2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

The official Sahel account just announced that the English version of the app is launching soon. They didn’t share a date, just that it’s coming soon.

According to a source involved in the project, the app had English built into the software a couple of years ago, but the launch was delayed because several entities within Sahel had not finished adapting to English and the related data. This caused the rollout of the English version to take longer than expected.

To stay posted on the launch, follow @sahelkw

Pinkfong and Baby Shark are coming to Kuwait for a one of a kind concert experience.

The Baby Shark live shows offer a unique musical experience and are ideal for fans of all ages. Pinkfong have performed in over 200 countries and engaged over 1.5 millions around the world. Children can sing along to the songs and meet the characters.

The show, organized by Blue Panda Production, will take place from October 3 to 5 at the Gulf Cooperation Council Joint Program Production Institution Theater in Salmiya (Google Maps).

Here’s some exclusive information: you can book a meet-and-greet with the band after every show, directly at the venue.

So join Pinkfong and Baby Shark as they take you on a musical adventure. Tickets start at 10KD and are available on Eventat. For more information, check @bluepandaproduction

I recently found out the price of Ozempic in the US and it’s over 8x more expensive than Kuwait which is crazy. So I decided to check the prices around the world and Kuwait seems to be pretty good when compared to places like the US or the UAE. Oddly, I think Kuwait is the only country where you don’t need a prescription for it.

Here is a list comparing the price of Ozempic in Kuwait vs other countries:

Australia: KD 26
Bahrain: KD 33
Canada: KD 45
Denmark: KD 37
Egypt: KD 76
France: KD 25
Germany: KD 32
Japan: KD 52
Kuwait: KD 35
Netherlands: KD 32
Qatar: KD 67
Saudi Arabia: KD 31
Sweden: KD 30
Switzerland: KD 44
UAE: KD 95
UK: KD 28
USA: KD 295 (yup, not a typo)

Auto World Show is a car show that’s more than just a car show. Last year was their first year and they had a bunch of different things happening during the week including talks, sim and RC racing, stunt shows, a 4×4 proving ground and more. This year they’re back again for the second year running and the show starts from today and will last till September 28th.

All the major car brands will be there including the major European ones as well as most of the Chinese brands. I went to it last year and I didn’t find it interesting at all since there wasn’t any car I hadn’t seen before, but I’ll be going to it again this year just for fun.

The show is being held at the Mishref Fair Grounds and is from 10AM to 10PM. For more info, here is a link to their website.

Beak is a local fried chicken concept that launched in 2017, and one of the things they pride themselves with is the fact that their chicken is locally sourced, organically fed and never frozen.

Before opening, the partners made a decision to prioritize quality which is why they chose to source fresh chicken rather than using frozen ones. Essentially, as a customer, you’re getting chicken straight from the farm directly to your table, always fresh and never frozen.

Another thing that makes Beak special is their love for limited-time-only items. They’re constantly innovating and releasing new items, with the Mini Fillet being their current LTO sandwich.

Beak currently have two locations, a dine-in location in Al-Masayel, as well as a pick-up location in Hawally. They’re also available on all the popular delivery platforms including Talabat, Deliveroo, Cari and Jahez. So if you’re craving some fried chicken, check them out @beak.kw

Yesterday the Ministry of Interior announced they’ll be installing new intelligent AI-powered traffic cameras. The new cameras are meant to automatically detect seat belt violations, and drivers using their phones while driving. This isn’t the first time the MOI announced automated monitoring. Back in January 2023, the MOI announced they were installing new smart cameras that could detect both those violations, but that never materialized for some reason.

Although not much information was shared yesterday regarding the new cameras, based on some research I did there are a couple of companies that provide these traffic cameras, including Acusensus and VITRONIC. VITRONIC recently installed AI cameras in the UAE and have a Middle East office so it’s very probable those are the ones we are getting.

