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Blog Info

Instagram Mistakes

One of the most frustrating things about Instagram is that once I upload an image, that’s it, you can’t swap it out with another one or edit it. Due to the pace I work with, I tend to make a lot of mistakes. I’m constantly editing my posts after publishing to fix grammatical or spelling mistakes, or even to improve readability.

On Instagram I sometimes make mistakes with the headline which I write on the main image, and once I make a mistake the only way to fix it is to remove the post and upload it again. If I catch the mistake right after publishing that’s not a big deal, but just now I caught a mistake on yesterday’s post and I can’t do anything about it.

Last night I published the Kuwait Pavilion post on Instagram and I accidentally used the promoted icon for the post, even though it wasn’t a paid post. I know how I made the mistake, I was working on a paid post in parallel and so used the same template when working on the pavilion post. I can’t edit it now and the post already has over 1,600 likes so I can’t delete it and publish it again.

What’s even more frustrating is that I had two main images I was deciding on for the post, the second one (above) which I didn’t use didn’t have the “promoted” icon. So frustrating!




Categories
Information Kuwait

Kuwait’s Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka

Expo 2025 officially opened yesterday in Osaka, Japan under the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” The event will focus on innovation, sustainability, and global collaboration, featuring pavilions from countries and organizations from around the world.

The Kuwait Pavilion is one of the most anticipated ones, designed by the architectural firm LAVA (Laboratory for Visionary Architecture). The structure is envisioned as a “Visionary Lighthouse,” symbolizing Kuwait’s embrace of Arab culture, arts, and social initiatives.

Kuwaiti chef Khaled AlBaker (@chefkb) is currently in Japan as the head chef for the Kuwait Pavilion, and he just sent me some photos he took. Khaled helped set up the menu for the pavilion’s restaurant, Sidra, which features classic Kuwaiti dishes like machboos and mourabian among other things. The restaurant is open to all visitors who want to try Kuwaiti food. According to him, getting everything ready wasn’t easy since most of the chefs there aren’t trained in Arabic cuisine, and sourcing the right ingredients was a challenge. But in the end, they managed to make it work.

The Kuwait Pavilion has four exhibition rooms that take you on a multi-sensory journey through Kuwait’s past, present, and future. The experience ends with a massive dome projection that’s supposedly pretty epic. Expo 2025 runs until October 13, so if you’re in Japan over the next six months, you can pass by and check it out.

For more details on the Kuwait Pavilion, you can head over to their Instagram @kuwait_expo2025




Categories
Automotive Kuwait News

Physical Driving License Now Available for Expats

Expats will now be able to get a physical copy of their driving license. Sounds weird that this is something new but until recently the Ministry of Interior had stopped printing driving licenses for expats, we only had access to a digital copy. Not a big deal if you just drive in Kuwait but the digital copy wouldn’t be accepted anywhere else in the world. This means if you traveled you wouldn’t be able to rent a car which sucks.

Thankfully the MOI has now changed their mind and allowing us to get printed driving licenses again. Mine expires next month which is perfect timing. The only caveat is that we now have to pay 10KD to get a physical copy which I don’t think is an issue. Source




Categories
Information Kuwait

These Are Kuwait’s Top-Rated Brands

Service Hero recently revealed the results of its 2024 Customer Satisfaction Index, and the top brands in Kuwait have been named (based entirely on you).

If you’re not familiar with Service Hero, it’s the region’s only consumer-powered index, measuring how happy people are with the service they receive across different industries. It’s been running in Kuwait since 2010 and follows strict international research standards, so the results are credible and transparent.

Over 28,000 assessments were collected from customers across Kuwait, rating brands in categories like satisfaction, complaint resolution, loyalty, and more. This isn’t a popularity contest, it’s a data-driven reflection of how brands are actually performing. Here are the winners:

Entertainment: Vox Cinema
Islamic Banks: Boubyan Bank
Retail Banks: National Bank of Kuwait
New Car Sales: Toyota
Car Service: Chevrolet
Private Hospitals: Royal Hayat Hospital
Delivery Apps: Jahez
Restaurants: Mais Alghanim
Fast Food: Pick Yo!
Clothes: Centrepoint
Electronics: X-Cite
Health Clubs: Oxygen Health Club
Home Furniture: Home Centre
ISPs: Zain
Mobile Operators: Zain
Cafes: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Airlines: Qatar Airways
Supermarkets: City Hypermarket

I don’t think there is anything on the list above that felt out of place, it’s not like Aramex won best delivery courier or anything controversial like that. Link




Categories
Movies Now Showing Television

Movies & TV Shows to Watch

This past week I started watching two new shows. David Blaine: Do Not Attempt and Deli Boys. Not sure why the David Blaine show has a 7.8 on IMDB. I didn’t think it was that interesting. There isn’t any of his usual illusions/magic, and instead it’s more him performing stunts. Just feels to me like someone with a lot of money hiring the best people to help him accomplish a stunt which isn’t as dangerous anymore since he’s hired the best people to overlook the whole thing. Like when Tom Cruise does his own stunts in movies, you know he’s not in danger.

