Category: Gossip & Rumors

A reader of the blog sent an email to inform me that Dean & Deluca will be opening in Kuwait before the end of the year. According to the reader the upscale gourmet food grocery store will be brought to Kuwait by Alshaya and that they are working overtime to try and have the place opened by Q4 of this year. I don’t know the accuracy of this information but if its true it would be something to look forward to. Alshaya launched the Dean & Deluca Cafe in Dubai early this year but they haven’t opened their store yet.

Thanks SJM MUKI

Soon I think we will be getting live traffic updates while on the road via these digital signs as pictured above. I also think the camera’s (pictured below and taken from Marzouqs blog) are somehow related to the new traffic monitoring network. Both the cameras and the digital signs use the same style of metal frame and they’ve both appeared at nearly the same time so I am guessing they must be connected somehow. The digital sign above was taken on the istiqlal highway but I’ve seen the same frame being built in a few more locations including the beginning of the 4th ring road in Salmiya, on the Gulf Road heading towards scientific center before Marina Mall and I’ve also seen it across from KFC on the Gulf Road heading towards Salmiya and the beginning of the Istiqlal Highway in Kuwait City.

Someone in the forum just posted the following:

just heard the 30 (Fahaheel expressway) has ‘collasped/sunk’ at the 209/210 exit………….just a rumour or any details????

Can anyone confirm this? If you have pictures or video just send them to [email protected]

I just read on another blog that the Borders bookstore is opening up at The Avenues. I hope this information is true. By the way is there anything that isn’t opening up at The Avenues? I don’t read a lot of books but I do read a lot of magazines and I find the lack of selection in Kuwait disappointing. I mean you have more magazines about surfing than you do on motorbikes, who’s the genius behind that? [Link]

I just found out that Dj Uruj will be leaving her show the Night Ride. At first I thought management had fired her but it seems it was on her own accord. Maybe she couldn’t handle all the negativity? Whatever her reason is, I guess this is good news for all the listeners.

According to one blog reader, it seems Alshaya are not the ones who will be relaunching Arby’s and Wendy’s but they are planning on launching Red Lobster in the phase 2 of Avenues. Not as cool as Arby’s or Wendy’s but still cool.

I don’t know how accurate this information is but over the weekend I heard that Alshaya is going to enter the fast food business and they are going to do that by relaunching Arby’s and Wendy’s in Kuwait. I hope the rumor turns out to be true.

I don’t know how accurate this information is since it was posted as a comment by a reader of the blog but according to him the IKEA owners are in dispute with the Avenues management due to the new outlet of Alghanim at the Avenues. Alghanim launched a new concept store right across from IKEA where they are selling electronics AND furniture. The agreement between IKEA and the Avenues is that they should be the only furniture outlet in the mall.

According to the same reader a fight has also started between Carrefour and IKEA against the Avenues management. Neither Carrefour nor IKEA are willing to accept the fact that their customers now have to pay for parking.

Finally just some more info. Carrefour paid KD3.5 per square meter, IKEA paid KD4.5 while Alghanim paid KD10 per square meter for their store.

Again, I don’t know how accurate the information above is but it sounds plausible.

A friend was telling me that the old buildings in front of Seef Palace that contain all the trendy restaurants and shops is going to get demolished. Supposedly the government doesn’t want these kind of places in front of the oalace and will be demolishing the buildings and probably replacing them with a large park. My friend heard about this from his friend who owns a store there whom they’ve already approached asking him to close down.

I know the owners of Slider Station and Pink Moon Boutique check my blog so maybe they can confirm this story.

update: According to the owners of Slider Station and Pink Moon, their building will not be demolished but the group of shops and restaurants closer to the roundabout where Shay W Nana and Berts are located will be.

If you’ve watched 24 past season 5 click on continue.

Geri Halliwell’s personal trainer is The Hulk. Seriously I mean look at how huge the guy is! [Link]

Fatma Ghadban recently represented Kuwait in Miss Arab World which was held in Cairo. She lost to Miss Bahrain. This is not a joke. More pictures and details after the jump. [Link]

Thanks Asooma

And I am here in Kuwait! Tara Reid, will be hosting Beirut VIP parties, this weekend.

Here is her schedule:
C Bar Dubai on Thursday July 26
Crystal Beirut on Friday July 27 and Saturday July 28
La Plage on Saturday July 28
Crystallized La Plage pool party on Sunday July 29th
White on Sunday night July 29th
Crystal Beach Club St Tropez from August 1st to August 5th.

I was surfing the web last week at work when I fell upon a visual that looked familiar. I was sure that I had seen it before and only when I got home I realized where. The cover on the left is from Bazaar’s 2006 dining guide. The artwork on the right was originally designed and illustrated by a designer called Bo Lundberg.

I emailed Bo Lundberg to find out if he had given Bazaar permission to use his design for their cover and according to him he didn’t, the visual was copied from him and Bazaar never contacted him.

Check out Bo Lundberg’s work by visiting his website. [Link]

I don’t know if anyone has any details on this or if they can confirm it, I heard that Easa Husain Al-yousifi & Sons Co. lost the brand Panasonic and instead now have Sharp. If this is true, who will get Panasonic?

update: Turns out they didn’t lose Panasonic but just added Sharp:

Dear Mark,

Thanks for the concern. We are still the agents of Panasonic in Kuwait. As for Sharp, we have created a joint venture with Al-Mulla group to better promote Sharp in Kuwait. We are dedicated to bring the best products with the highest quality to our customers.

Feel free to drop me a line at
[email protected]

yours,

Abdulaziz Al-Yousifi
Retail Manager