2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

Turns out Pret A Manger also opened in Terminal 4 of Kuwait Airport. They opened two weeks ago and took over the previous seating area for Shake Shack, on the ground floor of the departure area.

Thanks Yousef

Another surprisingly busy weekend, here are my favorite things happening. As always, double check the event details with the organizers.

Thursday, June 19
Yellow Balloon Festival
Entertainment Village

Friday, June 20
Entertainment Village
Introduction to Analog Photography
Songwriting 101: Ego Detox
Oil Pastels & Coffee

Saturday, June 21
Entertainment Village
Jam Session
Green Coffee
Eco Talks
DAI Story Time
CHESS SATURDAYS AT AMRICANI
Summer Solstice Women’s Circle
Brew & Bites Brunch

Kuwait Flour Mills & Bakeries opened their Kuwait Airport branch in Terminal 4 this morning. I had a friend flying out and managed to take some photos which he shared with me. It’s pretty smart that they’re selling their coffee and baked goods there, but also a bit odd that they’re selling dry pasta and flour?

Anyway, Kuwait Flour Mills ran into a bit of controversy with their affordable 750fils latte and 500fils Americanos and Espressos back in April. I’m pretty sure the coffee shops at T4 aren’t going to be too excited about them opening up next to them. @kfmkuwait

Thanks Zaydoun!

A couple of days ago, Wingstop started delivery in Kuwait through Talabat. They currently have just two locations open, so the delivery coverage is still limited. For now, they deliver to the following areas:

Bayan
Daiya
Dasma
Hawally
Jabriya
Mansouriya
Messila
Mishref
Mubarak Al-Abdullah
Qadsiya
Rumaithiya
Sabah Al Salem
Salmiya
Salwa
Shaab

They’re planning to open four more locations around Kuwait, with the next one expected to launch next month at Assima Mall. As more locations open, the delivery zones will expand. @wingstopkuwait

Yes, this is related to my previous post, I’ve put up my home gym for sale in the classifieds section. If you’re looking for a really good quality gym at a very reduced price reach out to me. Open to offers as well! Link

If you want my Water Rower as well I can give you a great price bundle.

ERA is a new fitness and wellness club that opened a few months ago. I first found out about it because my wife was looking to join a gym and ended up signing up as a founding member. So when they approached me for this post, I already knew who they were.

ERA isn’t your typical large and busy gym. They describe themselves as a premium fitness and wellness hub. It’s an exclusive club designed for a limited number of members, offering personal training, a variety of classes, Pilates, private studios, consultations, workshops, retail space, and a smoothie bar.

I hadn’t seen the space until they shared photos with me, and after going through them, I decided to check it out in person. For the past couple of months, I’ve been thinking about joining a gym again since my old one shut down. I don’t like large gyms, I don’t like mixed gyms, and most importantly, I needed a place with personal training (the only way I’m going to work out is if someone forces me to). ERA ticked all the boxes, so I ended up joining too.

The team and trainers behind ERA are fairly well known, many of them having come from the now-closed Corniche Club. They’ve been working in Kuwait for years and genuinely love it here, which is reassuring because it means my PT or the quality of service isn’t suddenly going to change in a few months.

ERA is spread over three floors: a women’s floor, a men’s floor, and a floor for classes. The space has large windows that stretch from one end to the other and overlook the sea, so there’s plenty of daylight, which is something I really care about. I also liked the design, not just because it wasn’t dark and moody, but because it had a really calm and welcoming feel. That was another reason I ended up signing up.

I half-heartedly don’t want to promote the gym now that I’ve joined, since I don’t want it getting too popular. But they’ve capped the number of members, so I know it’ll never get too busy. If you’re looking for a new gym, you can check them out @eramembers.club

Design by @saccaldesignhouse, Photos by @mashkanani

Kuwait’s favorite hardware store, Bin Nisf, just got a major makeover. Last week, they closed down their old location and opened in a brand new building right behind the original store. I tend to do a lot of DIY work at home and on my cars, and both Bin Nisf and Ace Hardware have been lifesavers. Between the two, there’s hardly anything I can’t find in Kuwait.

The new store is much bigger than the old one, and according to an employee, they’re still expanding. The old location is also going to get revamped and eventually connect to the new space once it’s done. I honestly have no idea what they’re going to do with all that room.

If you’ve never been to Bin Nisf, they’re a hardware store that’s been around since 1970 and carry everything from screws to power tools. You’ll find professionals shopping there, but also DIY hobbyists like me. It’s the place to go, and their prices are usually much cheaper than the market.

