Search: “kuwait”

I’ve known Duha for a few years since we used to work together, so I know how hard she works and how much effort she’s put into this (as well as how good her food is). Faye is her new restaurant, a chef led, upscale neighborhood spot opening today in the new Hessah Mubarak District. It’s built around how Duha loves to cook, Mediterranean ingredients typically around her, elevated through European techniques.

Faye isn’t a soulless concept, it’s personal and meant to feel like a place you belong. Somewhere warm, welcoming, refined but never intimidating. I passed by yesterday to check out the space and I really do love it. There’s both indoor and outdoor seating, but the indoor space is the star for me. The surreal organic ceiling flowing down towards the kitchen’s emerald green marble pass really gives the space a very unique look.

Duha also partnered with Seazen, the group behind concepts like Trapani, Okra, Masgouf and Melanzane. They’re handling the operational side of things so she can focus on the food and the brand.

Faye is soft opening tonight with a condensed menu, with the full menu launching after Eid. If you want to check it out, it’s right next door to The Neighbourhood at the entrance of Hessah Mubarak District (Google Maps). You can also check out their Instagram @faye.restaurant

The Swiss premium sportswear brand On just opened their first location in Kuwait at The Avenues. This is only their second location in the Gulf with the other store being in Riyadh.

The Kuwait store has On’s full range of footwear, apparel, and accessories across running, outdoor, training, tennis, and lifestyle categories.

If you want to check it out, the store is located in the Electra area near Pick, where the old entrance to Debenhams used to be. During Ramadan they’re open from 10AM to 4PM and then again 7:30PM to 1:30AM.

A friend of mine created a really practical website that includes nearly all the Ramadan desserts available in Kuwait this year. The list was originally adapted from the 70MB PDF @vast.selecsh put together, which wouldn’t load properly on his phone. So with the help of AI, he converted the whole thing into an easy to navigate website where you can filter desserts by type, brand, and price.

To top it off, he’s also highlighting our Diwaniya’s dessert authority approved picks with a special “Saleh Approved” badge.

If you want to check it out, click here.

I’ve been publishing my annual Ramadan buffet list since 2013, which means I’ve built a pretty solid and interesting archive of pricing data over the years. Below is the list of Ramadan buffets, updated for 2026. The list divided into two parts, hotels and restaurants. If I missed a place let me know in the comments, especially really cheap/affordable buffets.

If there has been an increase or decrease in price compared to the previous year then I’ve also highlighted that.

HOTELS

Al Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort – Taima’a Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD9.5
Telephone: 24590000

Arabella Hotel – Icon Rooftop Lounge
Buffet Price: KD18
Telephone: 22277744

Arabella Hotel – Envy Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD16
Telephone: 22277744

Courtyard by Marriott – Atrium
Buffet Price: KD17 (+2.000)
Telephone: 22997000

Crowne Plaza – Al Ahmadi Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD17
Telephone: 1848111

Four Seasons – Jawaher Tent
Buffet Price: KD28 (+1.000)
Telephone: 22006000

Four Seasons – Li Beirut
Buffet Price: KD27 (-1.000)
Telephone: 22006000

Grand Hyatt – Miral
Buffet Price: KD22 (+2.000)
Telephone: 22007698

Grand Majestic Hotel
Buffet Price: KD7.950 (-0.050)
Telephone: 22254700

Hilton Garden Inn – The Avenues
Buffet Price: KD22 (+2.000)
Telephone: 22262000

Jumeirah Messilah Beach – Majliss Tent
Buffet Price: KD28 (+4.000)
Telephone: 22269600

JW Marriott – Terrace Grill
Buffet Price: KD27
Telephone: 22063636

Kuwait Continental Hotel
Buffet Price: KD9.5 (+1.550)
Telephone: 22527300

Marina Hotel
Buffet Price: KD20 (+3.000)
Telephone: 22230030

Millennium Hotel – Lamar International Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD15
Telephone: 22050505

Montrose – Free Zone – Bays Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD14 (-1.000)
Telephone: 22055700

Movenpick – Al Bida’a – Breeze Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD18 (+3.000)
Telephone: 22253100

Park Inn by Radisson
Buffet Price: KD18
Telephone: 22068540

Radisson Blu – Al Bustan Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD19.5 (+1.000)
Telephone: 25673000

Safir Hotel – Fintas
Buffet Price: KD16 (+4.100)
Telephone: 25455555

St Regis – Diamond Ballroom Tent
Buffet Price: KD30
Telephone: 22422055

Symphony Style Hotel
Buffet Price: KD15 (+1.000)
Telephone: 25770000

SVN
Buffet Price: KD19
Telephone: 1876777

The Regency Kuwait – Silk Road Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD24
Telephone: 25766666

Waldorf Astoria – Oxio
Buffet Price: KD29 (+1.000)
Telephone: 24774414

RESTAURANTS

Almayass
Buffet Price: KD12 (+0.500)
Telephone: 25761001

Assaha Lebanese Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD14 (+1.250)
Telephone: 22533377

Babel
Set Menu Price: KD14.950
Telephone: 22081111

Dar Hamad
Buffet Price: KD16
Telephone: 22275555

IKEA
Set Menu Price: KD2.95
Telephone: 1840408

Jihan Khanah
Buffet Price: KD10
Telephone: 1819991

Kuwait Towers
Buffet Price: KD13
Telephone: 24965500

Leila Min Lebnen
Set Menu Price: KD12 (-3.000)
Telephone: 22996414

Mughal Mahal – Hawally
Buffet Price: KD6.45 (-1.000)
Telephone: 22626782

Naranj
Buffet Price: KD12
Telephone: 22268666

Paul
Set Menu Price: KD12.5
Telephone: 22208204

Saraya Palace
Buffet Price: KD8
Telephone: 25712998

Vapiano
Set Menu Price: KD7.950
Telephone: 22597171

Villa Fayrouz
Buffet Price: KD12
Telephone: 22650052

Happy Ramadan everyone. Here are the Ramadan timings you’ll probably need, if I missed any other important ones, let me know in the comments.

