Al Kout Mall - an oasis in the desert

Vasanta Lakshmi

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

I always used to wonder where is the oasis in this desert country / city Kuwait? Here is the answer, Al Kout Mall in Fahaheel. Come let us have a glimpse of this oasis.

Take an exit 209 - Fintas ,from Highway 30 and you enter the coastal road or sea road, and as you drive along the road, azure blue sea -Arabian Gulf on your left side, and high rise apartment-residential complexes on your right side keep you company. Drive along the road crossing residential colonies, Mahboula, AbuHalifa, Mangaf, and the road leads to Fahaheel round about, where the road ends into a pleasing, green parks lined Al Kout mall.

Alternately, exits, 210,211,212 also lead, from 30 highway, into coastal road and Alkout mall. Alkout mall is a leisurely mall built with aesthetic appeal, with high raising ceilings, and architecture which blends with the surroundings, of desert and sea background. The feel is not the present day modern, huge concrete, but an expansive open to nature, soft , interaction with water, water, all around.

Yes, the fountains in this mall, beckon you to rest your tired feet at one of those numerous coffee shops lining the Al kout lagoon. The mall is also a marine for various , modern, well equipped fishing, leisure boats,yatchts,and a lagoon has been created for this purpose. The mall itself is divided into two, the North pier and South pier.

Al Kout mall actually extends from Alkout north beach to Alkout south beach. It starts with a huge parking space sprinkled with green date palms, lighted at night with decorative lights, green grass lawns, a luxury in this country, and a well paved foot path,which is a delight for walkers ,who enjoy combining exercise and out door activity.

Evenings, are colourful and we see families and friends coming here to have an impromptu picnics on the lawns, children running and playing around, all in a leisurely ambiance.

The North pier and South pier are connected by a bridge, which is a covered path actually,though it is named as a bridge,Al Ahmad Al Sabah bridge, across the Alkout lagoon.The lagoon is an artificial lake created, to house beautiful orchostered fountains, which in the night are a delight to watch. All of us, take a stop here and are compelled to click a photo or two, in front of the soothing waters and high spouting fountains, to send them to our loved ones in our country, impressing them , we are not living in a desert country, do not worry.

As we enter from North, we cross, a Yatch Club House, a loading dock, where the yachts get loaded with food, essentials, before they venture into deep, blue seas. As we enter the cool, climate controlled complex, first we can see the cinema complex on one side with four screens playing movies. As we walk along, all the branded shops line either side, with attractive show cases. The first floor is also for retail shops, and the other end we have a Food Court with offerings to please all tastes and flavours.

As we come out from the retail complex, we enter the open space, lined with different coffee shops, the aroma of coffee is difficult to escape, and here we can have a cup of coffee , accompanied with a pastry ,with the sound of waters falling from a height into the pool,as the musical background..what a delight to watch. Who cannot relax to a soft, gurgling, musical sound of waters!!!

To get a bird like view of the mall, just walk to the end, and alight the steps of viewing tower named Al Manar, three terraced tower with a beautiful view of the unending sea and horizon on one side, the coastal road, and the buzzing Fahaheel shopping street on the other side, a view of the Al Kout mall, separated by the lagoon, the anchored yachts on the dock, the eight shapes fountains, we cannot stop from wondering, is this the oasis of this country?

The other half of the mall is Al Kout South Pier, a few coffee shops on this side too are there open to lagoon and as we walk towards the sea, we can see some yachts anchored here too, protected from the open sea with a retaining wall of stones. A connecting bridge or path an open one on this side again connects to the northern side of the mall.

When we enter the Complex on the South, we come across a neat ,whole sale vegetable market, a few retail shops, and the famous Sultan Center, inside the complex. Meat and chicken market and a fish market too are also on this side of the mall.

To cater to the fishermen venturing into the sea, a repair shop,a boat maintenance work shop, a Fisherman's Diwania,a Fueling station, and essential for the fisher men an Ice factory, all are provided under one roof.

A Central Plaza connects the two piers of the mall, which is facing the round about and houses a kiosk for security and valet parking and the mall faces and beckons here too, with soothing fountains, and a paved space to take a breath of fresh , humid, water filled air, a fueling station for us, humans.

The round about leads into pleasant Al kout mall on one side and the ever busy shopping street of Fahaheel on other side...Your choice.

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