2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003

The other day I published Switch 2 prices in Kuwait, and I have some updates.

Firstly, 3R Store (3roodq8) started the pre-order on the Nintendo Switch 2 console and they’ve currently got the cheapest price in Kuwait. They’re selling the console (not the bundle) for KD170, so 10KD cheaper than everyone else. Link

Secondly, Best, Eureka and Xcite are all offering additional things with their bundles. Best are including 1-year of Nintendo Online with their offer, Eureka are offering screen protectors, and Xcite are including headphones.

Finally, a reader let me know you can pre-order the Nintendo Switch 2 from the Amazon.fr store and they’ll ship it straight to Kuwait. The Switch 2 + Mario Kart Bundle will cost 183KD shipped to Kuwait including customs. So around 15KD cheaper than Kuwait prices plus you have the benefit of getting it before the shops in Kuwait.

On a side note, I was checking to see if Amazon.ae carried the Switch 2, they don’t, but I did find the new Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones for sale. They have a pre-order offer now where they’ll include the Sony ULT10 portable speaker for free if you order before the June 17th regional launch date. Total price shipped to Kuwait is KD153. Amazon.com price is KD137 not including tax and shipping plus you don’t get the portable speaker.

If you regularly send money abroad, there’s now an easier and cheaper way to do it in Kuwait. Al Ansari Exchange recently launched a new app that lets you transfer money internationally directly from your phone, and based on what I’ve seen so far, it works really well.

You’ll need a Kuwait Civil ID and a local number to sign up, and the process took me less than 3 minutes to get started. Once registered, you can send money to countries like the UK, Europe, the US, and Canada using market exchange rates. The fees are low with transfers starting at 3KD with no hidden charges, and no sketchy buy/sell currency conversion margins.

The app allows bank-to-bank transfers for GBP, Euro, USD, and CAD, which is perfect for summer travel. You can even top up your Visa card from the app too. The app is really easy to use and it’s available in seven languages, including English, Arabic, Filipino, Hindi, Malayan, Tamil, and Telugu.

If you don’t want to use the app or don’t have a Civil ID, you can still visit one of Al Ansari’s 39 branches in Kuwait and transfer from there. With their recent $200 million acquisition of Bahrain Financing Company, they’ll soon have 80+ branches across the country.

Whether you’re sending money back home or moving funds for travel, it’s worth checking out. To find out more you can head to alansariexchange.com.kw

Main image by double a studio

Last night, as part of AlSadu Society’s celebrations marking Kuwait City’s designation as a World Craft City for Sadu weaving, a new temporary immersive experience was launched at Sadu House.

The immersive experience is set up in the inner courtyard and features a large temporary room surrounded by LCD panels that blend Sadu heritage with modern technology.

The experience is open to the public starting today and runs until Thursday (May 20–22). If you’d like to check it out, visit anytime between 6:30PM and 9:30PM. Entry is free. @saduhouse

This is the last batch of photos from Ian Caldwell’s family collection.

If you missed the previous two posts, Ian was born in Ahmadi in 1955 and lived in Kuwait until 1975. He’s scanned over 300 Kuwait-related photos from his family’s archive, which he’s kindly given me permission to share.

This final batch of photos isn’t categorized, other than being random scenes from around Kuwait taken in the 70s.

I really like the shot of the phone booth in the middle of the nowhere, it’s really weird, which is why I had Ian send me the original scan so I could print it out and frame it. Another favorite is the main image I used of the baqala, which looks like a scene straight out of a Western movie.

You’ll also find a couple of photos of the Kuwait Towers and Gulf Road while they were still under construction, and one of Seif Palace with the original telecommunications building going up in the background.

There are also some really odd ones I’ll let you discover for yourself. Link

The Nintendo Switch 2 is launching in the US on June 5 but looks like it’s going to launch in Kuwait couple of weeks later on June 19. A bunch of shops have started taking pre-orders but for some reason it looks like Kuwait might have the most expensive prices compared to Saudi and UAE. Here the local stores I found that have started pre-orders:

3R Store
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 169.99 KD 189.99 Link

Al-Fuhod – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 199.99 Link

Best – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 189.99 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 199.99 Link

Blink – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 184.99 Link

Eureka – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 189.99 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 199.99 Link

Xcite – Kuwait
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 204.900 Link

All the stores in Kuwait seem to have the same price except for Xcite who are KD 5 more expensive. Geekay haven’t started pre-orders yet or announced the local price but in Saudi they’re selling the Switch 2 at the following prices:

Geekay – Saudi Arabia
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 164 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 180 Link

Jarir is also selling the consoles at the same price:

Jarir – Saudi Arabia
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 164 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 180 Link

It seems thats going to be the official (and fixed price) for Saudi since the prices were set by Nintendo themselves Link.

In the UAE, the prices I found were the following:

Gamekart – UAE
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 167 Link

Jarir – UAE
Nintendo Switch 2 – KD 154 Link
Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle – KD 168 Link

I’m hoping once Geekay Kuwait announces their pre-order their prices will be similar to Saudi and the UAE, or at least cheaper than everyone else locally cuz right now it seems absurd why our prices are so much higher.

