Kuwait has approved a new press and publications law in 2006, ending a state monopoly of four decades and opening up the licensing of new publications. Kuwaitis were avid consumers of newspapers already before the liberalisation of the print publications market, boasting 374 newspapers per 1,000 people as reported in 2003 by the UNDP. The lifting of access restrictions resulted in a mushrooming of new papers, and there were 14 newspapers being published by the time the 2008 elections were called. This newspaper boom appears to contradict global trends in newspaper markets where papers are losing their economic muscle in many countries, with markets stagnating, constricting and consolidating in this segment of the media. Based on analysis of available market data and interviews conducted with insiders of the Kuwaiti newspaper industry, the paper seeks to answer the question of why newspapers in Kuwait defy the global trends, and what implications these developments may have for democracy in Kuwait. Findings indicate that the newspaper boom cannot be supported by economic considerations alone. Although in times of economic prosperity there are resources for funding media, entry to the market is extremely costly and papers continue to be loss-makers. At the same time, owning a newspaper can contribute to the public prestige and political clout of the owner, which may then be translated into profitable business deals through public lobbying and putting pressure on political actors. Newspapers are also a way of emulating historically important families who have been using their papers to establish themselves as major political and business players in Kuwait. Nor are many newspapers papers alone: they are increasingly making use of satellite television, the internet, and mobile phones to spread their messages across multiple platforms. Newspapers are also a way of introducing political voices into the public sphere, and the need to be heard by the rulers, decision-makers, and the people of Kuwait is a strong motivation for starting a newspaper. In this sense Kuwait resembles the era of early newspapers in Europe and North America where the voicing of political opinions through newspapers historically contributed to the rise of democracy. Hubris, competition for public prestige, settling political and business scores, serving niche audiences, and hopes of financial gains combine to diversify the Kuwaiti media scene, thereby leading to a more robust public sphere and perhaps the strengthening of democracy.