2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003
A friend of mine shared this link with me which is basically a search engine for all the books available at the book fair. I’m actually surprised that it exists because not only will it tell you if the book is at the book fair, it can also let you know which hall, which stall and the price.
That’s super cool, check it out here.
Thanks Forzaq8!
Over the weekend I was invited to Sahara Arena, a new upcoming area of Sahara Resort. I wasn’t there to check out the arena itself, which is still in the early stages of construction, but to get a sneak peek at a new pop-up called The Diwaniya Show.
The Diwaniya Show is being described as Kuwait’s first dining show to feature a full Broadway style production. It’s a project created through a collaboration between three local brands: the creative agency Beattie+Dane, the production company Massive Content, and Seazan, the team behind the Melenzane By the Sea experiences. With all three teams involved, you can expect the same elevated experience they’ve become known for with their previous projects.
Similar to the previous By the Sea experiences, The Diwaniya Show is a large installation that’s being built from the ground up. They took over a large section of the Sahara Golf Resort and built a large theater along with an outdoor retail and entertainment space that overlooks a beautiful artificial lake and the golf course’s green hills.
The idea behind this year’s experience is to give guests an immersive evening where the storytelling, music, and performances all take place just a few steps from their dinner table. There will be two daily shows with dinner, running five days a week. Although it might not look like it from the photos, The Diwaniya Show is expected to open at the end of this month. They just launched their Instagram account, so if you want to stay posted, head over to @aldiwaniyashow
For more photos, click here.
Soundstorm, MDLBEAST’s flagship festival, is the largest electronic music event in the region and has been held annually in Riyadh since 2019. I remember the first time I heard about it back then, I couldn’t believe it was happening in Saudi since they were just starting to open up and the event was bigger than anything I had seen in the region at the time. Since then Soundstorm has kept growing, with last year attracting over 450,000 visitors, and this year they’re going even bigger.
Soundstorm 2025 will have a lineup of over 200 artists with some huge names including Post Malone, Benson Boone, Cardi B, Metro Boomin, DJ Snake, Halsey, Major Lazer, Pitbull, Calvin Harris, and many more.
This year they’re also unveiling a totally new experience with a revamped festival site and brand new stage designs. Riyadh’s downtown area will be completely redesigned and the site will be divided into 4 districts with a total of 14 stages.
Soundstorm 2025 is taking place in Riyadh over three days from December 11th to 13th. Tickets are on sale now at mdlbeast.com. For more info along with the full lineup, head over to the website or their Instagram @mdlbeast.
Yesterday I passed by the Kuwait Book Fair and it was pretty packed in the morning, filled with buses and kids from different schools around Kuwait.
The book fair is divided into three halls, 5, 6 and 7. The English book stalls are all located in a corner of hall 6. Compared to the Arabic books the English stalls make up a very small part of the fair but even if you’re there just for the English books I’d walk around the rest of the fair since there were a few Arabic book sellers that also had some English books for sale. The main English stalls though were the following:
Al Sadu House
Austin Macauley Publishers
Awtar Publishing
Brijbasi Art Press
Harvard Press
Hachette
KISR
Macmillan
National Geographic
Oxford University Press
Qatar Press
Samarkand
Scholastic
Thames & Hudson
The English Bookshop
USBORNE
US Embassy in Kuwait
WH Smith
From the list above all the stalls are in hall 6 except for three, the US Embassy, KISR and Al Sadu House, those stalls were located in hall 7. I’m not sure if I’m just imagining it or not but the English books section seemed smaller than the previous years. Still worth checking out though.
If you’re into Kuwait’s past, there is a great book called ‘Screen & Memories Since 1954’ that documents Kuwait’s movie theater history. I picked it up last year and it’s really nicely put together and bilingual. You can find it at the Maraya Publishing booth in Hall 6, Stall A26.
And if you’re planning to pass by the fair, just take into account that it’s open at different timings on Friday and Saturday compared to the rest of the week.
Mornings 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Afternoons 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Friday 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Lots of things happening including book fair, the powerboat championship, AKON and a couple of markets.
Thursday, November 20
Kuwait International Book Fair
The Improv Show Battle Night
Murouj Market
Bugsha Waves Market
XCAT Powerboat World Championship
Friday, November 21
Kuwait International Book Fair
Samaa One Day Retreat
Stargazing Trip
Theater: The Lion King
AKON
Murouj Market
Mindful Journaling with Coffee
Charm Sewing Hangout
Winter Club Pop-up
Bugsha Waves Market
Fabric Collage Art Workshop
XCAT Powerboat World Championship
Jam Sessions
Saturday, November 22
Kuwait International Book Fair
Theater: The Lion King
British Academies Carnival 2025
Women’s Community Bike Ride
Fantasy Themed Gathering
Souq Al Hareem Photo Walk
Murouj Market
Bugsha Waves Market
Story Time at Amricani
Soof Wool Mill Tours
XCAT Powerboat World Championship
I was working on another post when I came across these photos I had gotten from my visit to the KOC Archives years ago. They were interesting pictures of a school, and a quick image reverse search took me to an old Tumblr post that had a similar photo and mentioned the school was Al Shamiya School for Boys. I kept digging to find out who designed it and when it was built, and I ended up finding some information in an essay by Roberto Fabbri titled “Prototyping Spaces for Education”. The essay is in the book Essays, Arguments and Interviews on Modern Architecture of Kuwait, a book that is available to purchase from the bookshop at Amricani or the Yarmouk Culture Center or their online shop.