If you know any other place currently taking pre-orders on the Switch 2, let me know.

Update: According to a contact familiar with the situation, currently local retailers are getting the consoles from the grey market and not Nintendo themselves. So the C button (GameChat) might not work locally and the warranty might also not be valid. It might also explain the June 19 launch date since they might be waiting for the console to launch and then get shipped to Kuwait.
Update2: Added 3R Store who now have the cheapest prices in Kuwait
Update3: 3R Store have now increased their prices and no longer are the cheapest
Update4: Added Blink

The whole block in Salmiya behind Al Salam Mall is currently in the process of being demolished. The block contains 5 really old buildings that haven’t been maintained in decades, but also contains really old Kuwaiti houses in the back. Google Maps

Back in 2012 I took photos of those Kuwaiti houses since they had put up a fence around them because I assumed they were going to demolish them back then. Then they never got demolished so I figured the white fence was there to help preserve them. Well they’ve now been demolished.

You can check out all the photos below or view them directly on Flickr. (Hover over the image below, album is embedded)

I actually posted about the 5 buildings a few years ago since I had found old photos from like the 70s that showed the buildings in them and they weren’t in that great condition back then either. You can check out that post here.

The 61st exhibition by the Palestinian Culture Center kicked off today, celebrating the heritage, resilience, and artistry of Palestinian women.

The center has been active in Kuwait since the early 1970s, and each year they host this exhibition to help keep Palestinian culture alive while supporting underprivileged women and children in refugee camps.

The exhibition features handmade embroidery, ceramics, traditional foods, and books for sale. Every item reflects the rich culture of Palestine and supports the women who continue to preserve it with care.

Date: Thursday, May 15 to Monday, May 19
Time: 10AM to 8PM
Location: Women’s Cultural and Social Society (Google Maps)

For more info, head to @palestiniancc

Can we talk about Andor? I just binge watched the last 3 episodes of the second season last night and I’m so sad the series is over. It’s by far my favorite Star Wars series/movie/anything. It also feels like the least Star Warsy Star Wars and I think it’s because of the amount of depth, seriousness and grittiness the series has. The main hero also doesn’t have a light saber, he doesn’t have a cool outfit or anything out of the ordinary, he’s mostly just a normal person.

This is also probably the only Star Wars that also makes you empathize or fall in love with Imperial characters. The show is just so insanely good.

Then you also have the beautiful visuals and the incredible music like in the Mon Mothma dancing scene above. I think I actually might rewatch the series from the start again so I can enjoy it without all the anxiety and suspense. And then I’ll probably rewatch Rogue One since it takes place right after Andor in the Star Wars universe. If you haven’t watched it yet, please watch it.

Have you watched anything interesting lately? Let us know in the comments.

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

New This Week:
Final Destination: Bloodlines (7.1)
Home Sweet Home: Rebirth (4.7)
Hurry Up Tomorrow (5.9)
Pet Investigators (6.1)
Valiant One (5.2)

Other Movies Showing:
A Few Good Men (Classic) (7.7)
A Minecraft Movie (6.0)
A Working Man (6.8)
Heart Eyes (6.1)
The Amateur (6.7)
Shadow Force (5.2)
Sinners (8.0)
The Accountant 2 (7.2)
The Legend of Ochi (6.3)
Thunderbolts* (7.8)
Until Dawn (6.0)

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

Starting today, it’s Puff Week! Puff Kuwait’s biggest sale of the year is here, just in time for summer. Beat the heat with ice-cold sips in colors that match your vibe.

The sale is live now on Boutiqaat, and starting tomorrow, you’ll also find it in-store at Assima Mall, Gate Mall, Marina Mall, and Kout Mall.

For more info, head to @trypuff.

If you were at the chalet this past weekend, or if you were in the city looking out the window a few hours ago, you might have noticed a plane flying near the shore with an advertising banner behind it. Turns out it’s a new service being offered by Kuwait Skydive. I got in touch with them and managed to get all the details.

They have two different aerial advertising options:

Aerial Banners: This is when the plane tows your logo, campaign, or a picture along the coast, from Khairan to Kuwait Towers.

Aerial Messages: This is similar to what you’ve seen in movies and TV shows where the plane tows a message that are up to 30 characters long. (I think people are going to use this the most)

The minimum flight time they offer is 1 hour and the maximum is 4 hours. They fly around 150-300m above sea level and have three flight time slots:

7AM to 10AM
11AM to 2PM
3PM to 6PM

The plane flies from Al-Kout Mall to Kuwait Towers, and on weekends they also fly in Bnaider, Julai’a and Khairan.

They offer various pricing options based on flight duration and banner size. To give you a general idea, flight prices start at KD 750 for one hour, while the cost of manufacturing the banner starts at KD 400.

