2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003
Just a random post, I’m obsessed with these spinach nuggets, I got them a few days ago from a place called Makani in Shuwaikh and they’re so delicious. It’s by a brand called Dr Praeger’s and they are very easy to make, you just throw them in the air frier for 10 mins and they make a good breakfast. They’re not ridiculously priced and they’re not just for kids, you can get them here.
Last year, Chipotle announced a partnership with Alshaya Group to introduce its franchise to the Middle East, and they’re now ready to open their inaugural location.
The first Chipotle in Kuwait is set to open at The Avenues (next to VOX Cinema) this Eid. While an exact date hasn’t been finalized, they’re aiming to open soon after their private VIP event on April 8th. So stay tuned.
Update: They just informed me that the official instagram account for the Middle East is @chipotle.me and will go live later today
Update2: The final opening date is now April 9th
Amer Zahr, the popular Palestinian American comedian is coming to Kuwait to perform his hilarious stand-up show, “The Truth”.
Amer has previously headlined at New York City’s world-famous Carnegie Hall and John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. He also served as a national surrogate for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders back in 2016. His comedy tends to draw on his experiences growing up as a child of Palestinian refugees, performing on topics like politics, society, culture, Palestine, and more.
If you’re looking for a night out full of laughter, he’ll be performing in Kuwait on April 23rd at 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm. The show will take place at the American University in Kuwait Theater in Salmiya and tickets start at KD15.
Amer is proud to partner with the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
To get your tickets head over to tktfox.com
Last week artist Jad El Khoury was brought back to Kuwait to create a new mural in place of his erased one, that project was just one of many that the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters have in the pipeline.
NCCAL recently underwent a leadership transition that is instigating significant changes. They want to transform the public art scene starting with a commitment to providing increased opportunities for both local and international artists. By fostering trust between artists and the public sector, they hope to cultivate a vibrant public art community in Kuwait.
Their first project launched earlier this year and they called it “Al Fenn Al Thalith Murals Project” (roughly translates to “The Third Art Murals Project). The project is an open platform for artists that streamlines the process of obtaining permits to create murals on public property and spaces. They launched the project with an open invitation for people to submit their designs and if chosen, they’d then be able to paint them onto the electrical substations in that area.
With their first projects out of the way, NCCAL are now working on the next ones. One of the future projects targets what they call “trouble zones” all over Kuwait, breathing life into them with mural art. They also want to collaborate with a variety of entities such as Jedareyat, the Australian Embassy (future project in the works), and various private sponsors/collaborators.
I also found it interesting that NCCAL supports all local artists, regardless of where they’re from. Additionally, they aim to continue inviting international artists so they could bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the local scene.
NCCAL are currently in the process of setting up social media pages and an official website that will encompass all these projects, but for now, if you’re interested in obtaining a permit to create a mural on public property, you can do so through the NCCAL website, nccal.gov.kw
Yesterday someone on Reddit shared a video he took at a beach in Abu Halifa. The video shows a guy driving an SUV (Toyota FJ Cruiser) carelessly on a beach when he suddenly loses control and the car flips over throwing the driver out.
That original post disappeared but not before the video quickly going viral locally. It even started going viral online with one post getting 54,000 up votes and a reel on Instagram getting over 5 million views.
Supposedly the car was stolen and the driver was later apprehended although I can’t find a news site verifying that information. If you haven’t watched the video or if you want to watch the full unedited video, I’ve uploaded it to YouTube and shared it in this post.
Netflix has officially announced that the popular Kuwait-based series ‘The Exchange‘ will be returning for a second season. The show which had a very successful first season will see the comeback of the two main stars, Farida played by Rawan Mahdi, and Munira who’s played by Mona Hussain as well as the director Jasem AlMuhanna and producer Abdullah Boushahri.
Although I was hoping the show will be moving into the 90s for the second season, it looks like it will continue to remain in the 80s. Production is currently underway but Netflix hasn’t mentioned an air date but I’d imagine it’s Q4 of this year or Q1 of next year.
A hacker is claiming to have 600,000 passenger data for Kuwait Airways customers which supposedly contains the following information:
Member title, first name, middle name, surname, marital status, job title, dob, gender, e-mail address, nationality, Kuwait national ID, passport, passport validity period, primary telephone, second telephone, address, city, state, zip code, country, award mile, next card, qualify miles, quality sector, tier, total award miles, total qualify miles, valid from, valid till, contents.
Kuwait Airways have responded to the claim stating:
The security and privacy of our passengers’ information are paramount to us. We are investigating the claims made on social media and have engaged leading cybersecurity experts to assess and mitigate the situation. source
🇰🇼 Alleged Sale of 600,000 Passenger Data of Kuwait Airways
A threat actor claimed to have 600,000 passenger data belonging to Kuwait Airways and was putting it up for sale. Allegedly in the database: member title, first name, middle name, surname, marital status, job title,… pic.twitter.com/PRndsOe5ce
— ThreatMon (@MonThreat) March 25, 2024
I’m a Kuwait Airways customer so I originally was concerned my credit card details might have been part of the security breach. But, I checked and I don’t have my credit card details saved, and don’t think there is a way to save them anyway. So one positive I guess. For more details, check this article out on cybersecuritynews.com
As you’re probably aware by now, a few weeks ago I got access to Tareq Rajab Museums’ (@trmkuwait) private photography archive. While going through the photos I found ones of the British Embassy under construction, as well an aerial photo showing the embassy with two large buildings in the background. The other two buildings were the Sheikh Khazal’s Palace (Bayt Al Ghanim), and Diwan Sheikh Khazal (Sheikh Abdullah Al Jaber Palace).
