How Kuwait’s Al Humaidi Family Hopes to Put Travel Back on the Map

January 22, 2022

It’s now almost two years since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down travel. And while it has slowly made a return as countries around the world deploy significant vaccine efforts and begin to open again, many people are still hesitant. One family that’s looking forward to the return of travel is the Kuwait Al Humaidi Family which is looking to make waves in luxury international tourist destinations, especially in the entertainment and hotels sector.

The Al Humaidi family of Kuwait, which is led by prominent entrepreneur Dr. Abdulla Al Humaidi, is developing a wide range of ambitious travel and tourism projects through its international assets holding company, Kuwaiti European Holdings Group. This is the Kuwait Al Humaidi family’s international investment business, and it currently has operations in several countries including the United Kingdom (UK), Ireland, and Egypt.

The Al Humaidi Family of Kuwait

The Kuwait Al Humaidi family is a prominent merchant family in Kuwait. The family can trace its roots back almost 100 years when it first began trading following the end of World War II.

The “head” of the family is Abdulla Al Humaidi, who himself is known for founding Kuwaiti European Holdings Group in 2008. Over the years, Al Humaidi has acted as a CEO, Chairman, and Vice-Chairman of a wide range of successful businesses in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Kuwaiti European Holdings Group and its international projects have helped to establish the Al Humaidi Family Kuwait as an international mainstream success and have made the Al Humaidi name one that’s recognized not only throughout Kuwait but all over the world, too. More recently, the Kuwait Al Humaidi Family has become particularly known for their highly ambitious, and in many ways unbelievable, projects in the real estate, hotels, and entertainment industries.

While the Al Humaidi family of Kuwait officially stepped as the group’s day-to-day leaders in 2016 when Humphrey Percy was appointed as its CEO, the family still plays an active role. Abdulla Al Humaidi now acts as the group’s Chairman and oversees its core investments.

The Kuwaiti Al Humaidi Family’s Focus on International Growth

The Kuwaiti Al Humaidi Family’s biggest focus right now is international growth, namely through investment in major travel and tourism projects. At the time of writing the family is sitting on a growing portfolio of mind-blowingly ambitious projects in real estate, travel, and tourism that many people would be quick to dismiss as impossible.

The best way to illustrate the seemingly impossible ambitions of the Al Humaidi Family of Kuwait is to look at two of Kuwaiti European Holdings Group’s largest projects: ‘The London Resort’ in London, England, and ‘Aqueous’, a waterpark development in Egypt.

The Kuwait Al Humaidi Family’s ‘London Resort’

The jewel in the crown of the Kuwait Al Humaidi Family’s portfolio is the multi-billion-dollar megaresort. According to Kuwaiti European Holdings Group, this will be bigger and better than anything that’s ever been seen before in the United Kingdom and, in many ways, the world.

The London Resort will be constructed on a 535-acre site in Kent’s Swanscombe Peninsula, which sits a mere 17 minutes away from Central London via public transport links. The resort will reportedly cost around US$3.6 billion to build and will consist of several individual theme parks and rides, over 3,500 hotel rooms, lots of shopping experiences, live entertainment, video gaming zones, and more.

Abdula Al Humaidi of the Al Humaidi Family of Kuwait has even said that the resort will operate on a scale similar to other major parks like Disneyland Paris in France and Universal Studios in the United States.

When the London Resort is complete, with current estimates giving a launch date as early as 2025, it will be made up of over 460 hectares of guest-accessible space. This will mean that the London Resort will be twice the size of Thorpe Park, the UK’s current largest theme park.

“We are creating a first-class theme park. A destination that maximizes all the new, immersive, and interactive technologies and experiences in the world,” PY Gerbeau, chief executive of London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) said in a press release. “But we won’t just be creating a world-class leisure destination, it will also be one of the most sustainable theme parks on the planet,” he added.

While the London Resort has suffered some setbacks due to planning constraints and other bureaucratic processes, things have been moving forward at speed during the last few months.

“That so many businesses have registered to be part of the procurement process demonstrates the value the London Resort will bring to the southeast and the country as a whole,” said Tim Aker, Development Manager at the Kent and Medway Federation of Small Businesses.

London Resort Holdings Company recently announced that over 2,000 businesses had registered their interest in partnering with the London Resort less than a month after asking candidates to come forward. While the first lot of businesses have already been chosen, Gerbeau says that candidates should continue coming forward as more partnerships will be needed as the resort’s construction gets underway.

Aqueous Resort in Egypt

The Al Humaidi family of Kuwait’s other major travel and tourism project is Aqueous Resort in Egypt. Aqueous is a luxury destination designed to attract both foreign tourists and residents alike and aims to boost the Al Humaidi Family of Kuwait’s image for developing high-quality real estate projects.

Aqueous is spread out over 200,000 square meters and plans include several buildings that will blend residential and commercial spaces with the natural beauty of the region. It will also include a range of high-tech and modern amenities.

At the heart of the Kuwaiti Al Humaidi family’s Aqueous Resort will be several interconnected swimming pools. According to the Kuwaiti European Holdings Group, these are designed to give the outdoor landscape a natural flow. Dotted around these pools are hotel rooms and other guest amenities including sweeping green space with relaxation areas.

Aqueous Resort is also near to a private beach where guests can access the Red Sea’s waters without having to deal with crowds of visitors. A range of excursions and activities will be available to guests from the beach area, including diving and wildlife tours. Beyond natural attractions, guests will also be able to access a range of tourist sites.

Now in its second phase of development which will see the construction of a four-star hotel, Aqueous Resort will offer tourists and residents private access to one of the world’s greatest wonders.

Focusing On Sustainability

Both the London Resort and Aqueous Resort are being developed with sustainability in mind. This is because one of Kuwaiti European Holdings Group’s core ambitions is to play its part in fighting climate change.

At the London Resort, efforts are being made to ensure that the park will have a long-term net positive impact on the surrounding area. Kuwaiti European Holdings Group says that this will be achieved by creating protective wildlife refuges that will help to sustain the area’s biodiversity and protect existing wildlife populations.

Meanwhile, at Aqueous Resort, the group has taken care to make sure that the construction of the resort and hotel doesn’t negatively impact the local geography or the area’s natural beauty. The resort also incorporates a design that helps to improve the natural area by providing a home to local wildlife.

For KEH Group, both the London Resort and the Aqueous Resort will be major milestones and could change the face of post-COVID travel forever. This is especially true in the case of the London Resort. This will be the first European development of its kind since Disneyland Paris opened in 1992 and is expected to contribute hundreds of millions, if not billions, to the UK economy.


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