Hawally Municipality Manager Fahad Al-Fahad urged citizens and expatriates to maintain cleanliness at public facilities along the seafront by refraining from littering and leaving barbeque remains, ash and charcoal.
Speaking during a three-day campaign, his teams along with the Touristic Enterprises Company (TEC), Al-Zayyani Company, Bayan and Mishref Co-opeartive Societies launched a campaign to prevent the practice of holding barbeque events in these areas. Al-Fahad stressed that such violations can be observed during weekends.
He stressed the need to create more active awareness campaigns and strict law enforcement. He also noted that special signs would be placed in such areas to enlighten visitors with by-laws and the penalties. Abdul Aziz Al-Yahia, Cleaning Department Manager said that his inspectors issued 125 citations over the weekend, explaining that fines ranging between KD 100 and 300 would be levied. [Kuwait Times]
My biggest issue with seaside BBQ-ers other than the trash they leave behind is the BBQ smoke. On Saturdays when I ride my bicycle to the gym I have a hard time breathing because of all the smoke. By the time I get to the gym the trainers think I was pigging out on kebabs and kill me with exercises. Not very fun.
90 replies on “Seafront BBQ’s now illegal”
it won’t be enforced for more than a month or won’t work, the damage has been done. they’ve been bbqing for the past 20 years.
Look on the bright side, I’ll be positive about this.
Let them enforce the no smoking bans first, then we’ll see what they can do to eliminate the kababs from the seafront
Well said!
not necessarily. The smoking ban is enforced by different people who enforce say the BBQ ban and traffic violations.
If smoking ban is not implemented correctly that is probably because of the implementing agency weakness. I think the BBQ thing is done by Baladiya. They are good IMO.
I think the smoking ban is done by ministry of health and hence the weakness. It should be handed to the EPA or police they have better capabilities for implementing such ban.
So is there any places assigned for BBQ ? Now that was one activity for families for weekend and if even that’s not there then I don’t understand where this is heading !
+1
yes there is a special place called home…u can bbq all you want..
@af. BBQ only at home? You must not get out much.
i thought BBQing in residences (including balcony) are illegal, not sure but thats what i heard…
forever alone maybe
Backyard probably, not everyone lives in a residential complex.
@deserd sky yeah i don’t get out much cause i don’t BBQ in public..anyways if ur dying to BBQ then go to stone grill..
Really ? The one time smoke in a 5 min space of time is worst than the tons of garbage ?
Dude you should , read it all again before u post.
Thank god! i can’t believe this is happening at last! all they do is trash the place, smoke sheesha and fill the parking lot next to restaurants, i really hope they enforce it
After all the failed enforcements on other issues such as smoking in places like malls or restaurants do you really think this will work?
at least theyre trying. slowly but surely all these bans will be enforced.
in the end, we want the sea side, the malls, the country, to be CLEAN.
if people cant clean up after themselves. they should either be fined, or in some cases, the whole thing should be banned.
i expected fines. but I guess they went for the other option.
Drastic measures as always.
Educating people about being clean and the environment would be better than just banning people from doing it. I haven’t beach BBQed since 1991, but it was what families do. Take their kids to play and eat and stuff. It doesn’t always have to be a mall or a restaurant for family.
thats still not an excuse for these families to throw their shit around, and expect the baladiya come clean up after them.
esp. when they dont even pay any taxes!
and people KNOW they should clean up after themselves. its common courtesy. They’re not coming from the african jungles or the nomad beduin tribes of arabia to be this dirty and never clean up after they BBQ.
+1 if you want to eat meat and smoke sheesha guess what there are restaurants for that
The solution isnt an outright ban.There are countless expats here who live in tiny apartments and live on a very limited income.One of their only sources of entertainment is the weekly bbq where they can relax and their kids can run around.There should be specific areas where families can bbq and other places where it is prohibited. If they cant figure out how to do that,then just let the people bbq. They are already miserable enough with all the crappy laws that they are surrounded with, the weather and the unfairness towards expats that especially affects the lower income ones who dont have wasta or enough money to travel when they want to.
And please, I dont want to hear “if they dont like it they can leave” since its not that simple for lots of the expats that reside in kuwait.They cant leave and entire extended families depend on them…
if they cleaned after themselves, this would have never happened.
my words exactly.
