2:48AM - Entertaining Kuwait since 2003We found 4,586 results for your search.
A few days ago KFH launched their new branding and I don’t think I like it. The icon, although derived from the old logo (pictured below), it feels generic, but mostly I’m really not a fan of the KFH English typeface which feels like a techno font from the 90s.
I do like the fact that the English name is now just KFH, while the Arabic is the full name. NBK is like that and it’s worked pretty well for them.
Back in the late 90s while I was in university I had a few favorite directors:
David Cronenberg who was behind weird films like Crash, The Fly, eXistenZ, The Dead Zone, and Videodrome
Stanley Kubrick who was behind classics like Lolita, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining
Terry Gilliam who was behind the best comedy ever made, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, as well as classics like Brazil, 12 Monkeys and the last film Johnny Depp was great in, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
And finally, David Lynch who was behind some of my all time favorite movies, Lost Highway, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks and Eraserhead. He also directed the original Dune movie although I’m not sure if I’ve watched it. I must have.
I don’t even know how many times I’ve watched Lost Highway, has to be over a dozen, I owned the original copy of the videotape and played the movie a lot to my friends. It was such a bizarre film with probably one of the top 5 best soundtracks ever released. The only movie I’ve watched more than Lost Highway is Natural Born Killers, I stopped counting the number of times I watched that movie after I passed 20.
Whats so weird is literally 2 days ago, January 15, I was randomly talking to my wife about movies and brought up the movie Lost Highway and how we should watch it. I just found out the film actually launched on January 15, 1997, and now two days later David Lynch passed away. Pretty weird, but fitting since he was so weird. Gonna go now and see if they ever released a 4K version of the Lost Highway so I can watch it again this weekend.
White Fortress is a chalet located in Al Khiran and was designed by the local architects TAEP/AAP. I previously posted about two other chalets they designed and this one caught my interest because of the lighthouse-like structure that towers over the compound.
The architects designed the White Fortress with privacy and discretion as the main priorities of the project. The space is surrounded by tall, thick walls that offer protection from the harsh climate and arid surroundings, while providing a serene and inviting interior. The enclosure contains a series of patios and gardens, each assigned a distinct role, such as greeting, resting, or celebrating, to provide a variety of experiences.
Within the center of this “oasis,” a tall lighthouse-like structure creates a place for meditation and seclusion while providing endless panoramic views of the house gardens, the dunes, and the sea. The roof is also accessible from the tower, transforming into a contemplative walking space with an endless horizon view of the sea.
At first I wasn’t too sure about having the walls so high on both sides of the compound, but with neighbors popping up next door eventually, I think I can see the appeal of a fortress like structure. To see more work photos of this project, click here.
Update: The information below, shared by the athletes, was incorrect. They are not the first skiers to represent Kuwait or the first to compete at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championship. Kuwaiti skier Bashar Huneidi represented Kuwait in various FIS ski competitions between 1996 and 2008. In fact, BBC referred to him as a “desert skier” in a 2002 article about his efforts to get Kuwait into the Winter Olympics. I’m sorry for the error and for not verifying the athletes’ claims before sharing.
A a couple of years ago, I posted about Kuwait’s National Ski Team, and now, for the first time, they’ll be competing at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Austria next month.
Jassim Hassan and Faris Al-Obaid will both be competing in the Giant Slalom category. The Giant Slalom is an alpine skiing race that tests athletes’ technical skills and speed as they navigate a downhill course marked by widely spaced gates.
Kuwaiti athletes have been training and competing extensively during the winter seasons to rack up points, aiming to qualify Kuwait for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Though it’s an ambitious goal (think Cool Runnings), the points earned next month will be valuable.
To stay posted on their progress, follow their instagram accounts @the_kuwaiti_skier and @theunicornshepherd
Popular UFC fighter and most likely future middleweight champion, Khamzat Chimaev is going to be in Kuwait this weekend. He’s coming as a guest of honor for FERA Championship 2. Last year FERA Championship brought former UFC Champion and legend Jose Aldo to Kuwait and I actually ended up running into him at The Avenues wearing a dishdasha which was so bizarre.
FERA Championship is one of the largest MMA event that takes place in Kuwait, and this year it’s happening on January 17th. Tickets start at 10KD and if you want to find out more or book a ticket, their instagram account is @ferachampionship
This weekend, Kuwait will be hosting the Nawi Wellness Summit 2025, a three-day event focused on health, fitness, and wellness. The event will run from January 9th to 11th and take place at The Arena in 360 Mall. It will be open daily from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM and is free to attend.
