Soof spins new life into Kuwait’s forgotten wool

Résumé détaillé

While Kuwait spends millions of dinars each year importing wool, yarn and woven fabrics, much of the wool produced by its own sheep remains underused, ...

While Kuwait spends millions of dinars each year importing wool, yarn and woven fabrics, much of the wool produced by its own sheep remains underused, discarded or sold at very low prices. Launched last year, Soof, the GCC’s first sustainable wool-processing mill, aims to turn this overlooked resource into locally produced yarn for traditional Sadu weaving and a wider range of textile applications.

“A material that had become waste can once again generate knowledge, products, livelihoods and value,” said Sheikha Bibi Al-Sabah, head of Kuwait’s Al Sadu Society and founder of Soof. The mill was established through a strategic partnership between Al Sadu Society and AlMawashi, with support from the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences and research conducted by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research.

Wool once played an important role in Kuwait’s domestic economy. For generations, women cleaned, spun and wove it into textiles for everyday use, including Sadu weavings, furnishings, storage items and materials used in traditional tents, Sheikha Bibi told Kuwait Times. Over time, imported yarns and manufactured textiles became cheaper, more consistent and more readily available. Local systems for collecting, sorting, washing and spinning wool gradually disappeared, leaving much of the fleece produced by Kuwait’s sheep with little commercial value.

Soof aims to revive this supply chain. “We are rebuilding the connection between the animal, the raw material, the artisan and the finished product,” Sheikha Bibi said. Although the project is still scaling up, she sees potential to create opportunities throughout this chain, from livestock owners and wool processors to artisans, educators, manufacturers and retailers.

The yarn is already being used in traditional Sadu pieces, woven samples, artisan products, educational workshops and experimental textile development. But the project’s ambitions extend beyond preserving traditional crafts.

The team envisages using…

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