Diwaniya In Q8

The Dewaniya, mistakenly and commonly called Diwaniya, has existed in Kuwait since time immemorial. The term originally referred to the section of a Bedouin tent where the men folk and their visitors sat apart from the family.

 In the old City of Kuwait it was the reception area where a man received his business colleagues and male guests. Today the term refers both to a reception hall and the gathering held in it, and visiting or hosting a dewaniya is an indispensable feature of a Kuwaiti man’s social life. It is a Persian Gulf tradition and has become a fundamental part of Kuwaiti life.

The Diwaniya is usually located close to the outside main entrance, away from the rest of the house. Women guests gather in a room inside the house and sometimes get to their gathering room from an outside entrance specifically assigned for female visitors.
In some parts of the Arab region men and women who are not directly blood related to each other or not married to each other don't mix. That's why there are often separate guest gathering rooms for both genders in the same house. In some Arab houses this rule of gender separation is not followed. Some Dewaniahs open on a daily basis and others once weekly. This regular gathering is a chance for relatives, friends, and invited guests to check on each other and converse in many subjects. It is a form of socializing where people communicate the latest news about other relatives, economy, business, sports, politics, etc. Tea, coffee, and sometimes a light snack are served.

To know more about Diwaniya and its role in Kuwait's culture, check out the following links:

http://www.kuwaitagenda.com/en/uncategorized/254-al-diwaniya-in-kuwaits-culture.html

http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=MTE3ODk1NTA3Ng==

A move by four Kuwaiti women to open a diwaniya (open house) for men and women in Al Jahra has sparked negative reaction among .............For detail news check the link http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/mixed-diwaniya-elicits-criticisms-in-kuwait-1.600924