They can still sit on the grass and eat they just can’t burn the grass with their BBQ.
“And please, I dont want to hear “if they dont like it they can leave” since its not that simple for lots of the expats that reside in kuwait.They cant leave and entire extended families depend on them…”
Then thank god Kuwait gave you the means to have others depend on you and put up with it.
Or, an alternative, quit living your live according to the wishes of your extended family and then complaining about it.
I believe the ban is because of people who dig the grass and lay their coal on the hole. If you use proper BBQ equipments there is no problem. At least thats how it used to be and maybe the new law is different.
you can enjoy time without ruining the grass. Kuwait is desert and loads of cash is being spent just to get the ground green . I don’t care if they live in a flat or a tiny cage, they have no right to damage the grass. ;/
if people cleaned up after themselves. this would have never happened.
Fintas Park looks like a kebab shop on Fridays. They leave their grills behind ready for the next weekend. I hope it’s banned and the ban enforced.
I think if they have barbeque zones so that these families with limited incomes can have their week-end barbeques which is there only entertainment for the week. They could have patrols who go around and monitor the area to make sure that people clean up after themselves and add some more dumpsters in a parking lots. The parks are off limits since the Kuwait government decided to place poison all over them to kill dogs. Maybe they can develop parks in areas where these people live and STOP placing poison in them.
Who is fooling who the beaches will never change. I have been here for several years no one except westeners ever pick up after themselves. and we don’t use the beaches or parks that much. Who want to picknic in a trash dump with dirty dipers half eaten food rotting.
We all have heard it before we have cleaners let them do their job.
I say ban the cleaners from the beaches and parks for 90 days and lets see how nasty the place can become. Ok 3 days should do it.
That’s funny. I’ve seen westerners trash just as much as the other expats and arabs/kuwaitis around here. Sure they may seem to litter more in this case, but this bbq thing isn’t the only source of litter. How about all the mCDs boxes lying round the gulf road? All I’m saying is, let’s stop generalizing and get to the source of the problem. It’s not just these expats and if you believe the littering problem in Kuwait (and even on the beach) is just due to them, then you should reanalyze the whole situation. I’ve seen Kuwaitis, Lebanese, Jordanians, Even “Americans” (or at least Western looking people) throw trash amongst other nationalities (on the beach and on the streets).
I do like the cleaners ban idea. I say the government or whoever their employers are, give them 90 days off from work (paid for since it’s not their problem that the streets are over littered) and see how people live in the filth. Maybe it will open up EVERYONES eyes to the disturbing amount of rubbish around. Let’s not point fingers, let’s get to the bottom of it.
If at least 1 in 5 people just threw away their own trash and possibly picked up one item of trash they have seen laying around – this place would be alot cleaner and more hygenic. If you’re too sickened by picking up someone elses trash, at least take care of your own.
That’s just my 2 cents. Not trying to get at you, I’m just trying to clarify because once you generalize the image sticks and clearly just because they seem to be the majority doing it (whether they are or arent), doesn’t mean they’re the only ones.
Totally unrelated to your comment – I wish someone would make a feature film about Kuwait being covered in trash and maybe mutant cockroaches start attacking people.
But I do agree that there are Westerners that trash as much as the Arabs. I think if the patriotism of the Kuwaitis actually extends to keeping it clean instead of just waving flags and putting pictures of our heroes at the back of our cars, it would be a cleaner place.
What’s really tragic is that even if the fines were enforced, there’s also a way to get out of them. Just like people with connections can get out of traffic fines. It’s sad. But one day, the people will get tired of the filth and things hopefully will get better.
It’s the time to use Propane gas – Portable grill 🙂
No Ash, no charcoal and very clean. It only smokes!
and has the potential for explosion.
maybe not the best idea.
What boders me is, how much bbq one can consume?! On weekends if I go for walk in morning they already started bbqing ! if I go in afternoon they are bbqing and if I go after Maghreb they are still bbqing!?
For start, acertain hours for bbq should be enforced instead of being an all they ritual!
Ridiculous thought.
Next u’ll want timing for people using public bathrooms? Driving? Walking in malls? Shopping? cause all of that is in excess an could potentially ‘bother’ you.