The three buildings are still there today, but only the British Embassy is not falling apart and is still being used today. So, I reached out to @ukinkuwait for some information on the building, and what they shared was very fascinating.
The embassy was commissioned by the political agent Colonel Harold Dickson, and designed by architect Robert T. Russell, chief architect to the Government of India. The building construction was completed in 1935.
Harold Dickson and his wife Dame Violet Dickson (Umm Saud), were the first residents of the embassy. There have been 15 political agents and 21 ambassadors that have lived in the current residence.
The Residence was built with Basra Bricks and steel girders from Scotland. It was the first building in Kuwait built with steel girders which allowed rooms to be bigger than the height of a tree. At the time it was built, the building was really stunning for guests because they had never been in such large rooms.
The house originally was heated in the winter by 12 wood/coal burning fireplaces. All but three have been enclosed and are no longer used except as a decorative piece. The main terrace is designed in an arc to help catch the sea breeze and that a portion of it will always be in the shade to help create a natural breeze when the wind is not blowing in the summer.
Originally the embassy did not have AC and at that time it was normal in the middle east for people to sleep on the roof during the summer. Colonel Dickson and his family did that as well. But, the colonel was a bad sleepwalker and his wife Violet was scared he would walk off the roof since there were no railings. Initially, she tied his toe to the bed to keep him safe. Later she had a custom 2-inch-deep bath made that was the size of his bed. When he went to get out of bed, he stepped into the water and woke himself up.
On the first day of the 1990 Iraq invasion, the Ambassador then, Michael Weston calculated the embassy had 30 days supply of food and water for himself and his head of the Political Section Larry Banks. More than 5 months later, surviving on a little more than canned food and stagnant water (they drank the swimming pool), Ambassador Weston and his head of Political, locked the Embassy and climbed out a window and made their way to Baghdad until the coalition forces assisted in liberating Kuwait a little over a month later.
Today, the British Embassy residence is still used as the ambassador’s residence, and so is considered to be the oldest continually occupied residential building in Kuwait.
Note: The colored photo is by Verity Cridland and taken in the early 60s.
Earlier this month, I got to visit the Red Bull Racing Factory in the UK. As a huge Formula 1 fan, it was an incredible opportunity and experience.
It all came about because of Red Bull MOBILE by Zain’s Weekly Rewards program. Every week Red Bull MOBILE by Zain has a small competition for their customers in which you can win various Red Bull related experiences and gear. Back in January they launched their biggest reward yet, an all-inclusive trip to visit the Red Bull Racing Factory in the UK. There would be two winners with each winner able to bring one companion with them on the trip.
Red Bull MOBILE by Zain asked me if I wanted to tag along on this trip with the winners, and I of course said yes.
The tour was insane, we got to see so much of the process behind designing and building an F1 car, and I couldn’t believe I was really there seeing it all in person. Majority of the tour involved being inside secured areas where no photography was allowed, but we were allowed to take photos inside their main hall where we were surrounded by the Red Bull championship-winning race cars, as well as the heritage department that works on restoring and keeping the older F1 cars running (they’re used for Red Bull Road shows around the world).
The winners of this trip were also F1 fans like me, one of the couples actually flew the next day from London all the way to Bahrain so they could be there for the first F1 race of the season. For sports fans, the Red Bull MOBILE by Zain rewards program is an incredible opportunity to win so many cool prizes from the world of Red Bull every week.
This Ramadan, Red Bull MOBILE by Zain also has an offer going on where all their plans are doubled. For example, with their Ready KD6 plan you now get 200GB’s and 200mins the first month instead of 100GB/100mins, and then the second month you get 400GB/400mins and the third month you get 600GB/600mins.
If you’re an F1 fan or just a sports fan in general, you should really think of signing up with them. For more info, check out @redbullmobilekw
Back in 2016, a beautiful wall mural by the award winning artist Jad El Khoury was commissioned on the side of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) building. The project had been sponsored by Jedareyat, a local volunteer group that scours the city for dead walls, and artists who can transform them into picture-worthy landmarks.
In 2020, controversy arose when the mural was painted over with white paint, completely destroying it. A lot of people were obviously upset about the incident, and what was a beautiful wall in the city turned into a generic white surface.
But there is now some good news!
Jad has been brought back to Kuwait and has been commissioned to paint a brand new mural on the same wall again. The new artwork was commissioned by Froyo, the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters and in collaboration again with Jedariyat.
The building has been undergoing preparation over the past few days and is now ready to be painted on. Jad will be starting work tomorrow (Friday) and is expected to complete the artwork by next Wednesday. If you want to watch him paint his new mural, then you can pass by over the coming days during the day to check him work.
