Abu Fatira is located in Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate, bordered by Funaitees to the north, Egaila in the south, Mubarak Al-Kabeer from the east and Abu Al-Hasania on the west. Although Abu Fatira is a quiet area with a good location, many residents complain about a lack of services.

Um Khaled, a 41-year-old resident of Abu Fatira for the past five years, told Kuwait Times that the area suffers from a lack of schools and hospitals, while the number of residents is growing. "We also want some malls and entertainment places. The Gate mall is the only shopping center near us. We can hardly spend the weekend here with our kids," she said.

Ahmed Al-Azmi, 58, said residents of Abu Fatira suffer from a lack of supervision by government agencies responsible for carrying out infrastructure work and follow-up and maintenance of some secondary roads and main roads damaged by the use of trucks and heavy cranes, which affects all inhabitants. He noted that Abu Fatira has suffered delays in the completion of infrastructure work including roads and buildings, power transmission projects and ground structures.

In terms of tree cover in the area, Mohammad Jaafar, 36, said the area is good and many people can find nice apartments at reasonable rents, but the government must work hard on making the area beautiful, as the trees are not watered for long periods. He complained palm trees remain dry all summer. He demanded the EPA to look into this issue, and urged residents to look after their area. "Trees are an important component of the area's overall green infrastructure. You as property owners are responsible for maintaining and caring for your street's vegetation, including watering," he added.

Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

By Faten Omar