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CT Insight Report: What’s new in Kuwait?

Feature23/06/26

Kuwait Towers

Tourism development driven by 30 active projects, including first geological park

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Kuwait ranks as the sixth most popualr inbound destination for GCC tourism, according to the 2026 Connecting Travel Insight Report, featuring findings by travel analytics firms RateHawk and Emerging Travel Group.

The country’s national carriers, Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways, continue to expand operations with new routes, offering more ways to connect the GCC destination with major hubs across Europe, Asia and Africa. Most recently, Kuwait Airways is gearing up for the summer 2026 season, with new seasonal routes including direct flights to Mykonos, Greece.

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Kuwait is accelerating tourism development with 30 active projects. New for 2026, the upgraded Messilah beach destination will feature four pools, an adventure attraction and Kuwait’s first women-only beach club, while the country’s first geological park will offer an open-air desert museum with fossil sites, hiking trails and interactive exhibits.

The country had two restaurants feature on MENA’s 50 Best 2026 list – Cantina at number 18 and Matbakhi at 50 – and upcoming hotel openings include waterfront Safir Seaview and a Hilton resort with villas and a beach club. They will be followed by a new Mandarin Oriental, set to open within an 80-storey tower in 2028.

Green Island

Key Developments

Manmade Green Island, Kuwait Corniche

Leisure destination Green Island will be redeveloped as a tourism attraction by 2027 with planned waterfront restaurants, sports facilities, walking trails and cultural spaces.

Terminal 2, Kuwait International Airport

Designed by Foster + Partners, the US$4.3 billion terminal is set to open late 2026, handling 25 million passengers annually with future capacity for 50 million.

JW Marriott Hotel Kuwait City

Situated within walking distance of Kuwait Towers, JW Marriott has reopened after an extensive renovation across 313 rooms, five restaurants and a health club featuring an indoor pool.

JW Marriott Kuwait Royal Suite

Accommodation Performance

Travellers visiting Kuwait had slightly longer stays in 2025 compared to 2024, resulting in higher overall accommodation spending, according to data from Emerging Travel Group.

Emerging Travel Group findings

Want to know more?

This feature is an extract from the Connecting Travel Insight Report 2026. With exclusive data from industry heavyweights RateHawk and Emerging Travel Group, the 35-page report forecasts key developments in the GCC travel and tourism sector as well as revealing this year’s top 10 outbound destinations for GCC travellers, providing a roadmap to new opportunities. Get your complimentary copy here today.