Category: Automotive

Back in August, I posted about using AliExpress for the first time to purchase a couple of items, and I was really impressed with the experience. They’re now always top of mind when I think about getting something online, which is why I ordered from them again 10 days ago.

I wanted to buy a wireless CarPlay adapter for my Hilux (this was before I decided to sell it). From the factory, CarPlay only works with a USB cable, but I found out about a tiny USB adapter called the CarlinKit Mini Ultra. You just plug it into the USB port, and your phone connects to CarPlay wirelessly. The price on the CarlinKit website was around KD 18 at the time with free shipping (it’s now discounted to about KD 15). Just before checking out, I decided to see if it was available on AliExpress since it’s a Chinese company and it was.

There were plenty of options, and I found one selling it for KD 4.3 with 600 fils shipping. I ended up paying just KD 4.9 for the item, shipped from China straight to my door! I honestly don’t understand how that’s possible. It costs me more than 600 fils to get a burger delivered from Five Guys down the street.

So I guess this is another post recommending AliExpress, also the adapter. Been using it for the past few days and it’s pretty great. There is a slight lag between an input and something happening, like you click forward for a song and it takes maybe a second or less for the track to move forward. It’s not a deal breaker and something that you’d get used to. I have the same issue with the aftermarket CarPlay unit I installed in my e46 BMW.

Just something random and kinda funny. I woke up this morning to find a friend in a WhatsApp group had shared an LA Times article that randomly included a picture of my car I had taken when I had visited The Vault. The picture was in a video that talked about a guy who sold investors on the concept of an ultimate man cave where for a monthly fee they’d have access to high-end vehicles. Totally random.

I can access the full article because it’s on Apple News which I’m subscribed to. The LA Times article is behind their paywall but the video isn’t and can be watched here.

I’m getting a Raptor next week so selling my Hilux. Before I list it on the market I wanted to see if any of my readers wanted it. If you’re interested, get in touch with me. Here are some specs:

Toyota Hilux Adventure
Model: 2022
Mileage: 84,000KM

Upgrades:
Old Man Emu Shocks and Springs
Original BRAID wheels
BFG KO3 Tires (Less than a year old)
Mountain Top EVOm roll cover
Mountain Top Sports Bar
Rival Underbody guard
FOCAL Audio for Hilux Sound System
Front PPF
Ceramic Tint

Asking KD9,000

Auto World Show is the largest car exhibition in Kuwait. It launched in 2023 and is back this year for its third edition.

Most of the major car brands are taking part, including: 212, Audi, BAIC, BYD, Cadillac, Changan Auto, Chery, Chevrolet, Detour, Dongfeng, Exceed, Exlantix, Ford, Foton, GAC, GWM, Geely, GMC, Haval, Hero, Honda, Hongoi, Ineos, Infiniti, JAECOO, Jaguar, Jeep, KGM, KIA, Land Rover, Lincoln, Lynk&Co, Maserati, Mazda, MG, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Omoda, Polestar, Porsche, RAM, Renault, Rox, Skoda, Soueast, Suzuki, Toyota, Volvo, VW, Yamaha, and Zeekr.

The show is being held at the Mishref Fairgrounds in halls 5, 6, 7, and 8. Entry is free, and the event runs daily from 10AM to 10PM. @autoworldshowkw

I just came across some interesting but bizarre news. According to a number of articles that popped up over the past few hours, 24-year-old Kuwaiti investor Saad Kassis-Mohamed is planning to resurrect the defunct Caterham Formula 1 team for the 2027 season.

The Caterham F1 Team was a Malaysian, later British owned Formula One team based in the United Kingdom. The team raced for three years between 2012 and 2014.

The reason I found the news bizarre is because, until these articles, I had no idea who Saad was. More than one publication called him a Kuwaiti investor or entrepreneur, but from what I can tell he isn’t Kuwaiti. He might be an investor in the Kuwaiti market, but I haven’t found much on that either. There is a Wikipedia entry that says he was born in Kuwait and is a Kuwaiti entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, so I am guessing that is where they are pulling the info from.

According to a couple of the articles, Saad was named last year on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in the Social Influence category. But aside from a few press releases on dodgy looking news sites, I haven’t found anything about him on Forbes itself.

Saad’s investment firm, SKM Capital, which is supposedly behind the F1 bid, also doesn’t seem to exist outside of these articles.

The whole story doesn’t add up, yet it is being published on sites like Newsweek, Motorsport Week, and Autosport. Very weird.

Update: They’ve sent over the following clarifications:

Saad was part of the Forbes Monaco 30 Under 30 class of 2022. SKM Capital is an investment vehicle intended to be formed once a committal is reached in the context of an F1 program. It is accurate to describe it as “in formation, contingent on final commitments,” not as a non-existent or misrepresented entity.

