Next-door neighbor to both Iraq and Iran, Kuwait is in a volatile part of the world. But in the decades since Iraq’s invasion, Kuwait has prospered off of a steady stream of oil revenue. Today, the country is something of a contradiction: A conservative Muslim state where Sharia law prevails and a consumer-oriented society where lavish wealth has encouraged lots and lots of shopping. I visited Kuwait recently and spent some time in the country’s largest mall. I wrote about my experiences for National Geographic Traveler.
Million-Dollar Shopping Zone
By Remy Scalza; Special to National Geographic Traveler
Just beyond the gleaming new subdivisions built in the desert, it rises – glorious and shimmering – in the Kuwaiti heat.
With 250 stores covering 2.5 million square feet, The Avenues is neither mosque nor desert palace but Kuwait’s largest shopping mall, a temple to the cult of consumerism. I’ve come to be initiated.
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