Here’s a great list for Kuwait to rank high on, the 20 countries where people live the longest. According to a recent report by the World Economic Forum (WEF), Kuwait has the 11th highest life expectancy in the world with an average life expectancy of 70.7 years. Kuwait has the highest life expectancy in the GCC and the second-highest in the Middle East with only Israel ahead in 8th place. Singapore tops the list with the highest expectancy of 74.2 years. Check out the full top 20 list here.
My favorite % ARABICA location which was also their first location has closed down. They’re demolishing the building and I was expecting the location to close but didn’t expect them to close it down overnight without warning. I was basically at that location on a daily basis and I’d also run into the same people there every day. It was my goto spot for meetings but also my favorite spot when I just wanted to drink my coffee early morning while browsing reddit and posting on the blog. No idea if they’re going to open another location in the same area but hopefully they do.
I was at Avenues this past weekend and noticed that the American bookstore Borders was opening in place of where H&M used to be in Phase 1. Borders filed for bankruptcy and closed down in the US a few years ago but the brand still exists around the world including in the UAE. It’s not as cool as the Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya, but then again, beggars can’t be choosers.
The stationary store Paperchase is also opening right next door to Borders which is also pretty cool.
I posted about the Kuwait Motor Town track the other day and this weekend they’re actually opening it up to bicycles. So if you want to ride your bicycle around the race track check out Bicycle Day this Saturday. The Cultural Center is also hosting a Solar Eclipse Live Show at their Planetarium this weekend so that could be something fun for the kids. Check out this weekend’s full list of events below:
Early this year Kuwait Motor Town (KMT) opened up and started offering track day experiences where drivers can sign up to race their cars around the circuit for fun. It’s a great way to drive your car to its limit while in a safe environment. But if you’ve never taken part in a track day before, it can be a bit intimidating which is why I thought I’d put together a guide. I was lucky enough to have friends who’ve been taking part in track days for years (mostly in Bahrain) so my first time was easier than most. I’ve divided this post up into different sections which I felt were important to highlight:
Registration
KMT usually hosts around 3 to 4 open track car experiences every month during the winter season. They also hold motocross, drag, drift and ATV track experiences as well but I’ll only be talking about the car track days in this post. There are usually around 70-80 car slots available every track day and they fill up really fast as in the same day registration opens up. For example, this past Sunday night KMT opened up registration for January track days and they’re sold out already, two of the days sold out on the same night. The track day fee is KD75 and when new days are available, KMT publishes them on their Instagram account. They sell out so fast its become a habit for me and my friends to book all the days first and then think about it. So the best way to find out when new track days are open is by following @kmtkw on instagram.
Your Car
There are no limitations to what kind of car you can bring to a track day experience as long as its not a single-seater, open-wheel car, or SUV. But, if your car isn’t a sports car I can’t imagine it being any fun anyway. The reality is that everyone on the track is trying to go as fast as possible and if you show up in a 4-door Corolla you’re going to feel very uncomfortable and pressured on the track.
The majority of the cars at the track are usually Porsches. They’re generally great because they can be driven as daily cars while also performing really well on the track. I’ve got a Lotus which I think is great on the track but more importantly, because of its weight doesn’t go through tires and brake pads like there is no tomorrow. It makes tracking a lot more affordable. Because my car was meant to be tracked, I can also stay out a full session on the track without my brakes fading or my car overheating. American cars, on the other hand, don’t tend to do so well on the track, they’re generally fast on straights but don’t handle turns so well and they don’t last very long on the track without having to pit.
KMT is located off of highway 40. I tend to drive my car to the track and back without any issues but I know some guys who prefer to send their car to the track on trailer beds because they aren’t comfortable with the road conditions.
Once you get your car to the track it will have to go through scrutineering. They’ll make sure your car is safe to go on the track and once it passes their checks, they’ll give your a car a track pass. Make sure you don’t have any junk in your car. You’re going to have to empty all the loose items from your car and trunk or else it’s going to be flying around everywhere. You also need to have a tow hook installed to the front and they’ve recently started checking the condition of the tires including the age to make sure they’re in good shape.
Things to Bring with You to the Track
A helmet really is the only thing you need to bring and if you don’t have one, you can rent one at the track. I think the cost for rental is 20 or 25KD but you also need to leave a deposit of around KD75. For food and drinks there is a Starbucks and a Costa at the track as well as a burger place and a dessert place. You can bring your own food and water if you want as well. Some extra things I bring include lip balm, gum, my GoPro and some basic tools (ie. ducktape).
Once You Arrive
When you get to the track you’ll take your car to the scrutineering area first and park your car there. You then enter the building to right of that area and get your registration sticker and wristband. You would have to have already registered and purchased an entry to the track day online beforehand. Registration on the day of the event just involves you signing a waiver and collecting your passes. Once you get your pass you then go back to your car and wait for the scrutineering crew to check your car. After that is done you will be allowed to enter the pit lane.
Drivers are split into two groups, A and B. There isn’t a specific formula from my understanding, it’s not like one group is faster or has more experienced drivers, drivers are just split up randomly. Once you enter the pit lane you can park in any of the empty garages corresponding to your group letter. Once you park your car you can then set up your base for the day. You can empty your car contents and leave your stuff in that garage while you’re out on the track.
Briefing Session and Lead and Follow Laps
Before the track opens up a briefing session is held which is mandatory for every driver to attend. During the briefing session, they will discuss the track rules, explain what all the different colored flags on the side of the track mean and share tips and pointers. This is a good time to ask any questions as well.
