KUWAIT CITY, Sep 19: There are longstanding local stories and rumors about a haunted house in Salmiya, Kuwait, but they largely belong to the realm of urban legends. One of the most well-known tales centers around an abandoned villa that people claim is haunted by spirits or jinn, supernatural beings in Islamic mythology. Locals have reported strange noises, shadowy figures, and eerie sensations near the site. However, like many haunted house tales, these accounts lack concrete evidence and are mostly based on folklore.

The story behind the villa is more poignant than spooky. It was built by Saleh Al-Ibrahim in the 1960s at the intersection of Fahaheel Road and the Fourth Ring Road, across from Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital. Saleh constructed the house in anticipation of his son's marriage, but tragedy struck when his son died in a car accident in the U.S. before he could return home. Grieving the loss, Saleh believed his son’s spirit lingered in the house, and he refused to sell or appraise it. Over the years, this villa became known as “the haunted house,” with eerie stories surrounding it, especially during the 1970s and 1980s.

One light-hearted tale even claims that during the Iraqi invasion, soldiers occupying the house mysteriously ended up outside the next day. Despite the rumors, the land was eventually bought by the European Millennium & Copthorne Hotels Group. While construction on the site faced delays, sparking more talk of a curse, the Millennium Hotel finally opened in 2015, gradually putting the haunted house legend to rest.

A relative of Saleh Al-Ibrahim has since clarified that the house was never haunted. It was one of several family-owned properties built in the 1950s, primarily used as a diwaniya, and was only left vacant due to its strategic location and rising land value. Rumors of hauntings likely originated from locals looking to lower the property's worth, with the family choosing to avoid media attention and ignoring the gossip. Today, the stories are regarded as part of local folklore, spun from idle talk and boredom at the time.