In case you missed it, a selfie taken by a Kuwaiti couple in Dubai with The Address Hotel in the background up in flames went viral this weekend and not for good reason. Loads of people thought the photo was in bad taste and started commenting about it on social media. Personally I didn’t think it was funny, but I also didn’t find it offensive or anything of the sort. If anything I thought the Burj Khalifa fireworks show next door while The Address was still on fire was more inappropriate but I guess to each his own. The Daily Mail posted an article on the photo earlier today and you can read that [Here]
43 replies on “Kuwaiti Couple Selfie Goes Viral”
Becareful mark… I would take that post off.
This “guy” has taken a picture between important people in this country. A silly thing like this could get you in trouble, You’d think i’m crazy or they wont.
No…they might and will. I’d take it off not worth the post really :/
https://twitter.com/ar_atiki
if any one take a picture “between important people” make you afraid from him .. you should be afraid from 95% of kuwaiti people .. because the “important people” always visit different kuwaiti families on weddings, eid, ramadan, etc… and anyone usually take a picture with them .. not necessary make him know them personally!
not really sure there are any “important” people in Kuwait… self-important maybe.
The picture you’re referring to was probably taken at a social function.
From a legal standpoint, I think the couple can sue for possession and/or publishing their picture without their consent.
It was a public instagram post
I personally know the guy, quite a cool guy. While I don’t like the idea of the selfie,I’m sure he wouldn’t mind Mark posting about it. He did post the photo and should accept the consiquences. He has a sense of humour. 🙂
As for the connections, his grandfather was the consultant of the Amir but again, this is irrelevant and people are bashing other people every day. Connected people and nothing happens. Despite all our issues and problems, Kuwait remains the most democratic country in the region and really practices freedom of speach. Well, except with Benihana I guess. 🙂
Plus Mark did not say anything wrong or offensive. I find it funny you feel this way.
I don’t think it’s offensive, although it is not necessary to take a selfie with the building on fire.
That’s a pakistani couple, check your sources
No they’re Kuwaiti, this is the guys twitter handle (@AR_Atikiand) if look it up on twitter you’ll find him tagged on all the picture and articles related to the selfie.
No I know the guy personally, he is Kuwait.
It’s not about being offensive… This is just evil. People might be dying at that moment and they are just busy smiling and taking a selfie with the building on fire. I mean this is just beyond inappropriate.
I agree.
yeah but are we really surprised? this whole country lives off of enabling the iraq war. so a selfie in front of a building is sort of the standard kuwaiti response isn’t it?
“This whole country lives off of enabling the Iraq war.” How so?
By the way, lots of people where taking selifies during the NYE celebration which coincided with that adjacent building being on fire.
I guess to you, it’s bad only if it’s done by a Kuwaiti.
Annoys you does it? 🙂
hmmm… yes please explain
Please ellaborate.
It’s the comment they add to their post which could be construed as offensive.
I appreciate sarcasm – but their comment is a little near the knuckle.
If the photo is offensive then , what should we say about the fireworks they conducted with the building burning in the background.
If the Govt can be so insensitive to those suffering inside the crisis then taking a photo with the burning building in the background is nothing close to offensive
You are right the government, in my opinion, was also wrong to do such an extravagant New Years celebration.
I think it’s sarcasm but in bad taste.
Ya, I agree. Just sarcasm in really bad taste.
Nothing humorous or entertaining about his expression of sarcasm in a time of tragedy.
About the comment of posting the pic without consent, I think since he posted on social media for whom ever to see and allowed comments, then what’s the difference of taking the same photo and commenting on it somewhere else?
It’s just bad taste. Well it’s not like he could do anything about the fire so i guess WTH. People take selfies of anything these days. I’d be concerned if he had this selfie against a tragedy he could have been doing something about.
people need to chill out and stop being so damn judgmental of everyone else. The dude too a picture and posted it on his feed and Im sure him and his wife feel as bad about the fire as the rest of us do…..
Don’t think there is a law against the Daily Mail using a photo in the public domain ( no copyright on a public social media picture). However this is a right wing, notoriously anti- Arab ( anti -Muslim ), anti- anything not white newspaper- if I was them I would sue for defamation of character.
…Not what id call appropriate to take a selfie while grinning infront of a burning building, it’s a stupid and pretty rude idea to take that pic and and worse when posting it for everyone to see. another thing is why does the dailymail gives so much attention to it. i mean your an international and highly respected newspaper, doing an article on this is just degrading to the newspaper especially when you show their account and faces without their permission… thats something a new small newspaper would do to get attention by being all “look at me I’m badass”. i hope the people effected by the fire are all alright.
That’s my cousin and his wife!
I doubt he is Kuwaiti, he looks like more Egyptian/Pakistani to me than Kuwaiti, and the girl she looks very Egyptian to me.
then again, come on we have like 1 million egyptian in kuwait, that’s exactly almost how much kuwaiti there i.
actually, there are around 440,000 egyptians in Kuwait. The only reason it seems that there are more of us is because most of them work as teachers, lawyers, judges, and of course doctors and nurses and so you end up interacting with a lot of them all the time so assume there must be more of them since these are all critical and important jobs….
coincidently our education law and health sectors are in shambles..
as opposed to all your other stellar sectors?
you pay peanuts….you get monkeys
His last name is a Kuwaiti last name.
thats the selfie of the year, it may sound evil, thank god no one was hurt, but i would personally do the same thing
.. none was hurt? dude 14 people were injured and some sources say 36. O_O
@the folks debating the nationality of the couple in the picture…
WHO CARES??? AND DOES IT REALLY MATTER??
the issue here is the morality of the image not their F$*$#@$ nationality… its absolutely incredible the amount of posts on this blog that excuse or blame behavior based on nationality.
you guys are a prime example of whats wrong with kuwaits (& the worlds) society.
Get over your self, we are all one people.
Forget this pic, most of the world is after selfies these days.
Just go to facebook, isntagram or twit , people are self obsessed.
Entering the mall;’ one click.
Exiting the mall another click
Having lunch@ crapfoodexp another click
The only time they might not click a selfie must be when they are in front of a dentist or urologist.
in other unrelated news…Mark you now have hope for that garbage situation around your house..
https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/deportation-for-expat-violating-environ-law-no-polluting-public-places/
call the hotline and get every one responsible deported!!! 🙂 🙂
the pic itself is not wrong, sure it wasn’t the best pic / comment combo, but its gone really over board, also i tink it was correct to go ahead with the fire works that many people had gone to see, seeing dubai as organized and well managed as it is im pretty sure they had things under control and had the poeople out safely and all..
Remember the people who took selfies while the Costa Concordia was sinking in the background off the coast of Italy? Or the girl who took a selfie while some guy was about to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge to kill himself?
People are idiots everywhere. Nationality has no bearing
Hats off to your reply. Everyone else should read this and shut up!
Seems like the Daily Mail is a reliable source to Mark nowadays =)