It’s ok to have stray cats and dogs tearing up trash and shitting everywhere but having a bbq is a problem? I love bbqing and smoking shisha in the parks. There is some special joy in it, especially for people like us who grew up in Kuwait. Those of us who don’t like to patrol malls and stuff our faces with KFC or sushi find bbqing to be far more fun and relaxing. And it isn’t bbq which needs to be banned, its people who need to be taught that littering the parks is forbidden by law and to respect others who visit the park. And maybe we need to reduce huge ass SUVs and sports cars, since the smoke emissions is far more serious than the smoke from a grill.
+1
Dogs and cats have no understanding of things like “littering”; that’s a human thing. Your comparison is invalid.
We all heard this before.
No talking on your mobile while driving.
No smoking in the malls and airport.
No drinking in the emergency lanes.
+1 ” NO DRINKING IN THE EMERGENCY LANES”…. bahahaha
The rule is only for expats as expats are more then the locals & if expats start doing like locals then it will be disaster.
I mean this is the few things that expats can do joyful. I mean comeon this is thier entertainment, like one of the previous comments said tiny apartments low income what else do you want them to do. Anyways for people complaining about smoke and pollution get a grip.
So they should continue to throw their coal, fuck up the grass and throw their garbage everywhere?
Kuwait is trying yo move forward,to break some eggs to make an omelet, it is a hard beginning even for the law enforcement guys but no mater what is the out come this is a move forward, I admire the effort as much as the result.
Is banning BBQs your idea of moving forward? Something that is enjoyed in a large part of the Western world? The problem here is that people, especially locals,do not bother clening up after themselves. I’ve seen this happening over & over.
“The problem here is that people, especially locals,do not bother clening up after themselves. I’ve seen this happening over & over.”
Oh really? and what percentage of BBQer’s are said locals?
Kuwait is one of the dirtiest places I’ve ever been!! Trash everywhere. Out in the camps in the desert no one packs out their own trash. I Don’t go to the beach here so I really don’t know what it is like, but I can guess it’s trashy too. Kuwaitis can’t blame it all on expats. As someone else said, westerners are taught at an early age to pick up their own trash and put it in a proper recepticle. I’ve witnessed, I don’t know how many times, Kuwaitis tossing a burger wrapper or drink cup or whatever on the ground when there was a trash can just a few steps away. It’s just a shame that a good, wholesome family outing is now banned because people are irresponsible!!
“Kuwaitis can’t blame it all on expats”
It’s mostly expats who BBQ.
Agreed.. They can blame themselves. How come Dubai is so clean? They have expats too. If you make a campaing you need to stick to it years after years. Teach generations take time.
Kuwait need more parks so the people dont get cramped into small spaces. Bbq is ok, but make more space for it. I see families sitting next to the Gulf with heavy traffic, it cant be healthy!!!
2/3 of the country is desert and there is coast line away from the Gulf Road. Gas is cheap. Why not barbecue away from areas where there are lots of people?
I’m glad to see the ban. It looks like a gypsy festival every Friday afternoon along the Gulf Road and Saturday, it looks like the circus has moved out and left all the trash behind.
Seriously it’s disgusting. Go to the desert!
WTF? Do you have any idea what an expatriate is?
Expat =/= Just westerners.
Yes, I know what an expat is. Expat in Kuwait = someone who works for a living. 😉
My comment was a reply to a deleted comment.
I agree. I have problems with breathing when I run along the gulf.
Though, I would just like to point out that it’s not the BBQing that’s causing the problems, it’s the littering. So, if you moved out to further areas like Desert Girl mentioned, you’ll just find more litter in these areas. I think there needs to be more awareness and responsibilities placed upon those who bbq to clean up after they are finished.
However, this ban seems a bit extreme but then again if you see the amount of ppl bbqing on the weekends – that’s pretty extreme too.
Making areas where people are allowed to bbq and having them clean up after themselves will be a good idea. If they’re only allowed to bbq in those areas, chances are the regulars will get fed up of coming back to the litter and at least be a little bit more self concious when they bbq.