The summit won’t be a typical event; instead, it will feature engaging and immersive experiences, including:
Exhibition Hall: Explore top companies and brands showing their newest health and wellness products and services.
Interactive Workshops, Seminars, and Panels: Join activities for adults and families, including hands-on workshops, educational talks, and inspiring discussions.
Nawi Museum: Discover Kuwait’s sports history through a unique and immersive installation that takes you on a journey from Kuwait’s pearl diving days, to modern sports achievements.
Entry is free to the exhibition hall which has all the participating booths, retail area as well as food and drinks.
If you’d like access to the workshops, panel discussions, and NAWI Museum, then you need to purchase a VIP ticket. The VIP ticket costs KD25 and gives you 3-days access to the summit and allows you to register in any workshop or panel discussion. The workshops and panels will be held in English or Arabic, with translation provided in English for Arabic discussions and in Arabic for English discussions.
Nawi aims to inspire healthier living, bring people together, and highlight Kuwait’s role in wellness. If you want to register for the event or find out more, head over to yallanawi.com or check out @yalla.nawi
Yesterday I started receiving forwards to my @248am account from followers. They were sending me a video created by four content creators (@bukhaleefa,@oalthuwaini,@bo6aleb,@dr_m_alkandari) who had essentially taken my post about the story of Haydo, translated it to Arabic, and then used it as a script for their video on the same subject. It’s basically a word for word copy of my post with no mention of where they got their script from. They even used the exact same footage I had dug out for my post.
The four content creators combined have a total of over 4 million followers so I’m assuming they’re popular although I only recognize one of them. Based on their names I think two of them are doctors? I don’t know, but it’s just so weird that “content creators” seem to think it’s ok to copy someones work and not even credit them. It’s what I posted about recently, we live in a society where copying other peoples work is normalized. I remember watching a video a few months back where a “content creator” was responding to accusations that he was copying other peoples videos by saying its normal to copy and everyone does it. No it’s not normal.
The Haydo story isn’t mine to own obviously, it’s a historical event. But, the story they chose to share is mine. It’s my post, I did the research, I wrote and put the article together picking what I thought were the most important details to share. I edited the article so that it was fun and interesting to read, and then I spent two days looking for videos and photos that I thought were the best to go with it. So to have 4 established “content creators” to just translate my post and turn it into their script two days later because they ran out of their own creative ideas is frustrating.
Anyone that copies my content I usually report straight to Instagram. Sometimes I contact the person directly and ask them to remove the post, other times I just head straight to Instagram. Although Instagram are a bit slow, so far every time they’ve removed the infringing post and given a strike to the person that copied it. I think once they get two strikes they get some restrictions. I’ve already reported their post, but in this case I feel Instagram won’t be able to do anything since their post is in spoken Arabic while my post is written and in English. So it will be interesting to see how this turns out.
Actually, as I wrote the last sentence, I realized a much simpler way for instgram to realize they’ve copied my post. Without going into too much details for now, they essentially used something they could have only gotten from me. So I just submitted a second complaint to Instagram so that way in case the first one doesn’t work, the second one should.
I’ll post an update once I hear back from Instagram.
Qout Market, the market that started the whole markets trend in Kuwait is back again for a new season.
This year, Qout Market is happening at a brand-new location, Mishref’s Oasis, with the first one taking place on Saturday, January 25th.
Stay updated on the new season by following @qoutmarket
A lot of people have been asking me whether there are any fireworks tonight. Here’s what I’ve been able to find.
The largest fireworks shows taking place tonight will most likely be at Al Khiran Mall, and possibly Al Mikshat on the Sheikh Jaber bridge.
According to a contact at TEC, none of their projects will have fireworks. So no fireworks at K Land, Winter Wonderland, South Subahiya Park, and Kuwait Towers.
Some hotels will have fireworks including Jumeirah Messilah Beach, but I don’t think they’ll be big shows. The advantage of Jumeirah over other hotels is that there are lots of empty lots around the hotel to park and watch the fireworks if you want to.
If you know of another place that will have fireworks tonight, let us know in the comments.
Pantone recently announced its Color of the Year—Mocha Mousse, a warm brown hue. Personally, I’m over brown and beige, which is why I love the new Matchbox eatery.
Matchbox just opened a new location at Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Cultural Centre (JACC) and it’s visually everything I want a place to look like, just full of color and packed with details. You’ve probably noticed from my recent design highlights that I’m over minimal design and far more into places like this, which feel cozier and more visually interesting.
