Kuwait is divided into six governorates, and in each there are several areas (Arabic: مناطِق). Areas are much less commonly called by other names such as districts or towns. However they are commonly known inside the English-speaking community in Kuwait as, and are officially translated as, areas.[1] [2] [3] The Arabic word for area, Mintaqah, can mean both mean area and region.[4] [5] Areas are further subdivided into blocks, each of which is refereed by to a number. All blocks are divided into streets (singular). However, some areas may be further subdivided into Jaddāt (singular), which might be translated to avenue or lane.Each area in Kuwait has an official governmental facility called a co-op society or just society (Arabic: جمعية|links=no). For example, in Surra, it's called Surra Co-op Society. Societies are mainly supermarkets that provide foods and produce, and they may take part in maintaining some of the areas' landmarks like parks and schools, but they're not legally obliged to. Societies have elected members who manage them. Only residents of the area can vote for their society's membership.
The Capital Governorate comprises the core areas of Kuwait City and several offshore islands, among them Failaka Island.
| Official English | Arabic | Gulf Arabic Transliteration | Year Established |
| Population (2011)[6] | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ضاحية عبد الله السالم | Ð̣āḥyat ʿAbdalla is-Sālim | 1963[7] [8] | 4 | 13,098 | Often referred to simply as 'the suburb'. | |||
| العديلية | li-ʿDēlīya | 1963 | 4 | 11,006 | ||||
| بنيد القار | Bnēd il-Gār | 2 | 13,171 | |||||
| الدعية | id-Diʿīya | 1957 | 5 | 11,289 | ||||
| الدسمة | id-Dasma | 1954 | 6 | 12,455 | ||||
| الدوحة | id-Dōḥa | 4 | 22,047 | Not to be confused with the Qatari Capital | ||||
| ميناء الدوحة | Mina id-Dōḥa | - | 573 | |||||
| الفيحاء | il-Fēḥa | 1956 | 9 | 12,333 | ||||
| فيلكا | Fēliča | - | 147 | A historic island. Its name comes from Greek φυλάκιο(ν) - fylakio(n) 'outpost'. Used to be inhabited until the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Birthplace of Fēliča (sub)dialect of Kuwaiti Arabic. | ||||
| غرناطة | Ġirnāṭa | 3 | 8,752 | It was named after the city of Granada in Spain. Appears officially in variant forms, including Granda and Ghornata. | ||||
| Jaber Al-Ahmad City | مدينة جابر الأحمد | (Madīnat) Jābir il-Aḥmad | 7 | 40,591 | ||||
| جِبْلَة | 15 | 4,772 | ||||||
| كيفان | Kēfān | 1955 | 7 | 17,300 | ||||
| الخالدية | il-Xāldīya | 1961 | 4 | 9,820 | ||||
| المنصورية | il-Manṣūrīya | 1965 | 2 | 5,589 | Location of Al-Arabi SC, one of the oldest sports clubs in Kuwait. | |||
| المرقاب | 3 | 3,699 | ||||||
| Nahdha | النهضة | in-Nahð̣a | 3 | Formerly East Sulaibikhat | ||||
| North West Sulaibikhat | شمال غرب الصليبيخات | Šamāl Ġarb li-Ṣlēbixāt | 3 | 7,941 | Temporary name | |||
| النزهة | in-Nizha | 1963 | 3 | 8,372 | ||||
| القادسية | il-Qādsīya | 1958 | 9 | 14,389 | ||||
| قرطبة | Qurṭuba | 5 | 28,736 | Named after Cordoba in Spain | ||||
| الروضة | ir-Rōð̣a | 1965 | 5 | 21,535 | ||||
| الشامية | iš-Šāmīya | 1955 | 10 | 14,708 | ||||
| شرق | 8 | 3,699 | ||||||
| الشويخ | li-Šwēx | 1954 | 8 | 3,012 | ||||
| الشويخ الصناعية | li-Šwēx iṣ-Ṣināʿīya | 3 | 2,518 | |||||
