In Video: Al-Hawila inaugurates the first central market of Al-Mutlaa Cooperative: A comprehensive plan to provide services to the city's residents

Sultan Al-Abdan: Dr. Amthal Al-Huwail, Minister of Social Affairs, Family, and Childhood, and Hamad Al-Habshi, Acting Governor of Al-Jahra and Al-Farwaniya, inaugurated the first central market of Al-Mutlaa Cooperative Society in district N8 of Mutlaa City, to serve the residents of the area.

Speaking to the media during the inauguration, Dr. Al-Huwail stated that this step comes under direct directives from the political leadership to provide the best services to the residents of Mutlaa City and modern residential areas, meeting their needs and keeping pace with the country’s population growth. She emphasized that the opening of the central market marks the beginning of a series of upcoming inaugurations to serve the residents of Mutlaa City, noting that the ministry is working according to a comprehensive plan to provide various services in new cities and areas.

Al-Huwail said, “The first drop of rain is the beginning; we have opened the central market in Mutlaa, and the openings of all branches will continue to provide integrated and high-quality services to the residents of the area.” She added that there is cooperation and coordination with various government entities to complete services in Mutlaa City and modern areas, under the direct guidance and follow-up of the leadership to accelerate the provision of residents’ needs and raise the level of services offered to them.

She clarified that the Ministry of Social Affairs will provide a number of services to the residents of Mutlaa City, including family care and social development centers, cooperative societies, development halls, and wedding halls, meeting the needs of the population in parallel with the urban and demographic expansion of the city.

Regarding the Kuwaitization of jobs in the cooperative sector, Al-Huwail affirmed that the ministry is proceeding with implementing Kuwaitization plans in stages, stating, “God willing, all supervisory positions in cooperative societies will be Kuwaitized,” as part of the ministry’s trend to enhance the presence of national cadres in the cooperative sector.

For his part, Acting Governor of Al-Jahra and Al-Farwaniya, Hamad Al-Habshi, affirmed that Mutlaa City receives attention and follow-up to provide the various services it needs, given its large area and population density. He pointed out that the city requires expansion in service and recreational facilities, along with an increase in the number of cooperative societies to meet residents’ needs. Al-Habshi said he discussed the needs of Mutlaa City with Dr. Amthal Al-Huwail, Minister of Social Affairs, Family, and Childhood, explaining that the city’s size necessitates the presence of four or five cooperative societies, not just one, to ensure services are provided to residents in its various districts.

For his part, Dr. Syed Issa, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Financial and Administrative Affairs and Cooperative Affairs, stated that the opening of Central Market No. 1 in district N8 of Mutlaa City represents a comprehensive beginning in providing cooperative and commercial services to the city’s residents. He noted that the opening of markets and branches will take place sequentially once construction, preparation, and necessary permits are completed.

Issa said the completion of the market resulted from the combined efforts of government entities and their cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs, adding that work continues to complete the opening of shops and activities that meet the daily needs of the area’s residents. He revealed that November 22 next year has been set as the date for the opening of a similar central market in district N11, with subsequent openings of markets, branches, and services in various Mutlaa suburbs to follow, depending on the readiness of each site and the completion of its procedures.

He clarified that the opening of the central market in N8 is “the first drop of rain” within the expansion plan for cooperative services in the city, following the operation of several small branches, and affirmed that the next phase will see the opening of more facilities commensurate with Mutlaa’s area and its residents’ needs.

He pointed out that the ministry is working in coordination with the Kuwait Municipality to approve investment shop plans within central markets and their external activities, expecting the approval of plans to be completed within the next week, paving the way for the immediate listing of shops. He explained that the planned activities include daily services needed by citizens, such as bakeries, barbershops, tailors, and dry cleaners, providing Mutlaa residents with basic services available in various residential areas.

He added that suburban centers in Mutlaa will include various services customary in residential cities, in addition to social development centers and multi-purpose halls belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs. He clarified that booking facilities will be available through the “Dar Al-Munasabat” platform, the ministry’s websites, or the “Sahl” application.

Issa revealed that the National Committee for Cooperative Projects donated to the construction of two wedding halls in Mutlaa City, noting that licensing procedures for them are underway, with construction expected to begin before the end of the current year.

Regarding the disparity in prices of some goods among cooperative societies, Issa clarified that the responsibility for approving, monitoring, and following up on prices has been transferred to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, pursuant to a protocol signed with the Cooperative Societies Union and the Ministry of Social Affairs, which began implementation in August 2025. He added that price disparities may be due to the purchasing power of each cooperative, offers provided by supplying companies, and promotional campaigns that cooperatives receive approval from the Ministry of Commerce to implement. He affirmed that cooperative societies serve as outlets for selling goods and are not the entities responsible for determining or monitoring their prices.

He called on shareholders and citizens to be aware of the jurisdictions of government entities working within the cooperative sector, ensuring that complaints are directed to the competent authority and handled promptly. He clarified that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is responsible for prices and their monitoring, while the Public Authority for Food and Nutrition follows up on the validity and safety of products for consumption. The Kuwait Municipality and the Ministry of Commerce are responsible for licenses, while the Public Authority for Manpower handles issues related to labor and the application of the Private Sector Labor Law.