Salmiya
From Free net encyclopedia
Salmiya(Arabic السالمية; transliterated al-Sālmiah) located 12 kilometers south east of Kuwait City, is one of the largest areas in Kuwait consisting of both commercial and residential areas with a population of 150,000. 90% of its population consists of expatriates.
Salim Al-Mubarak Street, which runs down the center of Salmiya is one of the largest shopping districts of Kuwait. Anything and everything, from chocolates to shoes can be found within its confines. The experience also varies from extremely westernized in the strip malls to a true Kuwaiti experience on some of the back streets. There are many gold and fabric shops in the "Old Souk" area. Bargaining is an expected and fun part of the jewellery buying experience in the more ethnic parts of this neighborhood. The Sultan Center and many American fast-food franchises including Starbucks, McDonalds, Subway, Hardees, and Baskin Robbins 31 are centrally located. A Hard Rock Cafe was opened at the beachfront in 2004.
Some roads connecting to/from Salmiya are 5th Ring Road, 4th Ring Road, Persian Gulf Road. The Marina World complex, Eureka Electronics & Alghanim Electronics can be found in Salmiya. Most of the Kuwaiti banks have branches in the district.
Salmiya also has a large amount of construction work, mostly on new residential, retail, and hotel complexes. The Persian Gulf Street is coveted for its amazing sea vistas, and is the main hub for construction. Some of the landmark hotel projects include the Symphony project (which was supposed to include a Cerruti hotel, but the tenant is now unknown; rumors proposed a Hilton; it is due for completion at the end of 2006 or in early 2007), the Le Meridien Residence (scheduled to open in early 2006), the InterContinental (due for opening in April 2007), and the two-tower Olympia project (scheduled to open in 2007). The Olympia project is the headquarters of the Olympic Council of Asia, and it will house offices in one tower, and a hotel in the other. The hotel is rumored to be a Four Seasons Hotel or Ritz-Carlton. The complex features a podium running between the two towers, housing gardens, swimming pools, and shops.