The new Matchbox was collaborative effort put together between the Matchbox team and Studio Nama. The design was executed by Creative International and the photos were taken by Mohammad Ashkanani.
I love it. For more photos, click here.
Below is a list of places I found that offer Christmas-themed lunches & dinners as well as cakes. If there is a place you know I haven’t listed, let me know so I can add it:
Courtyard by Marriott
Christmas Eve Dinner: 24KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 20KD (Buffet)
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 17KD (Buffet)
Grand Majestic Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 7.9KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 7.9KD (Buffet)
Holiday Inn Salmiya
Christmas Day Lunch: 16.9KD (Buffet)
Jumeirah Messilah Beach
Christmas Eve Dinner: 24KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 24KD (Buffet)
Radisson Blu Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 19.5KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 21KD (Buffet)
Ramada Encore Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 9.5KD (Set Menu)
Safir Fintas Kuwait Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 9.9KD (Buffet)
Symphony Style Hotel
Christmas Eve Dinner: 18KD (Buffet)
Christmas Day Lunch: 20KD (Buffet)
Vigonovo
Christmas Eve Dinner: 15KD (Set Menu)
Christmas Day Lunch: 15KD (Set Menu)
Call ahead to book. Prices are per person and I’ve mentioned if it’s a buffet or set menu. Crowne Plaza offers two restaurants for Christmas Eve dinner, while Jumeirah has one restaurant for Christmas dinner and another for Christmas lunch.
Gourmet Grocers is a new premium grocery store that recently opened a boutique at the Nasco building in Shuwaikh. They offer a curated selection of high-quality gourmet products to cater to customers with particular tastes. It’s like walking into a boutique where every shelf and corner is packed with the finest gourmet selections; a foodie’s dream come true.
Their product range spans various categories, including cereals and grains, condiments, snacks, beverages, and lifestyle items. They are resellers for notable brands like Bjorg, Lune de Miel, Nicholas Alziari, but they also carry other premium brands like Seggiano, François Doucet, Meurisse, and more. This extensive selection ensures that customers have access to exclusive and premium items not commonly found in the local market.
They also just launched their festive selection comprising of Panettone, Panforte, in addition to a Festive Gift Box and other products.
Speaking of gifts, if you’re looking for something truly unique, their custom gift boxes are a hit if you’re going to a gathering or want to gift something thoughtful to a food lover. Customers can pick from ready-made boxes or create their own by choosing from the store’s premium products to make the gift more personal and special. The packaging is also elegant which adds a touch of luxury to every gift.
In addition to their physical boutique in Shuwaikh, Gourmet Grocers provides an online shopping platform with complimentary delivery across Kuwait. Customers can place orders through their website gourmet-grocers.com, with same-day delivery available for orders placed before 2pm.
If you want to pass by their store, here is their location on Google Maps. For the latest updates, product highlights, or to start shopping, visit their Instagram @gourmetgrocers or head to their website gourmet-grocers.com
UR Cookies first opened back in 2020—just a small spot, nothing fancy, it was primarily a pick-up and delivery location. But, they had a solid, satisfying cookie that wasn’t too big, not too sweet, and always fresh. They had a straightforward approach which I appreciated.
Recently, they opened a second, much larger location at The Avenues. The new spot offers plenty of seating, a cool trendy interior, and it’s much easier to visit (for me) since I’m at The Avenues once a week, usually more. Despite the bigger space and the busier setting, they haven’t lost the simple vibe, it still feels like a cookie place, not a cookie factory.
With the opening of their new spot, they also launched a must-try item called ‘UR Scoop,’ which I’d been seeing all over my TikTok feed. It’s a warm, thick, and gooey cookie dough scooped into a cup and topped with creamy vanilla soft serve. When I saw it on TikTok, I knew I had to try it when I’d pass by to take pictures for this post. It’s as amazing as it sounds, and I’m already looking forward to having it again this Friday when I’m back at The Avenues. It’s definitely worth the hype.
UR Cookies is located in The Avenues Phase 4, in the food court below Vox Cinemas. Their viral item ‘UR Scoop’ is exclusively available at this location and not available for delivery. The new location also has cold and hot drinks including milkshakes and specialty coffee. Swipe left to see the pictures I took and then head over to their account @ur.cookies.kw
Since we are on the subject of Kuwait Airways, while browsing the New York Times archive I found an article from Feb. 11, 1974 which talks about the Kuwaiti parliament debating if Kuwait Airways should continue to serve alcohol on its flight:
Serving of Drinks on Airline at Issue in Kuwait
KUWAIT, Feb. 9—The National Assembly, Kuwait’s lively parliament, was in an uproar this week over whether Kuwait’s national airline should, continue to serve alcoholic drinks on its flights.