Unfortunately, they’re not the only ones littering but I’d peg them to be the bulk of the people littering. Why? Beats me. There are garbage cans at almost every other light post on the gulf now. Shouldn’t be that big of an issue to get up, walk a couple of meters and throw away your own trash.
Kuwaitis should lead by example.
btw, since Kuwait faces such extreme heat for half the year, whats wrong in having a little fun by the beach when the weather is pleasant?
So banning BBQ is the new fad? So what, what happened to talking on the phone while driving among other things. They were fads that lasted for a week or two maybe. Enforce the law, issue citations (heavy ones) on everyone, not a certain group. Throwing a cigarette butt should have the same fine as throwing trash. Work with the ministry of interior. Fine people based on their civil I’d, plate numbers, address, whatever. Then we will see a better place.
It hurts that everyone is thinking about themselves only.
This is bullshit. another fascist move by Kuwait. Oh and lets not even pretend westerners clean up after themselves. After a few years here I know westerners that chuck their shit outside a car window just as often as Kuwaitis do. The difference is the guys on the beach are actually aiming to be family oriented. Laws regulating garbage are what is needed. But then this is exactly what one expects. Kuwait focusing on the destroying the good because of a superficial bad that can be rectified.
+1
especially the westerner part. Westerners don’t bbq with us near the beach because they have their villas to have their little coccoon away from all the dirty non western expats.
dang,,, just when i bought some steaks to grill there and to enjoy in this amazing tropical weather,, this happens! 🙁
this country SUCKS!!!!
Then leave?
haha wow such a typical response instead of trying to be productive? Don’t worry I won’t be in this third world country for much longer, just feeling sorry for all the kids that have to grow up in a place where animals get poisoned, where parks look like drug exchange meeting spots and guys drive like maniacs completely oblivious to the danger they’re putting themselves and others in.
… and your “solution” is to allow people to burn the grass and dump their trash on public beaches? If this is what your idea of a “1st world country” is like, then keep it to yourself cause we don’t want it.
Don’t be ridiculous. You can criticize her post without putting words in her mouth, and at no point did she say a damn thing about BBQing being a solution to crappy parks and speeding.
Elle, I notice that you haven’t bothered contributing anything productive to this discussion either, unless you count your three word “critique” and excess of exclamation marks as such. Consider growing up and learning to think before you try and have any sort of discussion – it’ll greatly help your case when you don’t sound like an ignorant, racist hypocrite.
Banning the BBQs won’t do a thing to reduce littering; the problem of inconsiderate people who know they can get away with tossing their trash all over the place will still very much exist.
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out
it seems that the main concern is just the ash/charcoal that is dumped, my family and i do this every once in awhile but we make sure we dont leave the coal buried in the ground cause from a bad experience of mine, when i was a kid, my foot went in one of these holes and i got burned..
even if the bbqs get banned, ppl will still gather for picnics and what not, its still going to be a complete mess regardless since people will still meet up there every weekend…. if u go walk around the beach and just take a look at the benches, ull find trash thrown onto the rocks, seeds thrown all over the place… so in the end, its a matter of education more than anything
one more thing, i think littering here is high mainly because of the mentality “we have workers here to clean up so why should i bother walking to the bin” *chucks it on the floor*… its that lazy mentality where kids are brought up knowing that someone else is there to clean up after them which makes them litter
i dont mean we throw the coal on the floor, we dispose of it properly in the garbage after its extinguished with water in the grill
People talk about burning of grass as if its central park down there. Kuwait is a desert last time i checked and will stay that way no matter what. Locals trash everywhere dont blame expats for the polluted areas.
Excuse me Othman I am completely against having bbqs on the side of the road and trashing the place my status is not not to disagree with the ban it’s to show if the government cared at all they would build decent clean parks so that everyone can enjoy a BBQ in designated areas but this will never happen because their priorities are so messed up which is WHY it’s a third world country.
Very true and note the fines these people will have to pay 100-300 KD. Just think if they levied these fines on the roads in Kuwait for the outrageous driving here, just think how much safer the roads would be. This is alot of money for these people, these fines are harsh. Interesting how the government prioritizes?#$# But we understand why they don’t implement a black-point system with strong penalities against unsafe driving, because the majority of the tickets for speeding which would be the highest would go to Kuwaitis and they don’t want to pay them – so let people die all over the freeways here rather than the government do their job. My point is that these people are being targeted, wrong as they may be, because they are foreigners and if the majority were Kuwaitis, the situation would be handled much differently.
