Massive potential in Kuwait’s textile market

  • Date: 23-Dec-2021
  • Source: Kuwait Times
  • Sector:Economy
  • Country:Kuwait
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Massive potential in Kuwait’s textile market

By Ben Garcia

Shakeel Ahmed Malik, a Pakistani national, owns 18 textile shops in Kuwait. Before the coronavirus pandemic, he ran 22 textile shops, besides a host of other businesses. Malik shared his story with Kuwait Times on how he became a textile entrepreneur and the challenges he faced during the trying times of the pandemic.

Malik joined his brother in Kuwait in search of greener pastures in 1994. He started as a helper at the woodworking business owned by his brother. After four years, he got exhausted and decided to open a pool parlor. At that time, before the advent of the Internet and mobile phones and gadgets, billiards was a popular pastime for many young Kuwaitis and residents and a lucrative business opportunity. His brother lent him KD 13,000 to open the parlor, and there was no looking back. From one snooker hall, he opened 13 similar halls all over Kuwait. After competition heated up, he changed his line of business. “I had saved enough to start an even bigger business,” Malik recalled.

Malik wanted to open a gold shop, but his heart was telling him to do something else. “I then met an Iranian looking for a business partner in