No matter which brand we are getting, they all work similarly:

• The traffic cameras capture high-resolution images of approaching vehicles.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) software filters the images to detect possible mobile phone use, or failure to wear a seatbelt by the driver and front seat passenger.

• If AI does not see a potential violation, it will reject the image.

• If AI detects a driver who may be using a phone or not wearing their seatbelt, it flags the image for further review.

• Images which are flagged for potential violations are then checked and verified by an officer.

So AI won’t be issuing tickets automatically, violations will still be double checked by a real person which is good news. These new AI cameras are also really effective. In Australia they trialed a similar AI traffic camera and in the first month alone, 1,500 drivers and 225 passengers were caught not wearing seatbelts, and almost 1,200 drivers were caught using their mobile phones.

Not sure how bad seatbelt violations are, but I’m really hoping this will stop people using their phones while driving since they’re the most annoying drivers.

I’m a huge fan of the way the Cybertruck looks. There is at least one in Kuwait since I’ve seen it park next to my office but there’s now another one and it’s for sale.

The local car dealer AlSarraf Motors has a Cybertruck in stock with 0 mileage available and it’s priced at KD62,000. In comparison, back in July a Cybertruck with just 500miles sold for around KD36,600 on bringatrailer.com. Add around 600KD for shipping plus 5% for customs and it would obviously be cheaper to get one directly from the states. But, if money is no object and you want a Cybertruck right now, this is your only option.

I spent most of this week rewatching old Denzel Washington films. I don’t think I have a #1 favorite actor, but if I did he’d most likely be in one of the top 3 spots. I managed to watch, Man on Fire, American Gangster, Flight, and both The Equalizer 2 and 3. All really great films.

The new series The Penguin comes out tomorrow on MAX and I’m REALLY looking forward to it.

Let me know in the comments what you recently watched or planning to watch.

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Week:
Bad Genius (7.4)
Classified (N/A)
Diamonds Are Forever (classic) (6.5)
Reagan (6.5)
Transformers One (7.8)
Weekend in Taipei (N/A)

Other Movies Showing:
AfrAId (6.3)
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (7.3)
Blink Twice (6.9)
Despicable Me 4 (6.4)
Harold and the Purple Crayon (5.7)
Hounds of War (6.1)
Inside Out 2 (7.9)
It Ends with Us (7.2)
Lee (6.5)
Ozi: Voice of the Forest (4.4)
Speak No Evil (6.6)
Subservience (4.6)
The Cleanup Crew (4.3)
Trap (7.2)
Unit 234 (6.9)
Wake Up (6.0)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

This powerful exhibition and one of the largest in the region, will feature the artworks of more than 100 global artists who have generously donated their art to support the Intisar Foundation mental health drama therapy programs in Palestine and to stand as a unified call for Peace in the Arab world.

Opening Tuesday, September 24 at 7:00PM.
Location: Contemporary Art Platform (Location)

The Arts & Crafts shop that used to be located off Canada Dry street have moved to a new location. Their new shop is located in the Design District in Shuwaikh, the same complex that has the restaurants Cure and Ovo (Google Maps).

The store is much smaller than their previous location but they’re still a good place to visit if you’re looking for specific art supplies from any of the following brands:

Art Rangers
Canson
Daler-Rowney
Gelli
Lyra
Maimeri
Mogart
Rotring
Sennelier
Speedball

They used to have an online store but seems to be down. Also not sure what their relationship with Mogahwi is since they have a joint store in Shuwaikh as well (Google Maps).

Their Instagram isn’t updated frequently but if you want to check it out it’s @artsandcrafts_kw

Marks & Spencer recently opened their new location in The Avenues. It’s located in Phase II in place of where Baroue used to be located. The new store also has their food range and an M&S Cafe.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Marks & Spencer Middle East (@marksandspencerme)

I just found Nando’s on Talabat. Not sure when they started since they don’t seem to have mentioned it on their instagram account but that’s pretty cool.

