Categories
Events Things to do

Things to do in Kuwait this Weekend

Here are my favorite events happening this weekend. Always double-check the details by visiting the organizer’s account, which I’ve linked to.

Thursday 24 April
Cantina Pizza Pop-up
QUANTUM CON 2025
Kuwait Food Festival
Literary Open Mic at Bliss & Paper
GRAFIKA Market 2025

Friday 25 April
Cantina Pizza Pop-up
QUANTUM CON 2025
Kuwait Food Festival

Saturday 26 April
Cantina Pizza Pop-up
QUANTUM CON 2025
SADI 2025: Ancestral Bonds
The Big Bargain Event
Kuwait Food Festival
Earth Day Treasure Hunt
DAI StoryTime at Amricani
The Washing Machine




Categories
Food Information Things to do

Cantina Pizza Pop-up in the Secret Garden

Cantina, one of my favorite Italian restaurants, is launching a pizza pop-up this weekend. It’s a spin-off of their Pizza Mondays and takes place in a beautiful hidden garden in the Design District in Shuwaikh.

A couple of days ago, I was invited to try some of the new pizzas during @chefbasmah’s friends and family night. The pop-up has eleven pizzas, up from the usual four at Cantina. I tried the fungi and the salami, and while the fungi was great, the salami (which also had mustard seeds) is now my favorite pizza in Kuwait. I also ordered the Margherita, which I always get at Cantina. Basmah’s pizzas are very crispy with no flop. She describes the style as “crispy Neapolitan,” and in true Cantina fashion, she’s using only the highest quality ingredients.

My favorite part of the pop-up though is the location. It’s tucked away in a secret garden area of the Design District, the same spot in Shuwaikh that houses Ovo, Cure and the Contemporary Art Platform. The garden has its own side entrance from the main road, a narrow corridor that leads you into a semi indoor and outdoor space that feels like a greenhouse. It’s temperature controlled, so even if the weather is warm, you won’t feel it inside.

The setup is super casual. You walk in, pick the pizzas you want and grab a seat at one of the two large communal tables. The menu is up on a board and it’s strictly pizza and soft drinks, nothing else. Also, no reservations needed, just show up.

The pizzas are small in size, so I’d recommend two per person, which is great because there are a lot of interesting flavors on the menu you’ll want to try anyway.

The Pizza Pop-up is happening only on weekends starting with this upcoming one. It’s open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6PM to 10PM, and will go on every weekend until it gets too hot. You can spot the entry corridor to the pop-up from the main road, it’s to the right of Cure, and you should see a “Pizza” neon sign hanging above. @cantina_kw.




Categories
Activities Fun Sneak Peek

Epic New Thrill Zone Opens This Weekend!

If you’ve driven by the Kuwait Towers over the past couple of months, you might have noticed a huge funnel-like structure towering over Bay Zero. Yesterday, I got early access to check it out before the grand opening this weekend.

The large funnel is a new water slide that’s part of Bay Zero’s new Thrill Zone. The Thrill Zone features around eight different water slides, including this funnel, which the manufacturer calls “The Abyss.” It’s the largest funnel slide in the industry and looks super iconic, especially with its vibrant colors. The entire zone is very colorful, and all the slides look epic. Oh, and I have to mention, even though the slides look big from the main road, it’s only when you get up close that you realize just how gigantic they actually are. They’re seriously HUGE!

If I’m not mistaken, the new Thrill Zone was created by White Water, since the water slides at Bay Zero look very similar to their previous projects. White Water is the world’s largest designer and manufacturer of water parks, and they’re also behind Qatar’s Meryal Waterpark, which broke the record for the tallest water slide in the world.

When I visited, workers were still busy finishing up the landscaping around the new rides, but everything will be ready and open to the public from this Thursday, April 24. On April 25, there will also be a special event featuring a concert by @sonsofyusuf.

The new Thrill Zone doesn’t require a separate ticket, the standard park entry gives you access to all the new slides. If you want to stay updated on the opening, or need info like opening hours and ticket prices, just head over to their account @bayzerokw.




