Category: News

Kuwaitism (yes he’s back) posted a BBC report he found on Kuwaiti entrepreneurs. It’s a very short piece which is disappointing since it’s a very interesting topic. I really couldn’t figure out what BBC was trying to say with this piece, all I understood was that the Kuwaiti government helps Kuwaitis set up their businesses, so why aren’t there more entrepreneurs? That’s fine as an intro but they spoke to just 2 entrepreneurs and one government official and we’re really left with no investigation or conclusion. For example I’m sure laziness isn’t the only reason for lack of entrepreneurship, what about the fact that the market is flooded with international chains? Maybe rents are too high as well? I’m not sure since I am just guessing here which is why I would have liked BBC to really dig into this subject. If you can’t see the video above for some reason here is the [Link]

Two weeks back Salwa al Mutairi proposed that Kuwaiti men should be allowed to have sex slaves and now she’s calling for a law that would also allow Kuwaiti women to buy good looking men from Muslim countries. According to the article on Arab Times “the men should have ‘slave qualities’ and should be ready for marriage”. The article continues with her saying “she is ready to get married to a young good looking European, even if he is poor.”

Personally I think she’s currently hooked on the tv series Spartacus and now wants her own slave as well. By “slave qualities” I’m also guessing she means they need to have the standard six-pack and ripped upper body that the slaves on Spartacus come with. That’s my theory at least. You can read the full article [Here]

According to an article on KuwaitNews.com, the ministry after receiving many complaints from internet subscribers has sent an official letter to the internet providers telling them to remove the bandwidth limits or else they would have to take appropriate measure. I hope this is true and if it is then it’s great news. Here is the link to the article, it’s in Arabic. [Link]

Thanks BerserkKW

I just read that 150 passengers were stranded at the Kuwait Airport for up to 4 days because Kuwait Airways flights to Mumbai were cancelled. According to the article, on top of the waiting the passengers also had to endure discrimination and rude treatment. I once got stuck at the Kuwait Airport for 6 hours when my flight got delayed and I got bored to death so I can only imagine how terrible it must have been for these passengers. Here is the link to the article [Link]

The download cap issue was raised again by another member or parliament this time by MP Faisal Al-Mislem. According to an article in Al Watan, Al-Mislem met the minister of communication and discussed the case with him. He told the minister how Internet subscribers had subscribed to unlimited internet only to later be told that their connection is now limited. According to Al-Mislem as long as subscribers have a valid subscription then the internet providers don’t have a right to suspend or slowdown the service.

Here is the article on Al-Watan [English] [Arabic]

Thanks Salem and unim

Finally some good news regarding the internet caps situation in Kuwait right now. Yesterday member of parliament Ahmed Al-Saadoon spoke about the current internet cap situation and urged the minister of communications to put an end to the new internet laws. I really hope they do. [YouTube]

Thanks Othman

Global Finance released the list of richest and poorest countries in the world for 2010 based on GDP data per capita. Kuwait came in 14th place while Qatar came in first. Congo on the other hand turned out to be the poorest. [Here]

Update: Here is the full list [Link]

I got a lot of emails regarding the political activist Salwa al Mutairi’s recent comments on how men should be allowed to have sex slaves. She even took the extra mile and brainstormed ideas on where the sex slaves could come from. Personally I think that is a terrible idea obviously and she probably lost a lot of credibility because of her statements but, it is her opinion and she is entitled to it. Freedom of the speech means even people with wacky ideas are allowed to share them. Anyway here is the link with the story in case you missed it. [Link]

This was in today’s newspaper.

According to the Freedom of the Press 2011 survey release, Kuwait no longer tops the Arab world in freedom of the press, that position now goes to Lebanon. Previously Kuwait was always on top but this year it dropped from a global position of 115th last year to 124th place in 2011. You can check out the full results and press releases [Here]

Below is the freedom of the press ranking for the Middle East and North Africa:

1- Israel
2- Lebanon
3- Kuwait
4- Algeria
5- Jordan
6- Egypt
7- Qatar
8- Iraq / Morocco
10- Oman / UAE
12- Bahrain
13- Palestine / Saudi Arabia / Yemen
16- Syria
17- Tunisia
18- Iran
19- Libya

There seems to be some kind of miscommunication going around or maybe it’s me that is wrong. All the news sites are reporting the courier that led to the capture of bin Laden was a Kuwaiti.

Aide Who Led to Bin Laden Was Kuwaiti-Born Courier

A diplomatic source told CNN that the courier who was in close contact with Osama bin Laden and who eventually led the United States to him was a Kuwaiti named Abu Ahmad.

Phone call by Kuwaiti courier led to bin Laden

The guy’s nickname was “al Kuwaiti” but from what I’ve read he wasn’t a Kuwaiti but instead a Pakistani national who was born in Kuwait which doesn’t make him a Kuwaiti.

