Viral video shows fight between two women in Old Salmiya souq

It started like any ordinary afternoon at Old Souq Salmiya, with shoppers moving between stalls and the usual market noise. Then, on 31 October, something broke that routine. A fight between two Asian women turned into one of the day’s most-shared videos in Kuwait.

By the time most people saw it, the clip was already spreading fast on social media. As with most viral videos in Kuwait, the footage raised more questions than answers, and it’s a reminder of how quickly a public argument can end up in front of thousands of strangers online. We’ve seen this pattern before, like the video a citizen posted of a bike rider that spread just as fast.

What we actually know so far

Details are limited right now. We know the fight happened in Old Souq Salmiya, a busy market area in Salmiya known for its shops and crowded lanes, on 31 October. We know it involved two women, both described as Asian, and that the moment was caught on video by someone nearby.

What we don’t know yet is what caused the argument, whether police were called to the scene, and whether either woman has faced any legal action. None of that has been confirmed, so we won’t guess. If Kuwaiti authorities release a statement or take action, we’ll update this story.

As the source note describing this incident makes clear, the identities of the two women are not public, and this article will not name or try to identify them. That’s also simply the right way to handle an unverified dispute between private individuals.

Why a public fight is a serious risk for expats in Kuwait

This is the part that matters most for anyone living here on a visa. In Kuwait, getting into a public fight isn’t just embarrassing, it can threaten your residency.

Kuwaiti law treats public disturbances and assault seriously. Expats involved in fights, whether verbal shouting matches or physical altercations, can face arrest, fines, and in some cases deportation. This applies whether you started the fight or were simply pulled into one that wasn’t your doing. Authorities don’t always separate fault clearly on the spot, so avoiding the situation entirely is always the safer move.

We’ve already seen how seriously Kuwait treats rule-breaking that ends up filmed and shared. Just last month, authorities carried out a wider enforcement push, and as we reported on 6 October, Kuwait deported 194 expats in a September drug crackdown. That shows deportation isn’t a rare outcome, it’s a real tool authorities use regularly for various offences, not only drug cases.

So who does this affect?

Every expat living in Kuwait, no matter your nationality or job, should take this seriously. Whether you’re a domestic worker, an office employee, or running a small shop in a souq like Salmiya, the same rules on public order apply to you.

Citizens aren’t exempt from consequences either, but for expats specifically, a public order issue can escalate into a residency problem fast. Your visa status, especially an Article 18 visa (the standard private-sector work visa), can be affected if you’re convicted of a public order offence.

For more context on how these cases usually unfold once they go viral, our latest local news from Kuwait covers similar stories as they develop.

What to do if you’re caught up in a dispute in public

1. Stay calm and step away from the situation if you can. Walking away is never a loss.
2. Don’t raise your voice or get physical, even if you feel you’re in the right.
3. If someone is filming, remember that video can be used as evidence either way, for or against you.
4. Call the police yourself if you feel unsafe or threatened, rather than trying to resolve it on your own.
5. If you’re ever questioned by police about an incident, cooperate and be honest. Trying to hide what happened usually makes things worse.

Kuwait’s authorities have also been paying closer attention to viral incidents in general. Our violation of the month feature and recent coverage of traffic police stepping up checks on delivery riders both show how quickly a filmed incident can lead to official follow-up.

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