The Al-Shamiya School for Boys, along with two other elementary schools, a technical college and five nurseries were designed by the British architectural firm Tripe & Wakeham in the 1950s. T&W were appointed by the Emir to design and build a series of ‘western standard’ educational facilities based on the requirements drafted by the Council of Education.
Tripe & Wakeham’s approach on design focused on balancing the sun and keeping the buildings naturally cool. Even though their plans differed from one project to another, everything followed the same idea: one-room-thick layouts to improve cross ventilation. The main spaces were oriented northeast, while balconies and overhangs faced southeast and were usually shaded with shutters or screens.
If you feel like reading some more, the Arabian Gulf Digital Archives have scans of the original notes by the architect Aitken of Tripe & Wakeham on the schools they designed. The scans expand on the above in a lot more detail and it really interesting to read the thinking process behind the designs and you can check those out here.
So if you ever wondered why old schools looked the way they do, now you know.
The 48th Kuwait International Book Fair kicks off this Wednesday, November 19 at the Kuwait International Fairground and runs until November 29.
The book fair debuted in 1975 and is the largest held in Kuwait, usually offering a massive selection of Arabic books along with a good range of English ones.
The fair will be located in Halls 5, 6 and 7, and the opening hours will be:
Mornings 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Afternoons 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Friday 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
For more information, head over to @kw_nccal
Galaxy Juice just dropped a new three-track EP called Give It Over, their first release since the single Only Time. According to the band, this EP took nearly a year to put together because they pushed deep into production, sound design, and the overall concept.
They’ve shared with me the YouTube link to the track which I’ve embeded on top but you can listed to the full EP on Bandcamp right now with Spotify and other platforms coming soon.
If you want to check out my previous posts on Galaxy Juice, click here.
I got back from my 2-week trip to Japan a few days ago and I had such a great experience. The last time I was there was 13 years ago and I’ve been meaning to go back ever since. Due to the character count limitation on Instagram, I had to change the format for my guide there since Tokyo is such a big and spread-out city that a list by itself wouldn’t be very useful. So instead, I shared some tips on how to make the most of your visit if you’re thinking of going there. Since I’ve got more room here on the blog, I’m also expanding on that guide by listing a few places I liked as well.
I flew Japan Airlines through Qatar Airways. The business class ticket was nearly half the price of Qatar’s, and even if it isn’t as sleek as the Q Suites, it’s really not a big deal. Before flying, head to the Visit Japan website and fill out your landing details. You’ll get a QR code you can use on arrival to enter the fast lane at passport control.
Eat
For meals, I used Google Maps to find spots wherever I happened to be and avoided places with too many reviews to stay away from touristy spots. Three days in, I canceled a Michelin dinner I had booked because I realized I didn’t need it, the food was great everywhere I went. Out of 30+ meals, only one was disappointing. Also, the 7-Eleven egg sando lives up to the hype.
I had great Ramen at Ramen Kamo and Nara Seimen. good eggs and Japanese pancakes at Iriya Plus Café. I had sushi nearly every day but the spots that stood out the most were Magurobito, Tsukiji Sushiko, and Sushi Take. I had a really good okonomiyaki experience at Tamatoya, the best unagi at Yatsumeya and yakiniku at Sankouen and Yamashofu.
Drink
Depending on where you’re staying, you might find plenty of good coffee spots nearby, or in my case, just one. There are lots of great coffee places in Tokyo, but they’re spread out all over the city. My biggest issue with them is that they tend to open late, around 10 or 11AM.
My faovorite coffee spots were Up to you coffee, Dotcom Coffee and Teron Coffee & Bar. When I was in Kyoto I also visited the original % Arabica store there that basically started it all. It’s a small store but the first Kuwait branch was inspired visually by it including the fact they used same materials (the floor for example) which were all imported from Japan. So the Kyoto store reminded me a lot of the now demolished first branch here in Kuwait.
See
I was worried everywhere would be packed with tourists and that I wouldn’t enjoy the trip, but that turned out not to be the case. Most people tend to stick to the main areas and don’t really explore the rest of the city, so as long as you wander around a bit, you’ll avoid most of the tourists and crowds. Even in busy temples, step off the main pathway and you’re alone.
Sleep
Since I was staying for 16 days, I wanted a large room, which isn’t easy to find in Tokyo at a reasonable price. So I ended up booking an apartment hotel in a non-touristy area, which worked out great. In Kyoto, rooms are generally bigger, so that wasn’t an issue.