It took years of work before the CIA identified the courier’s real name: Sheikh Abu Ahmed, a Pakistani man born in Kuwait. [Source]

I wonder if the Kuwait PR department will kick in to correct this bit of information since right now its giving Kuwait a bad image.

Update: The main headline right now on CNN.com is “U.S. tracked Kuwaiti courier since 2007”

I was just checking the blog ArtKuwait when I found out that there was an article on Art in Kuwait yesterday in The Economist. Turns out there is an artist who currently has his work exhibited on four billboards in Hawalli (who would have thought) and they’re going to be up there until the end of the month (check pic above). Here are some excerpts from the article:

ABOVE a busy roundabout in Hawalli, a suburb of Kuwait, loom four giant but subtle photographs about Arab identity and placelessness by Tarek Al-Ghoussein. A Palestinian photographer originally from Kuwait, Mr Al-Ghoussein has exhibited widely, but this is the first time his work has been seen in the country of his birth. Kuwaitis and Palestinians have a chequered past. Decades of relative harmony between the two peoples were soured when Yasser Arafat, as head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, applauded Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Since then, the Palestinian population in Kuwait has dwindled from nearly half a million to around 40,000.

…

Mr Al-Ghoussein’s billboards will be on view in Kuwait until the end of April. They are the second instalment in a series of four art projects by Palestinians that includes Khalil Rabah, Jack Persekian and Tarek Atoui. Instigated and underwritten by Rana Sadik, a collector and philanthropist of Palestinian descent, the series is arranged to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Kuwait’s independence and the 20th anniversary of its liberation from Iraq.

“The billboards are a way to remind people on both sides of the positive historical relationship between Palestinians and Kuwaitis,” said Abdulaziz Al-Mulla, a board member of the Kuwait Graduates Society, an organisation of some 5,000 members. Interestingly, the artist’s father was Ambassador to America in the 1960s and instrumental in getting Kuwait into the United Nations. So it is apposite that Mr Al-Ghoussein’s photographs have been given such a cordial diplomatic role.

You can read the full article on The Economist [Here]

via ArtKuwait

CNN have put together a list of the 10 must-read blogs from the Middle East and my blog made it to the list! This is what they had to say about me:

Want a break from politics? Try 248am for a slice of Kuwaiti life

Mark Makhoul, 32, a creative director at an advertising agency, began his current blog, 248am, in 2005. Mark’s wife Nataly Tawil, a designer, makes occasional contributions to the blog. The pair are both Lebanese and live in Kuwait.

While it may not offer the political insight of some of the other blogs on the list, it does present a slice of life in Kuwait, covering art, technology and more, with lots of reader contributions.

And it’s not entirely without controversy … Makhoul is apparently being sued by a Japanese restaurant chain over a negative review.

Check out the full list and article by clicking [Here]

According to the latest report by CB Richard Ellis “How global is the business of retail?”, Kuwait City ranked 13th in the world the list of most targeted retail destination, up one place from 14th last year. Dubai and London tied for first place followed by New York in second and Paris third. 13th place is actually incredibly good (we tied with Berlin and Istanbul) since the 12 countries ahead of us are big shots like LA, Moscow, Hong Kong, Barcelona, Berlin etc. plus we beat out cities like Milan, Munich, Tokyo and Miami. Below is the top 20 list:

1 – Dubai
1- London
3- New York
4- Paris
5- Madrid
6- Hong Kong
7- Moscow
8- Los Angeles
9- Singapore
10- Barcelona
11- Beijing
12- Shanghai
13- Berlin
13- Kuwait City
13- Istanbul
16- Riyad
17- Milan
18- Munich
19- Tokyo
20- Las Vegas
20- Miami
20- Hamburg

You can download the full report from the CBRE website [Here]

Now slightly off topic, they represented Kuwait with two visuals in the icon above, one is a stretched out version of Kuwait Towers, but what is the other? Looks like our very own Taj Mahal maybe.

A reader emailed me the flyer above, I’m guessing Alshaya sent it out to their employees. I am also guessing the first Alshaya store is the Mothercare branch next to my house in old Salmiya. I remember when they opened up all those stores in my street, Mothercare, BHS, The Body Shop, Oasis, Next, River Island and whatever else I might have missed. It made the street pretty cool and they’re all actually still open here except I think Oasis which became H&M.

I know a lot of people don’t like Alshaya but I grew up with them on my street so I’m a big fan and I love how they’re bringing over American chains now (example Shake Shack). It’s sad though that their 2000th store had to be one that opened up in Dubai and not here in Kuwait. I guess it’s not something you plan… or at least I hope it wasn’t planned that way.

Thanks Joe