Deli Boys on the other hand is fun and silly, I’m like it.

The new season of The Handmaid’s Tale also just started. It’s been so long since the last season I forgot what the storyline was and so found the first episode boring. Not gonna continue watching it unless it’s background TV.

Need to start watching The Studio as well as the new season of Hacks. Black Mirror is out today. Oh and I watched the finale of The Kardashians and White Lotus. White Lotus was great, The Kardashians, not so much. This season of The Kardashians was just super boring and not as funny as the previous seasons. All the scenes that involved Lamar or anything dealing with that story line was just incredibly boring. Then they brought it back again for the last episode? CRINGE

Anyway, have you watched anything interesting lately? Let us know in the comments.

Movies at the Cinemas
The English movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Week:
Bloat (3.8)
Inheritance (5.6)
Mickey 17 (6.9)
Queen of Bones (5.2)
Screamboat (4.0)
The Amateur (6.7)

Other Movies Showing:
A Minecraft Movie (6.0)
A Working Man (6.8)
Aladdin (classic) (8.0)
Locked (6.1)
Night at The Zoo (5.8)
Novocaine (5.8)
The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (6.3)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.




Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Lots to do this weekend, check them out below. Always double check the event details by visiting the organizers account, I make mistakes sometimes!

Thursday, April 10
TTD by Jaune Pizza Popup
The Improv Show
GR Yaris Cup – Kuwait vs Qatar
Palestinian Poetry Night

Friday, April 11
TTD by Jaune Pizza Popup
GR Yaris Cup – Kuwait vs Qatar
Starlight Jazz and Buffet
Chadirji’s Hawally Workshop
Full Moon Women’s Circle
Kuwait Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Saturday, April 12
TTD by Jaune Pizza Popup
Chadirji’s Hawally Workshop
DAI Story Time
DAI Chess Fest
NORAEBANG – K-POP Together




Categories
Automotive Information

New speed cameras are easy to miss!

Yesterday, the Ministry of Interior deployed new mobile speed cameras across Kuwait. These battery-powered cameras will pop up in various locations and are really easy to miss!

I’ve come across similar cameras in Saudi on my road trips, and because they’re painted the same color as sand, they’re easy to miss until the very last minute. Also, depending on the road, it’s sometimes hard to tell if the camera is pointed at your lane or the opposite one.

These new cameras are being introduced ahead of the new traffic laws, which go into effect on April 22. The new laws include increased speeding fines, ranging from KD70 to KD150.




Categories
Coffee Corner Food Kuwait

The Drama Behind the Kuwait Flour Mills 750 Fils Latte

A couple of weeks ago, Kuwait Flour Mills introduced coffee at some of their branches, and it’s been causing quite a bit of drama. Why? Because of the prices. KFM is selling espresso and Americano for 500 fils, and a latte for just 750 fils. That’s around half the price, or even less, compared to most coffee shops.

They aren’t skimping on quality either. KFM are using proper grinders (Eureka) and coffee machines (IBERITAL) to pull the shots, and their beans are from 48 East who also provided the training.

I passed by the Yarmouk branch this morning to see what the fuss was about, but the line was so long I decided to drive to their Fahad Al Ahmad branch instead. It also had a line, but a much shorter one. I tried both the hot and iced latte and although they weren’t better than the coffee I make at home, it definitely was better than most coffees in that price range.

Some coffee shop owners are upset about the pricing and have been voicing their frustration online. Since Kuwait Flour Mills is government-owned, they feel it’s unfair for them to sell coffee this cheap.

It costs me around 360 fils to make an espresso at home using beans from %Arabica, so it definitely costs coffee shops and KFM even less with wholesale pricing. So are coffee shops being greedy, or is KFM undercharging?

Personally, I think the hype might hurt some coffee shops for now, but eventually people will go back to buying coffee from their favorite (and usually most convenient) spots.




Categories
Coffee Corner Design

New City Coffee Spot: Stockroom, KIPCO

Stockroom Coffee recently opened their new location in KIPCO Tower, and I think it looks really great. Their Murouj branch is one of my favorite looking coffee spots, and this new branch was also designed by the same architects, FORM. The space has a sophisticated yet cool aesthetic. It’s minimal, but not simple since there are interesting little details everywhere you look.

It doesn’t show in these photos, but there is a seating area. And although this Stockroom is probably catering to the tower and surrounding office buildings during the day, it feels like it could be a chill place to hang out in the afternoon and evenings once the office crowd clears out. The new location is on the ground floor of KIPCO Tower and is open from 7AM to 10PM. Google Maps

If you want to check out more photos of the place, head to @formkw

Photos above taken by @mashkanani




Categories
Personal

MyUS vs Shop&Ship Pricing

I have both MyUS and Shop&Ship accounts but I tend to use my Shop&Ship the most since the prices were always cheaper than MyUS. MyUS only used to make sense for me when an item was expensive but not that heavy since I don’t pay tax when shipping to my MyUS address. But, a few days ago I was ordering some parts for my car and I realized it would be much cheaper shipping to MyUS.

