Kuwait's fourth annual shopping festival kicked off last month, offering huge discounts, as well as cultural and entertainment activities.
"Hala February", which will run until February 28, is expected to boost the Kuwaiti economy while attracting more than 100,000 foreign visitors, a report said. The festival began with a huge carnival along part of the country's coast followed by a musical show to celebrate the recent return of Kuwaiti Amir Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah after four months of convalescence abroad. During the festival, many shopping malls and outlets around the country offer discounts of at least 50 per cent while costs of flights and accommodation are slashed and entry visas facilitated. The festival aims to promote tourism in the country, which has more than 290 kilometres of coastline and ambitious plans to transform a number of uninhabited islands into tourist centres.