Chapter 9. Kuwait: Spatial Marginalization & Exclusion

Aerial Photograph of Kuwait in the 1950s

This chapter examines Kuwait’s urban and architectural transformation in the post-oil era, tracing how the city shifted from a maritime settlement defined by thresholds and intimacy to a sprawling modernist capital marked by exclusion and spatial fragmentation. It foregrounds the ways in which modernization was not merely a response to oil wealth, but a deliberate state-led project of erasure, control, and identity formation.

The chapter explores key architectural and planning moments—from the demolition of the historic core to the adoption of a suburban housing model that reinforced socio-political hierarchies. Through detailed case studies, including the landmark Al-Sawaber housing complex, the chapter interrogates the failures and possibilities of modernist design in the Gulf, revealing how ambitious visions were often undermined by neglect, stigma, and political expedience. The chapter also addresses the marginalization of stateless Bidun populations, showing how their spatial exclusion reflects broader dynamics of citizenship and belonging.

Drawing on literature, film, and visual art, including Bas Ya Bahr, The Bamboo Stalk, and Kuwaiti artist Dana Al Rashid’s digital exhibitions, the chapter amplifies counter-narratives that challenge Kuwait’s sanitized urban image. These cultural works depict a city haunted by memory, silence, and suppressed histories. Ultimately, the chapter argues that Kuwait’s modernity is shaped as much by its absences—of inclusion, memory, and social justice—as by its monumental architecture. It concludes with a reflection on grassroots initiatives like the “Secret Garden,” suggesting that alternatives to exclusionary urbanism are possible, emerging not from master plans but from shared practices of care and civic imagination.