The Moslem religion prohibits consumption of intoxicating beverages, and this is a major issue between “liberal” and “fundamentalist” Arabs around the Persian Gulf.
It is an issue of some terest to Western oilmen and business representatives who are in the area in growing numbers, as well as for many Arabs who have studied or done business abroad, where they acquired a Western taste for a highball or cocktails.
Uproar in Assembly
One of these Arabs is Abdulaziz al‐Massaeed, the publisher of Dar Al Rai al‐Amm, one of Kuwaits leading morning newspapers.
Mr. Massaeed, an elected deputy in the 50‐member National Assembly, set off the uproar during a debate on the budget for the national airline when he replied to conservative members who said Kuwait’s “dry” law should apply to the state company’s international flights.
“I, as a free citizen, would refrain from traveling aboard any plane that does not sell liquor,” said Mr. Massaeed, who travels frequently to Europe on business and for holidays. He added:
“I take liquor. Ninety per cent of Kuwaitis drink and know many of the deputies drink also.”
This touched off a furor, With conservative members banging their desks and shouting for the floor.
Moslem Prohibition Brings Furor in Parliament and Blood‐Test Challenge
“I challenge the members to take a blood test to see who drinks and who doesn’t,” retorted Mr. Massaeed over the uproar.
$30 for Scotch
While Kuwait is officially dry, and no alcoholic drinks are served even in the big international hotels, there is a large black market in foreign liquors. For instance, a bottle of Scotch will be delivered to a guest’s room in one of the major hotels for $30.
In private homes, many Kuwaitis serve liquor to their Western guests, and hard drinking among Kuwaitis and other Arabs here who can afford it is not unusual.
But any public place, or even Private club, is subject to prohibition. When the Kuwait National Bank had a reception this week for visiting Western bankers at a hotel, it was for tea, not cocktails.
In other places along the gulf, the situation varies from the strict fundamentalism of Saudi Arabia, where travelers bringing liquor in their luggage can be arrested, to the relativey free‐wheeling habits of Bahrain or Dubai, where there are bars.
Drink or Pray
Supporting his argument for tolerance of drinkers aboard the Kuwait airline, Mr. Massaeed said that the ruler of Dubai, Shiek Rashid bin Said al‐Maktum, had told a protesting delegation of religious leaders that this was a matter for individual choice.
According to Mr. Massaeed, Sheik Rashid said: “Here there is a mosque and over there is a bar. Whoever wants to please himself can resort to either prayer or drink.” Sheik Rashid is noted for his business acumen, the newspaper official said.
In the end the budget of the Kuwait airline, which flies as far as London and New Delhi, as well as around the Middle East, was approved on the condition that Finance Minister Abdel‐Rahman Salem al‐Atigi make a “thorough study” of the effect that banning liquor sales might have on the willingness of non‐Moslem passengers to use the airline.
Last year, Kuwait Airways unveiled renderings of its revamped interior, and now, photos and videos have surfaced showcasing the final look.
Kuwait Airways took delivery of its brand-new Airbus A330-900 last week, the first of seven on order. The aircraft features new Business Class seats, and a new “Premium” Economy cabin which is a completely new addition to the Kuwait Airways product lineup. This new cabin class will be called “Comfort Plus” while the regular economy cabin will be called just “Comfort”.
Airline journalist @bo.waleed1 got a tour of the new plane once it arrived and was kind enough to let me share his images. The main image on top was also taken by Engineer @bin_ghareeb_83 who also got to see the new plane last week.
The A330-900 has 32 business class seats, 21 premium economy seats, and 225 economy seats. Business Class has a 1-2-1 cabin configuration, premium economy a 2-3-2 configuration while the regular economy a 2-4-2 cabin configuration. All the business class seats are now private cabins with sliding doors, which is pretty cool and puts Kuwait Airways on par with the top business class offerings from other airlines. The cabins also feature amenities like USB-C ports, wireless charging, plenty of storage, and of course, seats that fold flat into a bed.
Kuwait Airways will be officially revealing the new interior soon, so follow them to stay updated @kuwaitairways. If you want to see more photos and videos of the interior, check out my post on Instagram @248am