Jad’s previous artwork was titled “Single Man” and was inspired by him moving from Lebanon to Kuwait for work. The mural had represented a single person trying to fit into a new chaotic environment.
This year’s World Happiness Report is out and Kuwait has moved up the list and is now the 13th happiest country in the world. This is the highest spot I’ve seen Kuwait since I started following the report back in 2012, and now outs Kuwait ahead of countries like the UK, US, and Canada.
Kuwait was out of the rankings last year for lack of surveys for a three-year period, so this year’s ranking is based only on the 2023 survey.
The happiest country in the world is Finland, while the unhappiest place is Afghanistan in 143 with Lebanon right behind in 142nd. Here is how Kuwait compares with some other countries:
1 – Finland
13 – Kuwait
15 – Canada
20 – UK
22 – UAE
23 – USA
28 – Saudi Arabia
32 – Oman
62 – Bahrain
126 – India
127 – Egypt
142 – Lebanon
N/A – Qatar
The results are based on surveys from people in more than 140 countries who are answering questions regarding their overall satisfaction with their lives. The study also takes into account six key variables including GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity and corruption.
For the full list head to the website worldhappiness.report
Just a quick update on my previous post on a new rule requiring a triptik for your car if you’re planning on driving out of Kuwait. Yesterday I had a day trip to Khafji and I didn’t get triptik for my car and nobody asked for it at the border.
The only issue I had actually was a 5KD parking fine. They wouldn’t let me leave Kuwait without settling the fine, luckily the border was empty due to the rain storm, so the guy just let me pay the fine while still at the window using the Sahel app.
So lesson of the day, always check to see if you have any fines before traveling. This applies only for expats.
Update: So it seems it could depend on what border you exit Kuwait from. The Salmi border are supposedly asking for triptik, the khafji border isn’t.
Since it’s the month of giving, I decided for this design highlight I’d post about Mariam’s Library, a corporate social responsibility project by local architects, Parallel Studio.
Mariam’s Library was created with the aim of providing enhanced educational opportunities to students situated in the village of Mwanyanya in Zanzibar. The project originated from Parallel’s Studio commitment to giving back to both local and global communities through their Parallel Gives Program.
The library has two main zones, the first is a designated area for reading and study. It was designed similar to a stage so to maximize seating capacity. The second zone is an open space meant for community engagement and group activities. The result is a space that fulfills both practical and aesthetic requirements.
Speaking of aesthetics, when it came to the design of the library, Parallel Studio made sure to balance traditional architectural elements with modern design principles, while still also respecting Zanzibar’s architectural heritage. The materials they used were carefully selected to honor both the environment and local craftsmanship. For example, they used clay bricks in both the exterior and interior since it helps cool down temperatures during the summer season, while the fiber corrugated roofing was installed to allow daylight to filter in and provide ambient lighting.
I love the look of this library and the initiative behind it. Plus, the fact that it took only 34 days from start to finish is impressive. To see more work by Parallel Studio check out their instagram @parallel_studio
Photos by Nassor Othman
If you’re a UFC Arabia subscriber then you probably already know they’re shutting down the service at the end of the month. UFC Arabia was the best way to watch UFC fights if you live in Kuwait (or the GCC). The service and features were great and the price was cheap, like 2KD a month and it included pay per view events which cost around 25KD each in the US.
But, they’re now shutting down the service and telling everyone to sign up to STARZPLAY, the new home of UFC Arabia.
I signed up to it and watched the last PPV event (UFC 299) on STARZPLAY and it SUCKED. I had two major issues:
First issue, you can’t rewind a live event. Most of the pay per view events start in the middle of the night and by the time I wake up around 7AM they’re nearly done. What I used to do with UFC Arabia is get on, press play, and quickly rewind to the start of the event so I don’t see any spoilers. I can even pause after rewinding so I can then make my coffee, sit down and start watching the fights.
With STARZPLAY you can’t do that, you have to watch live where the event is and you can’t rewind. So if I get on and it’s in the middle of the fight it’s like tough luck, I can’t do anything about it except maybe just not watch the fights in the morning as they’re happening and instead wait till after work or something.
The second issue I had was that midway through the fights the STARZPLAY video stream died and didn’t come back. Thankfully UFC Arabia was still functioning so I just got on that and continued to watch the event there.
The whole STARZPLAY interface also sucks and it’s just too busy with so much going on. I tried watching old fights but it wouldn’t even let me change the commentary language, so I was forced to watch it in Arabic. It’s just a horrible experience compared to UFC Arabia.
So basically, if you’re a UFC fan living in the GCC you’re pretty much out of luck now.
Someone is selling a 2 day old Apple Vision Pro in the classifieds section for 800KD which is a pretty good price considering it also comes with the $200 travel case. If you’ve been wanting one but didn’t want to pay 1,200~KD for it, this could be a good option.
The size of the light seal it comes with is 31W, so if you need a different size you’ll have to buy one from Apple for $200. Finding out what light seal fits your face is easy since Apple will use your phone to scan your face and recommend you a size.
If you want to buy this used Vision Pro, here is the link.