| ميناء الشويخ | Mina li-Šwēx | - | 185 | |||||
| الصليبخات | li-Ṣlēbixāt | 5 | 23,686 | |||||
| السرة | is-Sirra | 6 | 30,264 | |||||
| جزيرة ام النمل | (Jazīrat) Umm in-Namil | - | 0 | |||||
| اليرموك | il-Yarmūk | 4 | 15,385 | |||||
| Total population (2011) | 359,245 | |||||||
| English | Arabic | Year established |
| Population (2011) | Notes/Landmarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anjafa | أنجفة | - | 596 | Anjafa beach | |||
| align=right | بيان | 14 | 39,799 | Bayan Palace | |||
| Bi'da | البدع | - | Coastal area with many business with sea view. | ||||
| align=right | حولي | 1906 | 12 | 128,549 | Notable for its huge commercial activities and dozens of malls. | ||
| Hittin | حطين | 4 | 20,809 | ||||
| align=right | الجابرية | 14 | 56,392 | Home of multiple hospitals, including Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, Hadi Hospital, and Royale Hayat Hospital, as well as many embassies, the Blood Bank of Kuwait and Health Sciences Campus of Kuwait University. | |||
| align=right | ميدان حولي | 1960s | 1 | 20,000 | Block 11 in Salmiya | ||
| align=right | مشرف | 6 | 27,391 | ||||
| Mubarak Al-Jabir | مبارك الجابر | ||||||
| Nigra | النقرة | 1906 | 3 | Blocks 1, 11 and 12 in Hawally | |||
| align=right | الرميثية | 1964 | 12 | 41,787 | Has the largest number of Husainiyas in Kuwait. | ||
| Salam | سلام | 22,314 | |||||
| align=right | السالمية | 1960s | 12 | 196,153 | Big commercial activities and a lot of malls. | ||
| align=right | سلوى | 12 | 80,283 | ||||
| Sha'ab | الشعب | 8 | 10,084 | ||||
| align=right | الشهداء | 15,258 | |||||
| Siddiq | الصديق | 6 | 26 | ||||
| South Surra | جنوب السرة | - | Includes Siddeq, Shuhada, Zahra, Hittin and Salam. | ||||
| align=right | الزهراء | 8 | 23,792 | Has the second largest mall (360 Mall) in Kuwait. | |||
| Total population (2011) | 672,910 | ||||||
The Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate is the governorate most recently established. It is named after Mubarak the Great.
| English | Arabic | Population (2011) | Notes/Landmarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Al Hasaniya | أبو الحصانية | 1,682 | |||
| align=right | أبو فطيرة | 57 | |||
| align=right | العدان | 48,095 | |||
| align=right | القرين | 33,616 | |||
| align=right | القصور | 38,606 | |||
| align=right | الفنطاس | ||||
| align=right | الفنيطيس | 578 | |||
| align=right | المسيلة | 1,022 | |||
| align=right | مبارك الكبير | 48,196 | Governorate seat. | ||
| align=right | صباح السالم | 83,437 | |||
| Sabhān | صبحان | 2,903 | |||
| South Wista | جنوب وسطي | 51 | |||
| Wista | وسطي | 570 | |||
| Total population (2011) | 258,813 | ||||
| English | Arabic | Population (2011) | Notes/Landmarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=right | أبو حليفة | 29,870 | |||
| Abdullah Port | ميناء عبد الله | 24,415 | |||
| align=right | الأحمدي | 21,469 | Governorate seat. | ||
| Ali As-Salim | علي صباح السالم | 42,173 | |||
| Aqila | العقيلة | 13,579 | |||
| Bar Al Ahmadi | بر الأحمدي | 723 | Desert area of Al Ahmadi. | ||
| Bneidar | بنيدر | ||||
| Dhaher | align=right | بر الأحمدي الظهر | 33,197 | ||
| align=right | الفحيحيل | 54,157 | |||