Categories
Food Promoted

WK Goes Dine-In with Their Kaifan Branch

WK, the popular local burger spot, just opened their first dine-in location—and it’s styled like an old school diner.

The new branch is in Kaifan next to the stadium and has both indoor and outdoor seating, plus plenty of parking. As a bonus, there’s a matcha pop-up inside called @meetmatchas.

WK is available for delivery on all the popular platforms and also has multiple pickup locations across Kuwait, including Ardiya, Fahaheel, Jahra, Khiran, and Sabah Alsalem.

Here is the location on Google Maps and you can follow them on instagram @wkwk.965.




Categories
News Sports

Kuwait Ice Hockey Team wins Bronze at the World Championship

The Kuwait ice hockey team won the bronze medal at the annual IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division IV. Eight teams took part in the Division IV world championship which is the lowest level of the IIHF World Championships. The national team that wins the Division IV championship gets promoted to the following year’s Division III B championship. Uzbekistan came first while Armenia second.

Three of the top five scorers in the division though were from the Kuwait National Team. Anton Tcibin scored the most goals with 14, Ilya Drozdetskikh the 2nd most with 13, and Valery Budzevich came 5th with 10 goals.

To stay posted on the teams activities you can follow them on instagram @kuwait_wgc




Categories
Automotive Interesting

Tesla Might Finally Be Coming to Kuwait

This isn’t a rumor, but rather an interesting observation from one of my readers. Tesla recently updated their careers page to include Kuwait as a location. According to the reader who regularly checks the Tesla careers page to see which new countries get added, Saudi Arabia appeared on the list around this time last year, and Tesla opened its first dealership there just this past month.

Now they’ve added Kuwait, so it could mean we’ll see a Tesla dealership opening here around this time next year.

To double-check his info, I used web.archive.org to pull up a snapshot of the careers page from two weeks ago. He was right, Kuwait wasn’t listed then which confirms it was just recently added.

Although Tesla is currently going through a rough patch in the US and Europe, the brand remains popular in our region, most likely because it’s always been desirable, yet unavailable here.

If you want to check the above yourself, head to tesla.com/careers/search

update: I’m being told this is actually happening, Tesla will be opening their first store in Kuwait by first quarter of 2026. They will be sharing details after August. This is going to be a direct investment by Tesla and the Kuwait government, so I’m assuming through KDIPA.




Categories
Food Promoted

Tim Hortons Fuels the Iced Matcha Craze

It looks like Tim Hortons has jumped headfirst into Kuwait’s ongoing Matcha craze with a new full line‑up of ICED Matcha drinks. They’re introducing 4 bold & fruity flavors:

Iced Strawberry Matcha: Sweet meets earthy. The ultimate match!
Iced Spanish Matcha: Rich, velvety, and a great twist on everyone’s favorite Iced Spanish Latte.
Iced Blueberry Matcha: Tangy, chill, and berry-licious.
Iced Mango Matcha: Tropical + refreshing = vacay in a cup!

Bonus: Add mango popping boba for extra texture and flavor—it’s a pop of summer in every sip.

The 4 Iced Matcha flavors are available now in stores or delivery.

If you want to keep an eye on whatever flavors they might drop next, follow them @timhortons.kuwait.




Categories
Movies Now Showing Television

Movies & TV Shows to Watch

Last week someone recommended watching Paradise on Hulu. I already had it on my need to watch list but I guess I needed a push and I’m glad I got it because it was one of my favorite new shows I watched this year.

I don’t want to spoil it even slightly, but the first episode started off really slow until a big twist right at the end that kept me hooked for the remaining season. It’s one of those shows where I couldn’t wait to get back home so I could continue watching. Highly recommended and I have to say, Hulu has been really killing it with their content, it’s my favorite streaming service right now.

I also started watching the new season of Black Mirror, only two episodes in and so far it’s good. I also just got a notification that Rami Yousef’s new animated show #1 Happy Family USA came out today. So I guess I’m watching that this weekend as well.

