General Information » Facts & Figures » Social & Business Hours

Kuwait’s working week is generally from Saturday to Wednesday. However, a number of companies work a half-day on a Thursday and further companies work Sunday to Thursday. Friday is the holy day and therefore a day off for all.

Private sector office hours vary between split shifts and straight shifts. Split shifts begin between 08:00 and 09:00 and close for lunch around 12:00 or 13:00, re-opening any time between 15:00 and 17:00, and closing between 18:00 and 20:00. Straight shifts tend to commence at 08:00 or 09:00 and finish at 17:00 or 18:00.

Major shopping centres open at 10:00 and work a straight shift through to 22:00. You will find that some outlets within major shopping centres operate on a split-shift basis and close for lunch for an hour or two.

Ministries operate from 07:00 to 14:00, Saturday to Wednesday during the summer months and from 07:30 to 14:30 during the winter months. During the holy month of Ramadan, Ministry working hours are considerably reduced; usually only from 10:00 to 13:00. Banks operate Sunday to Thursday and tend to open at 08:00 and will close at either 13:00 or 14:00. A few of the major banks open specific branches in the evenings. Schools have a five-day week, from Saturday to Wednesday.

Corner shops (known as bakalas) often open at 06:00 and close at 22:00, although these times do vary, and a number close at prayer times for about fifteen minutes.

Most major government co-operatives (supermarkets) operate 24 hours a day, as do most of The Sultan Centre supermarkets. This is really helpful for when you are trying to avoid busy periods. Most hours change during the holy month of Ramadan.