| Fahad Al-Ahmad | فهد الأحمد | 17096 | |||
| Hadiya | هدية | 17,990 | |||
| Jaber Al-Ali | جابر العلي | 38,868 | |||
| Jawaher Al Wafra | جواخير الوفرة | 653 | |||
| Jilei'a | الجليعة | ||||
| Khairan | الخيران | 1,895 | |||
| Mahbula | المهبولة | 77,988 | |||
| align=right | المنقف | 73,378 | |||
| Miqwa' | المقوع | 32 | |||
| New Khairan City | مدينة الخيران الجديدة | 2 | |||
| New Wafra | الوفرة الجديدة | 2,488 | |||
| Nuwaiseeb | النويصيب | 537 | |||
| align=right | الرقة | 36,058 | |||
| Sabah Al-Ahmad City | مدينة صباح الأحمد | 1,235 | |||
| align=right | مدينة صباح الأحمد البحرية | ||||
| Sabahiya | الصباحية | 56,640 | |||
| Shu'aiba (North & South) | الشعيبة | 26 | |||
| South Sabahiya | جنوب الصباحية | 73 | |||
| align=right | الوفرة | 7,856 | |||
| Zoor | الزور | 2,230 | |||
| Zuhar | الظهر | ||||
| Total population (2011) | 588,068 | ||||
| English | Arabic | Population (2011) | Notes/Landmarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdullah Al-Mubarak | عبدالله المبارك | 61,441 | Also known as West Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. | ||
| Airport District | منطقة المطار | 29 | |||
| align=right | الأندلس | 42,325 | Named after Al-Andalus, the Islamic name for Spain | ||
| align=right | العارضية | 47,928 | |||
| Ardiya Herafiya | العارضية حرفية | 42,173 | |||
| Ardiya Industrial Area | العارضية المنطقة الصناعية | 203 | |||
| Ashbelya | اشبيلية | 21,848 | Named after Seville in Spain | ||
| Dhajeej | الضجيج | 99 | |||
| align=right | الفروانية | 136,260 | Governorate seat. | ||
| Fordous | الفردوس | 52,173 | |||
| align=right | جليب الشيوخ | 227,980 | |||
| align=right | خيطان | 109,901 | |||
| Omariya | العمرية | 17,373 | |||
| Rabiya | الرابية | 18,620 | |||
| align=right | الري | 1,054 | Home to The Avenues (Kuwait), the world's second largest covered mall. | ||
| align=right | الرقعي | 24,820 | |||
| Rihab | الرحاب | 15,682 | |||
| Sabah Al-Nasser | صباح الناصر | 38,507 | |||
| Sabaq Al Hajan | سباق الهجن | 2,218 | Camel racing area. | ||
| Total population (2011) | 818,571 | ||||
| English | Arabic | Population (2011) | Notes/Landmarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdali | العبدلي | 6,839 | |||
| Al Nahda / East Sulaibikhat | النهضة / شرق الصليبخات | 6,756 | |||
| Amghara | أمغرة | 8,623 | |||
| Bar Jahra | بر الجهراء | 1,044 | Desert area of Jahra. | ||
| align=right | الجهراء | 38,664 | Governorate seat. | ||
| Jahra Industrial Area | الجهراء المنطقة الصناعية | 1,259 | |||
| Kabad | كبد | 3,602 | |||
| Naeem | النعيم | 13,913 | |||
| Nasseem | النسيم | 18,745 | |||
| Oyoun | العيون | 31,009 | |||
| Qasr | القصر | 42,050 | |||
| Saad Al Abdullah City | مدينة سعد العبدالله | 65,394 | |||
| Salmi | السالمي | 1,187 | |||
| Sikrab | السكراب | 264 | |||
| South Doha / Qairawān | جنوب الدوحة / القيروان | 15,200 | |||
| Subiya | الصبية | ||||
| align=right | الصليبية | 58,275 | |||
| Sulaibiya Agricultural Area | الصليبية المنطقة الزراعية | 6,778 | |||
| Taima | تيماء | 52,740 | |||
| Waha | الواحة | 28,154 | |||
| Total population (2011) | 400,975 | ||||
Web site: Public Authority of Civil Information Statistical Reports. January 6, 2024. August 13, 2024. Public Authority of Civil Information Statistical Reports.