Al-Misbar is an Arabic word which means the prop. Al-Misbar is also a famous directory used in Kuwait which has been published since 1995. Al-Misbar directory is the Who's Who of Kuwait in State and Business. It is published every two years and lists names, position, address and contacts of all VIPs in Kuwait. It covers all leading figures in state institutions, major companies, leading businesses, welfare organizations and diplomatic corps in Kuwait. The handbook is bundled with computer CD and both are bilingual in Arabic and English.

The man behind Al-Misbar is Ali Alkhayat, a Kuwaiti national who studied in Britain and was graduated from Hatfield as an Aeronautical Engineer. Ali became fond of media works when he was a student in Britain and was inspired by British Media including Radio, TV commentating and British publications. While he was studying Aero Engineering, he worked as a correspondent journalist for a number of Kuwaiti journals as a freelancer. After graduating from Britain as an Aero Engineer, he returned to his country Kuwait in 1982. Ali joined Kuwait Airways where he worked for 9 years. While he was with Kuwait Airways, he worked for Kuwait Television and Radio Kuwait as a news reader in English. He also prepared and presented different TV and Radio programs in English including sports programs, variety shows and some documentaries.

Immediately after liberating Kuwait from Iraqi invasion in 1991, he established his own company, The Delta Group and succeeded in introducing a number of directories including Al-Misbar which turned to be a big success.

It took almost three years of hard work to produce the first edition of Al-Misbar in 1995. His company Delta had to knock every door and call every leading figure to collect their data. The first edition didn't make so much impact nor profit. But, he insisted to continue publishing the directory till it became today an indispensable tool in every office in Kuwait.

Delta was the first company to introduce the word Misbar or Al-Misbar in business in the Middle East as it was virtually unknown to many before Delta published it's first edition of Al-Misbar directory. Today, several businesses in the Middle East have named their companies or products Al-Misbar.

Delta also releases several other directories such as Al-Diwanya which includes all Diwaniyas in Kuwait, Mabrouk, the marriage and wedding guide and Al-Mostashar, the business handbook.

What is Diwaniya?
The majority of Kuwaiti men gather, chat and see each other in Al-Diwaniya. The word finds its origins in the word diwan which used to mean a reception place. Today's diwaniyas are a meeting place for men, where topics such as politics, business, the stock exchange etc are discussed. It is also a way of staying in touch with friends, exchanging ideas and keeping relationships alive. Diwaniya is normally a large reception room within or outside the main house, with all facilities to make friends comfortable including tea, coffee and snacks. The diwaniyas are a barometer of public opinion, a unique institution that has existed throughout the history of Kuwait. Today, there are about 4000 in Kuwait. The Diwaniya Directory lists almost all Diwaniyas in Kuwait including name of owner, nickname, address, contact numbers, day & time of gathering of each diwaniya.