The Ministry of Interior has set a new validity period for driving licenses. If you’re Kuwaiti the driving license is valid for 15 years while if you’re an expat it’s valid for 5 years. Used to be 10 years before for expats then they decided to make it 1 year for some reason which overwhelmed the traffic departments, 5 years now doesn’t seem to bad and at least we can now get the physical copies again. Link

The Traffic Department just selected the Genesis G90 as the official vehicle for ceremonies and protocol duties (source). These won’t replace the current police cars, they’ll only be used for specific situations like transporting high-ranking officials, being part of motorcades or convoys, etc.

In 2021, the G90 was also selected by the National Assembly as the official transportation car for its members.

I’ve seen a couple of the G90 police cars on the roads when they were testing, and although they look nice, I still wish they would have gone with the Volvos they were testing back in 2020. Those looked way hotter.

Found this driving license from 1961 for sale. It’s number 2061, I wonder if that means there were only 2000 drivers on the roads back then?

Last week I transferred one of my cars from my friend’s name to my name using Sahel. The process was super easy, like I can’t believe it was that easy. From start to finish it took less than 5 minutes using the guide in the video below.

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A post shared by كويت نيوز (@kuwaitnews)

But, now I need to get a physical copy of the car registration since I need to send my car abroad. Does anyone know what the process is?

A couple of weeks ago the Ministry of Interior announced that expats are now able to get a physical driving license printed for a KD 10 fee. A lot of people were asking what the process was, and thanks to the Reddit user InsecureInflux, there are now instructions. Here are the steps he took to get his physical driving license:

• Go to your respective Muroor.
• Visit the typing section and request a physical license.
• Provide your civil ID and license; they’ll type out a form for you (fee: KD 1).
• Take the form to one of the counters inside; they’ll give you a paper with your license details.
• Take both papers to the stamping officer; pay KD 10 for the stamp.
• Obtain the manager’s signature on the stamped papers.
• Submit the signed papers at one of the counters.
• Wait approximately 10–15 minutes to receive your printed license.

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.

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

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.

The Ministry of Interior has recently revised the fines for traffic violations, which will take effect in April. With so many updates, it’s hard to cover them all, so I’ve highlighted the ones I think are most important. You can check them out on my instagram account here.

I’ve reworded some of the violations to make them easier to understand, but if you’d like to see the full list in its original terminology, you can find it here.

One thing I found interesting is on the last page of the fines list on the MOI account where it says:

A Fine of 1000-2000KD
Anyone who, by using a device or means of communication or otherwise, captures one or more pictures, or a video or audio clip, or publishes any of them during the commission of any of the crimes stipulated in this law.

They are basically criminalizing the act of documenting or sharing media related to a crime in progress. I’m assuming its meant for the guys who post videos on tiktok of them racing or performing stunts. But it’s not clear if this also applies to bystanders capturing a crime. For example, if I see a car parked on a curb and I post a tiktok video showing it and complaining about it. Will I be fined?

@dr_diecast_models is a Kuwait-based diorama artist I’ve admired for years. He specializes in driveway dioramas, with my favorites being his incredibly realistic recreations of deserted driveways with abandoned cars. Last week, I reached out to him to learn more about his story and see how he brings these dioramas to life.

Dr. Diecast (he wants to stay anonymous) has loved models and cars since he was young. One day, he built a diorama set for one of his models, and when his friend saw it he was impressed. That friend also happened to run a popular auction account and offered to help sell the dioramas if he could make two sets a week. The dioramas became popular, and his hobby quickly turned into something bigger.

The dioramas are 1:18 scale, meaning everything is 18 times smaller than its real-life counterpart. He builds all his sets in a small room tucked away in the corner of his house. I watched him work on a wall for one of his sets, and the level of detail and weathering he painstakingly applies with a paintbrush is mind-blowing. From the size of newspaper boxes to the dimensions of each brick, everything is accurately measured to stay true to scale.

His most popular sets are those depicting cars parked outside old homes, untouched for years, or cars that have been abandoned near electrical substations in neighborhoods.

The cars are a whole other story. He has his own ‘car bank’ you can choose from, but if he doesn’t have the car you want, he can help you source it. From there, it’s up to you whether the car stays as is or gets customized to look a certain way. My favorite is the red car covered in dust, with its protective cover ripped, the driver’s window smashed, and the typical white sticker with a red ‘X’ on the windshield. It’s such a mundane yet familiar real-life scene, and I love it.

Depending on the diorama, he charges around 65 KD, excluding the car. His customers are mostly in Kuwait but he also gets a lot of orders from around the GCC. If you want to check his work out more of his work head over to his account @dr_diecast_models