In Tokyo I stayed at Mimaru Tokyo Ueno Inaricho. It was a very comfortable stay since the room was pretty big for Tokyo and at that price point. It was also in a very quiet neighborhood but 5 minutes from 7eleven and Family Mart. Also a 5 minute walk to the Ginza underground line or a 10 minute walk to Ueno Station which has a number of lines. The Ueno area behind the station is also super busy and packed with restaurants and a Uniqlo. So I really liked the hotel location.
In Kyoto I stayed at Dusit Thani. I didn’t want the ryokan experience, just a comfortable stay so picked Dusit because it had a bit of a traditional Japanese feel, was outside the busy areas and looked really good. The stay there was really great and very comfortable.
Finally, if you like photography then definitely bring a camera with you. Japan is very photogenic and there are a lot of cool experiences you probably want to capture with more than just your phone camera.
If you’re thinking of going to Japan and curious about anything specific, let me know in the comments below.
If you’ve got a dog come by to the Pet Gala on Saturday, I’ll be there as one of the judges. Check out all the events below.
Thursday, November 13
The Social on the Roof
AIU Film Festival Movie Screenings
Friday, November 14
KEF Tour 2
The Social on the Roof
Cultural Centre Fall Festival
Picnic Potluck at the Farm
Oil Pastels & Coffee
Salt Beats Live Band Session
Joy Hub Opening
Saturday, November 15
KEF Tour 2
Home Alone Screening
The Social on the Roof
Coffee, Canvas & Connect
Da Gusto’s Pet Gala
Paint & Sip Japanese Edition
Voltaire Market
Note: Camel Racing starts at 1:30PM this Saturday
Aseer Time, the largest juice shop franchise in Kuwait, made headlines a few months ago after opening their first store in China. Now they’re back in the news again after becoming an official sponsor of Spanish football team Sevilla FC.
Sevilla FC, founded in 1890, is based in Seville and known for its passionate fans and strong European record. They’ve won the UEFA Europa League a record seven times, making them one of Europe’s most successful clubs in that competition.
Aseer Time isn’t just a sponsor, they’re also the team’s official juice for this season.
If you’re interested in learning more about the partnership or owning an Aseer Time franchise, you can contact them on WhatsApp at +96567090966.
Lots of outdoor activities this weekend including a few desert trips and a market, check them out below:
Thursday, November 6
Padel World Cup 2025
Distant and Close: Chinese Art in Kuwait
Football for Humanity
Boost at The Petal
Friday, November 7
Khaneh at The Sandwich Shop Pop-up
Scented Sachets at Sunrise
Padel World Cup 2025
Distant and Close: Chinese Art in Kuwait
Desert Excursion, Cleanup & Kashta
Football for Humanity
Redland of Ubaid Desert Outing
Boost at The Petal
Let’s Go Hiking!
Abu Takes over Wellthy
Saturday, November 8
Operation Turtle: Beach Cleanup
Abu Takes over Wellthy
All Women’s Community Bike Ride
Padel World Cup 2025
Distant and Close: Chinese Art in Kuwait
Art for your Brew
Children’s Day at Amricani
BLS Winter Bazaar
Boost at The Petal
The Environment Public Authority is reopening the Jahra Nature Reserve for the winter season. The reserve will open on Sunday, November 9 and remain open until February 17, 2026.
The reserve is considered Kuwait’s first eco-tourism project, created to promote environmental awareness and appreciation of the natural landscape.
Since it’s a protected reserve, visits are guided and limited to specific areas, so you won’t be able to wander off on your own. There are three observation outposts to choose from when booking, and each visit is limited to an hour and a half.
The entry fee is KD 10 for groups of up to five people, with higher rates for larger groups. If you’re interested in visiting, you can book through the Sahel App or via the link on the EPA’s website.
Prolife has launched a new line of chips called ProGrills, bringing a bold, smoky crunch to their protein snack lineup. Each chip is packed with protein, maximum flavor and come in four flavors:
Each pack has 13g of protein and great macros, making it a great healthy snack option.
That’s not all, Prolife also announced they’re now the first Kuwaiti salty snacks manufacturer to get certified by the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), a globally recognized organization that sets public health and safety standards. They’ve earned NSF Vegan and NSF Cruelty-Free certifications.
In total, they’ve received five certifications this year:
To find out more, check out @prolifesnacks or head over to their website prolifesnacks.com
This past weekend Al Andalus revealed The Petal Pavilion, their new pop-up kiosk located at the center of their plaza. I’m currently halfway across the world on vacation, but they sent over photos of the project for me to share.
The Petal Pavilion was originally designed as a functional oyster bar by the Copenhagen-based studio @lasovskyjohansson for an art fair in Denmark a few years ago. The design won many awards and a version of that pavilion stands at the Design Museum Denmark, serving as a permanent café installation.
What’s cool is that this isn’t a copy of that design, Al Andalus actually worked with the original architects to reinterpret their award-winning concept to meet their specific requirements and adapt it to our unique weather. The result is this new 6.5-meter-tall kiosk where the petal folds open and blooms during the day, casting shadows below, but as daylight fades, the pavilion’s surfaces come alive with colored linear lighting.
The Petal will be hosting different pop-ups throughout the year with the first being @boostcafe from November 6 to December 31 followed by @kello.kw in January.