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:
825 Forest Road (5.0)
Absolution (5.2)
Black Bag (6.9)
Opus (5.0)
Sinners (8.0)
The Monkey (6.0)
The Rule of Jenny Pen (6.3)

Other Movies Showing:
A Minecraft Movie (6.0)
A Working Man (6.8)
Aladdin (classic) (8.0)
Bloat (3.8)
Mickey 17 (6.9)
Night at The Zoo (5.8)
Novocaine (5.8)
The Amateur (6.7)
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

Here are my favorite events taking place this weekend.

Thursday, April 17
The Washing Machine
Movie Night: Welcome to Dongmakgol

Friday, April 18
A Yellow Picnic on the Beach
Francophonie Bazar
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Red Bull Flying Day
Cacao Ceremony & Music Jam

Saturday, April 19
The Washing Machine
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
DAI StoryTime
KTTA Spring Bazaar
Korean Game Day




Categories
Events Television

Ed Westwick from White Gold is coming to Kuwait

Ed Westwick, from the Netflix show White Gold is coming to Kuwait later this month to take part at Quantum Con. Ed was also on the show Gossip Girls as well as in the movies Children of Men and Son of Rambow.

If you haven’t watched White Gold, you should, it’s great. But also it’s super random that he’s coming to Kuwait.




Categories
Food Promoted

Work, Chill, and Eat at Nova Cafe & Eatery

Nova Cafe & Eatery is a new local concept that hopes to be your favorite destination for healthy, homemade goodness.

The cafe is located in Burj Jasim, right on the outskirts of the city (google maps). Nova is actually two different spaces with two different vibes. They have the cafe, which is located in the center of the complex and gets lots of daylight from the glass dome above it. But they also have the eatery, which is located adjacent to the cafe and is more secluded and private.

One of the things the owner wants is for people to spend a lot of time at Nova, so she made sure every table has a power socket as well as USB ports so that customers can plug in and not worry about battery levels. That way, if students or people in general want a space to sit and get work done, they’d feel comfortable doing so. She even made sure the seating was comfortable, creating cozy nooks with comfy bench seating, but even the regular tables have softly padded seats.

In addition to the coffee and pastries, the owner created a menu that focuses on organic and wholesome ingredients. There is a small grab-and-go menu for people in a hurry, but also a full-fledged breakfast and all-day dining menu.

Nova’s opening hours are also great, opening from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM. Burj Jasim has plenty of parking, so if you’re looking for a spot to work from that has good coffee and food, Nova Cafe & Eatery is worth checking out. @nova.cafe.eatery




Categories
Fashion Promoted

Boutiqaat Launches Sponsorship of the 38th Unified Gulf Traffic Week

• Under the patronage of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Lt. General Salem Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
• Al-Tayyar: Boutiqaat is one of the most proactive companies in prioritizing social responsibility
• Al-Tayyar: Strategic collaboration enabled Boutiqaat to work closely with key figures behind this leading initiative
• Al-Subhan: Boutiqaat’s sponsorship had a positive impact on the development of Traffic Week events
• Al-Subhan: The fruitful partnership was reflected in the opening exhibition that aimed to raise awareness of new traffic regulations

Boutiqaat continues to reinforce its leadership in community development through its distinguished sponsorship of the 38th edition of the Unified Gulf Traffic Week 2025. This year’s campaign is held under the slogan “Driving Without… a Phone” and is sponsored by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, Lt. General Salem Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The initiative aligns with Boutiqaat’s ongoing efforts to promote road safety awareness and foster a culture of security and responsibility across all segments of society.

Unified Gulf Traffic Week is considered one of the most important traffic awareness initiatives organized annually by the Ministry of Interior, represented by the General Directorate of Traffic. Through its major sponsorship, Boutiqaat aims to increase public awareness around traffic safety and help build well-informed communities where road environments are safe and stable.

On this occasion, Boutiqaat’s Public Relations Director, Ali Al-Tayyar, stated that the company’s sponsorship of Traffic Week reflects its dedication to solidifying its leadership as one of the first companies to actively prioritize community service. He added that Boutiqaat’s support for initiatives like this helps enhance awareness around traffic safety and reinforces the principles of personal and public safety.