I have a Nando’s near me in Salmiya so I usually just pop over, but now I can just order to my place when I’m feeling lazy.

Below are the official prices for the new iPhones in Kuwait. These are the prices all authorized Apple resellers in Kuwait will be following:

iPhone 16

iPhone 16 128GB KD299.9
iPhone 16 256GB KD329.9
iPhone 16 512GB KD399.9

iPhone 16 Plus

iPhone 16 Plus 128GB KD329.9
iPhone 16 Plus 256GB KD364.9
iPhone 16 Plus 512GB KD439.9

iPhone 16 Pro

iPhone 16 Pro 128GB KD374.9
iPhone 16 Pro 256GB KD409.9
iPhone 16 Pro 512GB KD480.9
iPhone 16 Pro 1TB KD554.9

iPhone 16 Pro Max

iPhone 16 Pro Max 256GB KD444.9
iPhone 16 Pro Max 512GB KD519.9
iPhone 16 Pro Max 1TB KD589.9

Some of the prices are slightly higher than last year, for example when you compare the 15 Pro with the 16 Pro, this year its KD2 higher:
iPhone 15 Pro 128GB: KD372.9
iPhone 16 Pro 128GB: KD374.9

If you purchase the iPhone 16 Pro 128GB online from the US Apple Store and shipped it to Kuwait, even with taxes and shipping it would still be cheaper, costing around KD345. This is because the US has the lowest iPhone prices. Compared to the rest of the world though, Kuwait’s prices are somewhere in the middle.

Here’s a price comparison for the same phone in different parts of the world, in case you’re planning to pick one up on your next trip:

iPhone 16 Pro 128GB

Australia: KD367
Canada: KD326
Denmark: KD432
France: KD415
Germany: KD404
Hong Kong: KD337
India: KD436
Italy: KD419
Kuwait: KD375
Netherlands: KD415
Spain: KD412
Switzerland: KD378
Thailand: KD362
UAE: KD358
USA: KD305
UK: KD400

If you’re interested in purchasing it locally, pre-orders in Kuwait will be starting tomorrow (Friday) at official Apple resellers.

This week I started tapering off House of Cards since I’ve kinda gotten over it. Instead I’ve started watching Mad Men since it’s another great series my wife hadn’t watched before. It kinda makes me miss the days I used to work in an advertising agency, it’s such a good show and stills holds up really well since it’s based in the 60s anyway.

I also just watch the trailer for the new Hugh Grant horror, Heretic. It’s by studio A24 who are behind a lot of great films so going by that and this trailer, I feel this is going to be a really good movie. It’s been a really long time since I’ve cared for any horror, maybe not since Blair Witch Project or SAW.

Let me know in the comments what you recently watched or planning to watch.

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Week:
Lee (6.5)
Speak No Evil (6.6)
Subservience (4.6)
The Cleanup Crew (4.3)
Unit 234 (6.9)

Other Movies Showing:
AfrAId (6.3)
Alien: Romulus (7.5)
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (7.3)
Blink Twice (6.9)
Deadpool & Wolverine (8.3)
Despicable Me 4 (6.4)
Gracie and Pedro: Pets to the Rescue (6.3)
Harold and the Purple Crayon (5.7)
Hounds of War (6.1)
Inside Out 2 (7.9)
It Ends with Us (7.2)
Ozi: Voice of the Forest (4.4)
The World Is Not Enough (classic) (6.4)
Trap (7.2)
Wake Up (6.0)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

Apple recently announced the new iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, and I was just informed by @gaitkuwait that the new phones will be officially launched in Kuwait on Friday, September 20th.

Pre-orders will open on September 13th at 3 PM.

I have the iPhone 15 Pro, and the difference between it and the new 16 Pro seems fairly minor. However, the higher resolution sensor on the wide-angle lens is enticing since I use that lens frequently for my blog. Plus, the new 16 Pro also has the 5x lens, which last year’s model lacked unless you had the larger Max version.