After the briefing session, there will be lead and follow laps on the track. This is for drivers to familiarize themselves with the circuit by following a lead car around the track. Nobody is really speeding or racing here, it’s just a fast-paced drive around the track while following the cars in front of you.
On the Track
After the lead and follow sessions are done, the different groups are let out onto the track in 30 minute intervals. So for example, 4PM to 4:30PM is for Group A cars, then 4:30PM to 5PM is Group B, then it’s Group A again, then Group B etc. Although it doesn’t sound like much, 30 minutes is more than enough track time and a lot of the cars can’t really even stay out that long without coming into the pits to cool down.
Out on the track, it can be intimidating with everyone driving as if they’re racing for the championship but as long as you give way to faster moving cars you’ll be fine. Generally, you’re not meant to overtake on turns only on straights so if you see a car behind you that’s faster than you, move out of the way and let them pass.
The more you track the better you will get. One way of improving your driving is by having a more experienced driver sit next to you. In my case, I have friends who are really good drivers and every now and then I’ll have them hop in the car with me and give me tips like in the video above where I was able to shave off around 2 seconds from my fastest lap just by having my friend give me pointers. After that session I understood my weaknesses better and the following track day I improved on my driving even more and managed to break the 2 minute barrier (video below). If you don’t have a friend who can give you tips thats also not an issue. Lotus are sponsoring all the track days this season and they usually have two cars available to drive on the track with a professional driver.
Fuel
Depending on your car you might need to refuel often. There is a small fuel station at the end of the pitlane with Ultra 98 fuel. They only take cash, no Knet. Some guys bring their own fuel to the track that is also ok.
Off the Track
You don’t need to go out on the track every session, you don’t need to start at the beginning of the session either, once it’s your group’s turn you can go out onto the track at any time. It’s a very chill atmosphere, even in the pit garages, everyone is just hanging out. Me and my friends bring our own chairs to sit on while waiting for our next session and I’ve seen guys set up a cozy diwaniya as well. Not everyone there is in groups, you have a lot of guys who come alone so its easy to socialize. There aren’t that many female drivers, there is one whos there at every track day but the other girls I’ve seen at the track are there with their husbands or boyfriends and either chill in the pits or go out onto the track as a passenger.
Any Questions?
So that’s basically it really. I can’t think of anything else to add to the above but in case you have any questions just let me know in the comments below.
There is a new and still vacant building on the Gulf Road called MEDC which I pass by every night. What caught my attention is that every time I pass it they seem to have a different pixel art up created by turning on and off the lights of the different vacant spaces. Last night they had a flower emoji up but I’ve also seen different messages in Arabic spelled out.
No idea who has the time or patience for this but I keep imagining it being some creative building caretaker who is doing this out of boredom.
Last week STC (formally VIVA) launched their new brand but someone just sent me a link to a company called CTS who oddly have a very similar logo (and letters coincidently). It could be a direct copy or just a big coincidence but either way still very interesting.
For the first time in Kuwait, Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company will perform Giselle. Teatro alla Scala is the oldest and one of the most renowned and prestigious ballet companies in the world. The romantic and tragic ballet Giselle will be performed by the world’s top 100 dancers. The story of Giselle is about a young and beautiful peasant who falls in love with a peasant, Loys, only to find out that he is a duke and is engaged to someone else.
Electric scooters are like a big thing now in the States and Europe but haven’t really caught on in Kuwait, probably because we don’t have any sidewalks to use it on. At one point I was considering getting a scooter when I started my new job since the multistory parking lot was a bit far from my office. I figured I could just park the car down the street and then zip down to the office on the scooter. But back then I was planning to order a scooter online since I wasn’t aware of any being sold locally.
But now there is a company in Kuwait called BOLT selling the Chinese HX1000 X7 scooters rebranded as BOLT. They have two models, one with an 8.5″ wheel the other with a 10″. The range is 25KM and it weighs 12.5KG. They’re selling the 8.5″ wheel version for KD220 while the 10″ one for KD250 and you can purchase them from their online shop. I saw some guys use it at the race track yesterday to go up and down the pit lane with since it’s usually a long walk and it looked like a lot of fun.
If you want to check them out on Instagram their handle is @bolt_electric. Also if you know of any other place selling proper adult scooters, let me know in the comments.
This past weekend the MDL Beast electronic music festival took place in Saudi Arabia and I spent the whole weekend checking out people’s pictures and videos because I was curious to how it would go. Well, it looked insane. The first day over 130,000 people showed up and the stage looked epic!
The event was mixed, not segregated. Some girls had abayas on while others didn’t. I really don’t think any other place could have announced an event this big just 10 days before the event date and still manage to fill up. Things are moving so fast in Saudi and they’re not playing around, they’re doing everything big. I’m loving watching this transformation.
Make sure you check out the videos and stories on the MDL Beast instagram account, they had this great aerial shot of the venue in their story and it looked like a mini city. @mdlbeast
VIVA today announced that they’ve rebranded to STC in Kuwait. This was expected to happen after the Saudi Telecom Company purchased a majority stake in Viva back in 2016.
If you’re planning on using road 40 this weekend then you might be in for some traffic since they’ll be completely closing off part of the highway near Mishref because they’ll be demolishing a bridge. For those heading to KMT this Saturday for Open Track, might be better to take Fahaheel Expressway instead.
