Laila Ahmad

ليلى أحمد

Laila Ahmad

Born in 1955, Laila Ahmad is one of the first female Khaliji critics who worked in several magazines, newspapers, and television shows. The interview starts with her childhood in Sharq and her family’s background. She talks about growing up in Salmiya and Sha’ab and her love for reading and being free-spirited. She speaks about the role of growing up with different languages and cultures and how it enriched her life and view of the world around her. Ahmad recalls the strong bond she had with her parents and grandparents and the importance of her heritage and education. She then talks about her early education in Salmiya Nursery (currently AUK’s building). She describes her schools up until high school, the learning experience, and her activities. She then explains the beginning of her career in journalism and working with the workers’ union in Kuwait. Moving towards the 1980s, she talks about meeting her husband and having a family. The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was a turning point in her life professionally and personally. After the liberation of Kuwait, she tells us about working in the Emirates and then back in Kuwait. Ahmad ends the interview by talking about what she currently working on.