Lothan Youth Achievement Center (Loyac), Bayt Lothan, and American Institute of Architects – Student Chapter, in order to organize focus groups to serve as audiences for Malone Given Parsons and Gulf Consult’s workshop. What was especially interesting about Arabana’s focus groups was the age-range of the participants they gathered. All members were below the age of 30, from different social backgrounds and various social classes. As Abdullatif explains, “it is they who will constitute the generation moving to Subbiya, and our future lies in their hands.”
Arabana is a multifaceted organization that draws upon the expertise of manifold individuals to examine all angeles of a particular project. Its members come from a variety of different backgrounds. One of their interests lies in filming. For instance, Arabana organized the screening of Into Eternity, a film that covers the complexities of building a permanent repository for nuclear waste. Into Eternity belonged to a selection from The Green Caravan Film Festival which, like Arabana, hopes to raise awareness about humanity’s relation to the environment in order to encourage a more proactive approach to development. In addition to screening films, Arabana’s member, Dana Al Mojil, created her own film: an adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Dana’s movie, Wonderland: A True Story, is set in Kuwait and transforms everyday locations and activities (such as processing your papers in any local ministry) into an award- winning rendition of a popular fairy tale.

Arabana and AUK’s Center for Gulf Studies are currently preparing a third lecture on Subbiya’s economic and strategic considerations, continuing their push to make Kuwaitis active and informed participants of their country’s development process. Ultimately, Arabana’s hope is that the nation’s future will one day no longer be viewed with despair, but rather as the source of excitement and endless possibilities that it actually is.

By Nada Faris

Voice for Success is a program initiated by en.v in collaboration with the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) to promote Kuwaiti civil society by giving greater visibility to local social activists. Learn more about Voice for Success on www.voiceforsuccess.envearth.com.

To participate in our program, email us at info@envearth.com or visit www.voiceforsuccess.envearth.com

This project is funded through the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). MEPI is a unique program designed to engage directly with and invest in the peoples of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). MEPI works to create vibrant partnerships with citizens to foster the development of pluralistic, participatory, and prosperous societies throughout the MENA region. MEPI partners with local, regional and international non-governmental organizations, the private sector, academic institutions, and governments. More information about MEPI can be found at: www.mepi.state.gov.