If you’re interested or want to find out more you can reach out to Nathalie on 60657462 or Ibraheem on 66118822. They don’t have an Instagram account yet since they’ve just soft launched but you could also reach out to them on @kuwaitskydive

I really hate it when people take my images and use them without permission, so anytime I find someone doing so, I report the post for copyright infringement. The three main platforms I run into these issues is Instagram, Twitter (X), and TikTok but a few days ago someone posted my photos on Reddit so had to file a report there.

The most bizarre thing about all this, somehow, Twitter is the fastest to respond to copyright claims. It’s really weird because I’m not a premium member and don’t have a blue tick, and also because of all the talk about Elon Musk firing so many people and reducing the size of the teams. You’d think they’d be the slowest or even not care about copyright infringements.

The worst are Instagram and TikTok. Maybe TikTok more because they have yet to act on any claim I’ve made. But Instagram is horrible as well since they’re extremely extremely slow and it has a bigger effect on me since I generate my income from my Instagram content.

Here is an approximate timeline

TikTok
Reported on April 25
No response yet
Time: 16 days and counting

Instagram
Reported on April 27
Infringing content removed May 9
Time: 12 Days

Reddit
Reported on May 11
Infringing content removed May 12
Time: 1 Day

Twitter
Reported on May 12
Infringing content removed same day
Time: 7 hours

So if you’ve ever been curious to how long it takes for social media platforms to respond to copyright claims, now you know.

Also just an FYI I always reach out to the people to let them know they’re using my content and to remove it. I only report them when they refuse to. One guy last week told me he didn’t get the images from me but got them from Google so wasn’t going to remove them. So I filed a complaint and had them removed so he blocked me 🤷🏻‍♂️

Last night I found out that Smashing Pumpkins are going to be performing in Bahrain in October. For those of you who’ve been following my blog from the start you might already know they’re my favorite band. My first blog template even included “Breathing under water and living under glass” in the heading which is from their song Thru the Eyes of Ruby.

Presale tickets went on sale this morning, there were only two kinds available, General Admission and something called Premium Package which what I understood is the same but includes free beverages and canopies. No idea if beverages includes alcohol or just soft drinks so I got the General Admission tickets.

But, I really really need to find a way to get backstage access, so if anyone can help me out I’ll owe you one!

The last time I saw them live was 10 years ago when I was in LA as part of the The End of Times tour with Marlyn Manson. I shot the video above at that concert.

Muhra, the local luxury fashion brand, recently unveiled their handcrafted traditional thoub designed for the Kuwait Airways crew. The thoub incorporates elements from the airline’s branding and will be worn by welcoming stewardesses on select flights.

Muhra was founded in 2004 by Farah Al Babtain and got a lot of attention last year when they designed the official attire for the female Kuwaiti athletes at the Paris Summer Olympics. They also created the official outfits for the Asian Games the year before, but my personal favorite project of theirs is the 30 Moons Campaign.

The 30 Moons Campaign ran during Ramadan this year and was an ode to the strength and beauty of women. I loved the art direction and found it visually stunning, especially the short reels.

You can view more photos of the new Kuwait Airways thoub on their instagram account @muhraofficial. If you want to check out the beautiful 30 Moons Campaign, scroll down in their reels till you see the visuals I’ve posted above.

This is the second batch of photos from Ian Caldwell’s collection, and there is one more batch I’ll be sharing after this post.

Ian was born in Magwa Hospital in Ahmadi in 1955 and lived in Kuwait until 1975. He’s scanned over 300 Kuwait-related photos from his family’s collection, which he’s kindly given me permission to share. Last month I posted photos of Souk Mubarakiya and Fahaheel Market from his archive, this time, I’m sharing photos taken over various weekends and holidays between the late 60s and early 70s.

The photos were taken by Ian, his father Arthur, and his younger brother Tom.

I could only share 20 photos on my Instagram account, but since you guys check the blog you get to see all the photos which amount to 121. To check them out, click here.

One of the cool things about my partnership with Jahez is that I never know what they’re going to send me, so it’s always a surprise and a fun way to try something new. This weekend, they sent over desserts from OYO. I hadn’t tried OYO before, but they sent so many items I basically got to sample almost everything on the menu. Here’s what I got:

Crunch: Three layers of chocolate and crunch biscuits

Fluffy Box: Moist cake coated in layers of milk, white and crunch chocolate

OYO Crack: Milk chocolate with pecan salted caramel

Pist-OYO: Chocolate bites filled with crispy kunafa and pistachio spread with wafers

Very Berry: Fresh raspberry with milk chocolate and white chocolate

The brand clearly focuses on gatherings, offering lots of bite-sized options. Their bold yellow packaging also stands out, making their items pop next to other dessert brands at gatherings. I like taking bite-sized desserts to gatherings since it lets people try a bit of everything instead of committing to just one dessert.

From what they sent over, my favorite was the Crunch, even though it was the least visually exciting. My second favorite was the OYO Crack, while the best-looking item was definitely the perfectly shaped Pist-OYO (which was basically Dubai chocolate in a bite).

If you’re looking for new desserts for your next gathering, OYO is available on Jahez. If you’re a Jahez Prime member, you also get free delivery. Check them out @oyo_kw.