Designated areas for BBQ do exist in parks (go to Mishref park for example), yet people still trash the place and throw their coal and litter all over.
First of all the term “third world” is outdated
Second of all where are you from that is a recreation of Eden all of a sudden
Hahah go look at those parks!
Othman has been refuting your attempts at belittling this country in a very professional and logical way, yet you seem to deviate steadily towards other excuses just to prove your moot point. First you blatantly and arrogantly say, “this country SUCKS!!!!!” and then someone offers you a solution to that very well-thoughtout outcry of yours. What do you do? You move on to something else which has little-to-nothing to do with the topic at hand. Even so, Othman calmly questions your blasphemous attempts while ALSO relating it to the topic. Your ignorance doesn’t stop here.
Again you go around in circles in search of loopholes to prove that you’re “right”. However, once again Othman comes to the rescue and successfully responds to your hate-mongering comment. Finally, and this is the icing on the cake: you “humorously” berate the condition of Kuwait’s parks without as much a spec of evidence nor a detailed report of your journey towards said “parks”
Logically speaking, which I’m sure is a new concept for you, the first response from aaa did not come out of haste. After all, it IS a solution.
Pls go.
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!
people who BBQ and trash the place, should be fined.
simple as that.
we want to live in a clean country.
Would it be so terrible if, even as a low income expat, you had a job, nearly free healthcare, security, safety, reasonably cheap though not perfect transport, and free access to miles of public beaches but you weren’t allowed to destroy the beaches and pollute the sea? The filth you produce effects everyone. Please try to enjoy your weekend without leaving a lasting effect on the beach. I like to get up in the morning and my kids want to go to the beach but I won’t let them because the beaches are covered in garbage and charcoal.
If expats dont like our country, geet the fuck out (Elle)
We are damned if we do, damned if we dont.
We try to improve and people just laugh cause of the past failures in enforcing the laws, we dont do anything and we get told our country is shit.
Some of these idiots have lived in Kuwait too long and should explore their own nations.
I have been to the ‘Western’ world and believe me you have your share of problems and certain areas in your countries exhibit 3rd world nations and their problems.
I do have to admit though that our idea of Kuwait only for Kuwaitis and our sense of entitlement is bullshit. Many people from all around the world have contributed in making Kuwait what it is today and we should try and assimiliate these people into our cultures and not have double standards in the way we deal with Kuwaitis and foreigners.
Why dont they just assign people who can inspect those littering after a bbq and fine them..banning bbqs all together …come on! How does that solve the core issue of people littering..the same people litter the roads and malls as well.
I left Kuwait and havent looked back since. After living in Kuwait for years and years i decided Id try the GTFO thing and trust me ive never looked back. 😀 Now life is enjoyable. So even though I think people are idiots for saying GTFO – I really think at the heart of the issue they realise that they are defending a bullshit country and have our best interests at heart!
John Doe, its people like you that make Kuwait the way it is. I don’t live here I used to and thank god I don’t have to go back ever again, I feel sorry for you that you have such a petty way of thinking.
Where do you live?
through garbage is more behavioral issue and not related to BBQ !
please don’t take the average families’s only outlet..
Thank god !!! No more garbage and illegal parking on the Gulf Road
I truely agree with the ban order reg bbq’ing at beach front. But then they should also provide a place for it and means to throw the trash afterwards. Ku doesnt have much entertainement and for the layman its expensive to visit restaurants every weekend. Make rules and keep security not Indians pl since we don;t have the guts to tell off some nationalities who don;t listen. Or police should petrol those areas n fine for littering. I mean come on BBQ is one fun actitivity with family n friends.
They’ve mentioned like 144 places that one can have a bbq but which ones r those. Does anyone know where we can enjoy our bbqs esp since the winter is setting in soon.
I know this is an OLD POST but considering the only one out there or atleast the one i could find online – My question to you beautiful world is where can one go and BBQ now during the pandemic times? Suggestions, recommendations are welcome. Thanks in advance.