On its 64th anniversary, the newspaper reimagines its legacy with designs inspired by archives, art and creativity
On the occasion of its 64th anniversary, Kuwait Times is celebrating with style. The newspaper has officially launched its first limited-edition merchandise collection, designed to reflect the brand’s history, creativity and cultural presence in Kuwait. The project began with Head of Visual Design at Kuwait Times, Omar Al-Nakib – the filmmaker and visual artist behind the paper’s visual identity. Al-Nakib infused the collection with a distinctive blend of creativity and personal meaning. “We’ve designed two shirts, The 1988 and The Archive, plus one cap, a tote bag and four posters. But the piece I’m most proud of is the cap with the whales,” he said.
The whale design, he explained, was deeply personal. “Those whales were the first thing I drew after getting the job offer. I was so unemployed at the time that I traveled to Canada just to babysit my nephew, and I started redrawing the Kuwait Times whales really badly on Procreate for some unexplainable reason. Those sketches became symbolic of the handmade, almost childlike style I wanted to bring to KT. And now they’re stitched onto a cap.”
Many of the designs trace directly back to the Kuwait Times archives, curated by archivist Yousef Abu-Ghazaleh. “The 1988 shirt came from an ad that appeared repeatedly in issues from that year. The Archive shirt features all the old Kuwait Times logos on the back, and a front badge scanned from a stamp Yousef’s colleague Zainab gifted him for his birthday,” Al-Nakib noted.
The design process stretched over months, beginning in February and wrapping just a week before launch. Al-Nakib often found himself flipping through old issues in the archive room for inspiration. “I dare anyone not to be inspired after going through April 1981 or October 1996,” he joked.
For Abu-Ghazaleh, the merch was both a preservation of history and a creative reinterpretation. “When it came to creating the merch, my role was mainly to support Omar,” he said. “I was lucky that he wanted to draw inspiration from the archives, so I shared several old Kuwait Times ads with him, one of which became the 1988 shirt.”
Abu-Ghazaleh also designed The Archive shirt himself. “On the back, I featured a series of historic Kuwait Times logos, something I had envisioned for a long time. On the front, we used a stamp my colleague Zainab gave me as a birthday gift. That shirt carries my personal touch.”
He added: “The collection is rooted in two main inspirations – our archives and Omar’s artistic vision. It captures Kuwait Times’ history while also reflecting its energy and creativity today. Personally, I’m most proud of The Archive shirt, but I’m equally proud of what Omar has created. Fans can definitely expect future drops – we already have ideas for sports-inspired merch like letterman jackets and football shirts, as well as seasonal items. This is just the beginning.”
For Hawrah Al-Yakoob, Head of Marketing and Advertising, the project was about expanding Kuwait Times’ identity beyond the newsroom. “It’s a strategic move to build our ever-growing brand and evolve with our engaging community,” she said. She added: “As Head of Marketing and Advertising, my goal was to show that Kuwait Times is more than a news platform – it’s a lifestyle hub for creativity and all demographics.”
The first merch experiment took place last year with tote bags, mugs, caps, notebooks and pens. “It was a testing stage, but the response was overwhelmingly positive. This year, we took a different approach – fewer products, but more refined. The collection now includes caps, totes, posters and two T-shirts, sold as a limited-edition drop.”
The project took three to four months from concept to launch, with multiple prototypes along the way. For Al-Yakoob, the pride lies in the bigger picture. “It’s not about one particular item. I’m proud of the entire project. No other media outlet in Kuwait has gone down this route, and this feels like an exciting extension of the brand. To me, Kuwait Times is more than just news. It’s what made news cool again, what made content cool again.”
Looking ahead, she hinted at more to come. “Fans can expect another drop this winter, with new designs and possible collaborations. The public’s reception will guide the direction, but we’re excited for what’s ahead.”