Al-Tayyar also noted that the sponsorship provided an ideal opportunity to deepen Boutiqaat’s longstanding collaborative ties with various government entities—particularly the General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior. He emphasized that this strategic partnership allowed Boutiqaat to work closely with leading figures behind this important initiative, in line with the company’s vision of leveraging its resources to support impactful national awareness campaigns.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Mohammed Dhaidhan Al-Subhan, Head of the Traffic Week Committee at the General Directorate of Traffic, praised Boutiqaat’s sponsorship, highlighting its significant role in supporting state-led initiatives and raising public awareness around traffic culture. He pointed out that such collaborations help create safer environments that protect lives and promote wellbeing.

Al-Subhan added that the successful partnership between the Ministry of Interior and Boutiqaat was clearly demonstrated during the opening exhibition of Traffic Week, held at The Avenues Mall on Sunday, April 13, 2025. The exhibition showcased the latest technologies used to detect violations that lead to accidents and also educated the public about key updates to traffic laws and penalties.

Boutiqaat remains committed to building more strategic partnerships aimed at raising awareness across various social causes, in line with its vision of channeling its capabilities to serve and uplift the community it belongs to. Link




Categories
50s to 90s Design

Turtle Island in the 1980s vs Today

Ghazi Sultan (1941–2007) was a Kuwaiti architect and urban planner. He was regarded as one of the key figures in Kuwait’s modernization and is best known for the Gulf Road waterfront project, including Green Island. The project also included a number of smaller artificial islands along the coast with my favorite being Turtle Island (Google Maps).

Turtle Island is a small artificial island located behind the Italian restaurant Johnny Carino’s. It has a children’s play area featuring a giant fish structure in the middle, while the rest of the island is filled with large turtle sculptures.

Part of the Ghazi Sultan photography archive includes photos he took when the project was completed. Although the photos aren’t dated, I’d assume they were taken in the late 80s. The island looked so different back then compared to today!

First off, what happened to all the colors? The island used to be so much more vibrant — a bright orange frame structure, colorful toys, and the giant fish even had a crawl space for kids. Even the turtles that surround the island were painted olive green with brown accents. Today, the island feels monotone. The orange frame is now white, the fish lost its crawl space and just looks like a grey blob, and the colorful toys were swapped out for dark red ones that are now in bad shape. As for the turtles, they’re now just dull grey concrete color.

To find out more about Ghazi Sultan, visit ghazisultan.com or @ghazihamadsultan




Categories
Food Promoted

New Cheesesteaks Are Ready to Be Unboxed

Bite Club, my favorite local cheesesteak concept, just launched three brand-new sandwiches today.

If you haven’t heard of Bite Club before, it’s a local creation started by a group of friends who are passionate about food. One of the reasons I love their cheesesteaks—besides the flavor—is the high-quality meat they use. Their commitment to quality ingredients extends across the whole menu; they even make their sauces in-house from scratch so they can control every ingredient.

Today they’re launching three new cheesesteaks:

The OG Cheesesteak – Sliced premium beef, grilled onions, cheese sauce, and mayo

The Pepper Pop Cheesesteak – Sliced premium beef, grilled onions, banana & cherry peppers, cheese sauce, and mayo

The Truffle Cheesesteak – Sliced premium beef, crispy onions, mushrooms, white cheese, and truffle mayo

I don’t like peppers so I didn’t try the Pepper Pop but I did try the OG and Truffle Cheesesteaks yesterday. The OG is one I’ll be ordering the most often since it’s similar to their classic cheesesteak except it uses grilled onions and cheese sauce instead of caramelized onions and sliced cheese. The Truffle Cheesesteak I also liked and I appreciated the fact that they hadn’t gone overboard with the truffle flavor.

They also sent over their chicken bites (Chickies) which I hadn’t tried before with their “Bite me” sauce. Those were unexpectedly good as well.

If you want to try my favorite cheesesteak in Kuwait, they’re available on Talabat, Deliveroo, Jahez and Cari. They also offer V-Thru pick up from their location in Hawally. Check them out @eatatbiteclub




Categories
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!