If you’re a Bin Nisf regular, everything is a lot more organized now. The old space had gotten pretty messy over the past couple of years after they closed down half the store for the revamp. The new store is now split across two floors, with the main section located in the basement. The aisles are wider and longer, there’s clear signage, and all the items are neatly displayed. It’s a huge improvement.

If you go, don’t do what I did and park outside the old store, then walk around to the back. Once I got to the new location, I realized there was plenty of parking right there. Google Maps still points to the old store but if you want a map of the exact location, they’ve posted one on their Instagram account @binnisfkw although it really is easy to find since it’s just the building behind it.

Note: I couldn’t find the Bin Nisf cat that used to sleep on the shelves, no idea where he hangs out now.

Yesterday night, Alshaya officially revealed the location of the first Ulta Beauty store opening in the Middle East. The store will be located at The Avenues, in the spot where Dean & Deluca used to be, and according to a source, it’s expected to open this October. That will be followed by another Ulta Beauty store opening at Mall of the Emirates in Dubai later this year.

Ulta Beauty is known for offering a mix of luxury, drugstore, and indie brands all under one roof. Unlike Sephora, which focuses mainly on high-end products, Ulta carries everything from Dior and MAC to NYX and Maybelline. Another major draw is its in-store salons, offering services like haircuts, styling, facials, and brow treatments—something unique for a beauty retailer.

The Avenues location will be the first Ulta Beauty location outside the U.S.

The Ulta Beauty Middle East instagram account is also now live and you can check it out @ultabeautymiddleeast

If you’ve ever grabbed a bite from Trolley, chances are you’ve unknowingly tried something from Goodness (GDNS), their in-house fresh food and bakery brand. It’s a brand focused on fresh, affordable, and high-quality meals made for people on the go.

Their range is surprisingly pretty big since you’ll find everything from ready-to-eat sandwiches and salads to hot, freshly baked pizza and Arabian pies. The pizzas are Italian-style, made by an actual Italian chef, and ready in minutes. There’s even San Sebastian cheesecake if you’re in the mood for dessert.

They also have a popular Acai bowl that comes in a generous portion and is made with high-quality ingredients. I’ve also been told their chicken burger is a must-try since it’s their best seller, and that they recently added two new coffee options to the menu: Spanish Latte and Cold Brew. Both are priced affordably, with the Spanish Latte at KD 1.250 and the Cold Brew at just KD 1.

Goodness is currently available in most Trolley branches, with their bakery section already operating in a number of locations including:

• Abu Halifa
• Mansouriya
• Maseela
• Mina Abdullah
• Omariya
• Qurtuba
• Rahal
• Salmiya

More locations are being added regularly, but starting this week, GDNs Bakery is also available to order online through the Trolley app, Talabat, Jahez, or Deliveroo.

Next time you’re at Trolley, check out the bakery counter or the fresh food shelves, and if you’re curious about new releases, give them a follow. @Try.gdns

Human Rights Watch yesterday published an article accusing Kuwait of violating international human rights law with the new exit visa requirement. The article was written Michael Page, the deputy director at HRW in the Middle East and North Africa division.

This decision is an alarming step backward in Kuwait’s migrant worker governance. Instead of dismantling the kafala (visa sponsorship system) in its entirety, the Kuwaiti state is reinforcing it by putting migrant workers even further under the control of their employers and making them more vulnerable to exploitation.

There is no basis to Kuwaiti authorities’ claim that the exit permit will balance the interests of both employers and workers. Rather, the permit enables employers to trap workers in abusive situations and serves as a tool for retaliation.

The whole exit visa requirement decision is a really weird one which I don’t get. But then again, there are so many things that happen here I don’t get. Yesterday after posting the photos of Entertainment City under construction, I went through more of my old photos and still can’t understand how the whole place was demolished, trees and all, then just left as a barren desert with nothing in its place. There are so many things that happen here I don’t get, and this exit visa thing is just another one to add to the list and move on.

You can read the full Human Rights Watch article on their website.

Originally from California, Claudia Farkas Al Rashoud has been working in Kuwait since 1979, when she became the first professional female photojournalist for the Arab Times newspaper. Claudia still has all the negatives and slides from the photos she took and has been incredibly kind in digging through her archives to find images I’ve requested. I sent her a fairly long list of the most random subjects I’m interested in, and so far she hasn’t blocked me, which is good news!

The first batch of photos I’ll be sharing from her archive are of Entertainment City during its construction.

Claudia had taken photos and written a number of articles on Entertainment City for the Arab Times and other magazines. At the time, Entertainment City was the first theme park in the region and Kuwait’s most complex construction project, so it was big news. The design was handled by VTN, an American consulting firm, while construction was a joint venture between the Kuwaiti company International Contractors Group (ICG) and Castelli of Italy.