Item Cost Shipped to MyUS: $256
Item Cost Shipped to Shop&Ship: $278.71 (includes 8.87% tax)

Item Weight: 10.95 lb
MyUS Shipping Cost (using DHL Express): KD14.278
Shop&Ship Shipping Cost: KD22.3 (because I get the 31% S&S FLEX discount) or KD31.1 (if you don’t have S&S FLEX)

So just by choosing to ship this one item to MyUS I saved a total of KD15. Even if I paid tax it would still be cheaper to use MyUS. It wasn’t like this before so now I’m curious to know if their prices became cheaper. I think I’m just going to straight up use MyUS from now on. The package also arrived super quick, shipped April 3, got delivered to me April 6. Oh I have to mention, Shop&Ship charge KD1.5 for custom clearance, DHL charge KD4. But I still save more with DHL.




Categories
Events Funny

Netflix Star “Fluffy” is coming to perform in Kuwait

American stand-up comedian and actor Gabriel Iglesias, aka Fluffy, is coming to perform in Kuwait for the first time ever. Fluffy is known for his hit Netflix specials and sold-out shows around the world, and I think he is easily the biggest stand-up comedian to ever perform in Kuwait.

He’ll be performing live at The Arena on May 1st as part of his “Don’t Worry Be Fluffy” world tour. Tickets are expected to go on sale later today on The Arena’s website.

If you want an idea of what to expect, you can watch one of Fluffy’s many specials on Netflix, including his latest one, “Legend of Fluffy”. You can also check out his insta @fluffyguy




Categories
50s to 90s Kuwait Photography

Rare Kuwait Towers Construction Photos

I’m always incredibly jealous of the kinds of photos Bader Alshaiji (@badshaiji) has access to. Thankfully, he loves sharing as much as I do. When I saw he had photos I’d never seen before of the Kuwait Towers under construction, I reached out and asked if he could send them over to me so I could share them as well.

These are rare photos I’ve never come across before, at least not in this quality. They were taken between 1971 and 1975 and show the construction of the towers, including when they caught fire in 1973.

Check them all out on my instagram account @248am, and make sure you follow @badshaiji if you’re interested in old historical photos of Kuwait.




Categories
Events Information Movies Photography Things to do

Palestine Film Festival 2025 Kicks Off in Kuwait

The Palestine Film Festival 2025 opens tomorrow (Sunday, April 6) as part of the “All Eyes on Palestine” visual event happening in Kuwait this week which also includes the “Gaza Habibti” photo project.

“Gaza Habibti” brings together the work of 25 photographers from Gaza, capturing moments of hope and everyday life in a place still fighting for freedom and dignity. Their photos will be part of exhibitions taking place around the world, with all proceeds going to support photographers in Gaza. This event is taking place at @capkuwait and opens April 6 and will be on view until April 12.

The Palestine Film Festival Kuwait on the other hand is a volunteer-run, non-profit initiative that celebrates Palestinian life, art, and culture. The festival features a curated lineup of films, from documentaries to shorts, all highlighting the resilience and spirit of the Palestinian people. This year the films will be showing at CAP Theater and AUK.

There is also a poetry night taking place on Thursday.

All events are free and no registration is required for any of them.

Follow @palestinefilmfest_kuwait and @capkuwait for more details.




Categories
50s to 90s Photography

Goodbye to the Original KTV Studios

The compound in Dasman that housed the original Kuwait Television studios, and later Villa Moda and Mais Alghanim, has been demolished. It’s located across the street from The Cheesecake Factory on the Gulf Road, near the Kuwait Towers (Google Maps).

I’m not sure how many people who drove past those old warehouse-like buildings knew how historically significant they were. The compound had been abandoned for over 20 years, but I always hoped it would be refurbished and redeveloped either into a creative hub like Qatar’s Fire Station, or a trendy retail space similar to Alserkal Avenue in Dubai.

Besides housing KTV, the first TV station in the Gulf, the buildings later became home to two other iconic Kuwaiti brands.

In 1987, “Mess Alghanim” which started off as a staff cafeteria for the employees of Yusuf Ahmed Alghanim & Sons Co, moved into one of the old Kuwait Television building and transformed into a warm family restaurant. It was also that year the name of the restaurant was changed to “Mais Alghanim”.

In 1992, Sheikh Majed al-Sabah opened the first Villa Moda there in one of the other buildings. He was the first to bring Western designers like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren to the region. Until today when I think of that store I can’t believe how ahead of its time it was.

As a tribute to the compound’s history, I’ve put together an album on Flickr that includes:
– Black and white images shared by @badshaiji from 1975
– Photos Mais Alghanim when it was still open there
– Villa Moda store after it had shut down and been abandoned
– Photos of the compound taken in 2021 and 2024
– Photos of the compound now being demolished

Check out all the photos here.




Categories
News

Trump Slaps 10% Tariff on Kuwait Imports

If you’re following up on the news you know by now that Trump announced tariffs on everyone basically, including Kuwait. According to the sheets of paper distributed to reporters, Kuwait will be getting a 10% tariff on all imports to the United States. Not sure how much that will affect local exporters since I’m not sure what we export to the US other than oil? Maybe KDD chocolate milk?

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