KUWAIT CITY, Dec 9: The Public Authority for Industry (PAI) has signed a contract for the rehabilitation, development, and maintenance of the Souq Al-Safafeer, located in the Al-Mirqab area, with an engineering consulting firm. The contract is valued at 331,244 dinars.

In a statement released on Monday, the authority emphasized that this initiative is in line with the directives of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, and Chairman of the Public Authority for Industry, Khalifa Al-Ajeel. The goal is to preserve the market's architectural character and maintain its status as a historical legacy in the country.

The contract includes the study and design phases, preparation of tender documents, and supervision of the project's implementation. The study and design work will take 14 months, while supervision of the implementation will span 18 months. The contract involves studying, documenting, designing, and rehabilitating the market.

The authority explained that Souq Al-Safafeer, established in 1961, is one of the oldest and most significant traditional markets in the heart of Kuwait City. Covering an area of 9,182 square meters, the market consists of eight buildings, with each building housing approximately 20 shops, totaling 156 shops. Each shop ranges in size from 15 to 18 square meters and specializes in the craft of light metalwork and metal shaping.