The park was divided into three main areas: Arab World, International World, and Future World. The contract was valued at KD 16,845,281, with around KD 1.8 million allocated to just two rides, Sinbad the Sailor and the African Boat Ride. Construction began in February 1979 and was commissioned by the Ministry of Public Works. At the time, it was one of the most ambitious and impressive projects ever undertaken in Kuwait. The park even featured Kuwait’s first railway line, which ran for two kilometers.

The photos she has are from different points in time, starting from the construction phase to after the park was completed. The aerial shots of the construction site were taken from the Space Needle in Future World. You can check out all the photos on my Instagram account.

If you’re interested in more of Claudia’s photos, her books are available for sale at the CAP Bookshop in Shuwaikh. Claudia is also the co-founder of Touch of Hope, the Kuwait’s largest animal shelter. @claudia_alrashoud

Better Books, the popular used bookshop, has reopened. They shut down their old location last year and I thought they were gone for good, but they’re kinda back now.

I’m saying kinda because the new spot doesn’t have the same large space or cozy charm as their old basement location. Better Books is still in Salmiya but now pretty small and awkwardly located on the first floor of an apartment building. They used to have over 10,000 used books for sale, but now only a fraction are on display while the rest are in storage.

They couldn’t find a larger space within their budget, so for now they’re operating out of this smaller one until they find something better.

Better Books, if you’ve never been, is a great spot to buy used books. They have everything from children’s books to cookbooks, novels, self-help, you name it. They also have a cool buyback policy where you can buy a book and then sell it back when you’re done. If you have books you don’t need, they’ll also take them off you and give you store credit. What I like about them is that you’ll often find old books and magazines from the 80s, like Archie and MAD comics, or Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books.

If you’re looking to buy used books or donate any books you have, here is their location. Their Instagram account is also @betterbooks.kw.

This is like their third or fourth Instagram account since they lost access to the previous ones. If you happen to know of a larger but still affordable location for them, reach out and let them know.

HBR, the locally created burger concept, just opened their first international location in London. I think this actually makes a lot of sense since I’ve always thought our burgers here were better than the ones I had in London (and other places). Now that I think about it, more of our burger concepts should be opening abroad.

HBR launched just five years ago with one goal: to serve good food and create a spot where customers can kick back and relax. Since then, they’ve grown to nine locations across Kuwait, with their first international branch now opening in the UK.

Not only that, but HBR is also taking the local dessert brand Bascota with them to London as part of the HBR menu. Bascota is known in Kuwait for their signature cookies topped with ice cream and their popular Lava Cookie Experience.

The grand opening was today, so if you’re in London or heading there this summer, make sure to pass by. @hbr.ldn @hbr.kwt

Last weekend was pretty quiet, but this one has a few things happening, although mostly for kids. Below are my favorite events happening around Kuwait. As always, double check the event details with the organizers.

Thursday, June 12
Yellow Balloon Festival
Kuwait Entertainment Village
Classical Music Concert
Under the Sea Hall

Friday, June 13
Yellow Balloon Festival
Kuwait Entertainment Village
Farewell Recital
Under the Sea Hall

Saturday, June 14
Yellow Balloon Festival
Kuwait Entertainment Village
Urban Sketchers at Amricani
DAI Story Time with Dr Seuss
DAI Family Day

A few hours ago the Public Authority Of Manpower announced that starting July, expats need an exit permit to leave Kuwait. The permits can’t be applied for through the Sahel App.

Although it’s all over the news this can’t be true. Somewhere along the lines something must have been lost in translation because requiring all expats get a permit just to travel can’t be realistic.

Here is the Public Authority’s statement translated to English:

In an organizational move aimed at strengthening control over the movement of expatriate workers and ensuring a balance between workers’ and employers’ rights, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahd Yousef Saud Al-Sabah issued a ministerial circular obliging expatriate workers in the private sector to obtain a “departure permit” from registered employers before leaving the country.

The General Authority for Manpower announced in implementation of the ministerial circular issued by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, the expatriate worker must submit a request for a departure permit to the employer, including his personal data and the specific travel date, using the official form approved by the Authority. These applications will be submitted electronically through the dedicated platform to ensure speed and accuracy in processing.

The Authority stressed that this measure aims to regulate the departure of expatriate workers, ensure their compliance with legal regulations, protect the rights of workers and employers, and reduce violations associated with leaving the country without prior notice. The Commission also called on employers and expatriate workers to fully comply with this procedure, and this circular comes as part of the government’s efforts to develop the work environment. This circular will begin on July 1, 2025. Source