Banks: 10AM to 1:30PM (not including airport and malls)
Government: 8:30AM ~ 10:30AM to 1PM ~ 3PM
Car Registration Renewal: 10AM to 3PM
PACI: 10AM to 1:30PM (Kuwaitis) 2PM to 4:30PM (Expats)

360 Mall: 10AM to 4PM and 8:30PM to 1:30AM
Al Khiran Mall: 10AM to 4PM and 8:30PM to 1AM
Al Kout Mall: 10AM to 4PM and 8:30PM to 1:30AM
Assima Mall: 10AM to 4PM and 8PM to 1AM
Avenues Mall: 10AM to 4PM and 7:30PM to 1:30AM
Boulevard: 10AM to 3PM and 6PM to 1AM
Marina Mall: 10AM to 4PM and 7:30PM to 1:30AM
Salhia Complex: 10AM to 3PM and 8:30PM to 1AM
The Warehouse: 10AM to 4PM and 8:30PM to 1:30AM

Cinescape: From 8:30PM
GrandCinemas: From 8PM
Sky Cinemas: From 8PM
VOX: From 7PM

Al Shaheed Park: 5AM to 2AM
Abdullah AlSalem Cultural Centre: 8PM to 12:30AM (ex. Sundays)

Co-ops: Most open 24 hours
Lulu Hypermarket: 8AM to 3AM
Sultan Center: Standalone stores open 24 hours

Ace Hardware: 10:00AM to 11:30PM
Bin Nisf: 8:30AM to 2:30PM and 8PM to 10:30PM (ex. Friday)
IKEA: 10AM to 4PM and 8PM to 2AM
Jarir: 10AM (Friday 2PM) to 5PM and 8:30PM to 1:30AM
True Value: Open 24 hours in Salmiya, 10AM to 1AM in Al Rai
Xcite: Open 24 hours in Al Rai, Fahaheel, Hawally, Salmiya

Illustration by @windowsofuae

@balsayegh on twitter spotted the above poster at the Kuwait Airport which was clearly created using Ai. I’m really curious if the graphic designer noticed something was off and didn’t really care, or if he didn’t notice anything at all.

A short 5 minute video that looks at Kuwait and how it was designed around cars instead of people and how that’s contributing to issues like pollution, asthma and diabetes. It’s pretty accurate especially the bit where she mentions how cars are parked in the shade occupying what in other countries would be the sidewalk, while pedestrians are in the sun walking on the street.

Lorry Now is a new Kuwait based on demand lorry and moving app built for anyone who needs to move furniture, large items, or move from one home or office to another. Think of it as the Uber for trucks, or a local version of U-Haul but without having to drive the truck yourself.

Need to move furniture? Did you go shopping and end up with items that don’t fit in your car? Or maybe the store gave you a delivery date that’s too far out? Just open the app, book a truck, and a driver shows up and takes care of it.

It’s a simple concept, but a very convenient one, with pricing calculated in the app based on the distance. If you’re moving furniture, you even have the option to specify whether you need assembly on delivery or both disassembly and reassembly.

The app also lets you track the truck in real time so you can monitor the driver’s route and progress. The service is available across Kuwait, so even if you need to move things to your chalet in Khiran, you can.

Lorry Now is available on both iOS and Android. The iOS version just got a major update a few days ago, and the Android version should be getting a similar update this coming week. If you want the download links or to find out more, head to their instagram account @LorryNow or their website LorryNow.co

The Kuwait Towers Garden, located right underneath the towers, is opening to the public for the first time. Previously, you needed a restaurant reservation or had to pay for access to the viewing deck to get into that area, but now the garden will be open to everyone.

Starting Ramadan and until May 14, access to the garden will be free. According to the organizers Hekaya World, the space will feature art, culture, and coffee. I passed by earlier today for a quick sneak peek and they were busy putting the final touches in place for tomorrow.

The acai spot Say Suco will also have a pop up under the tower with its own seating area.

The Kuwait Towers Garden has an instagram account if you want to check out, it’s @kuwaittowersgarden

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, check out the list below.

Thursday, February 12
Opening Up: Musicals in Celebration
Palestinian Cultural Exhibit
Salt Movies: Gran Turismo
Graish Market at Messilah Beach
The Bazaar at Hessah Plaza
Zai Ramadan Expo

Friday, February 13
Opening Up: Musicals in Celebration
Graish Market at Messilah Beach
The Bazaar at Hessah Plaza
GR Yaris Cup Race
Oil Pastels & Coffee
Cars & Coffee
Slice Party
Toastmasters Annual Speech Contest
Giant Kites Display

Saturday, February 14
trunk show pop-up
Storytelling: Breaking Limiting Beliefs
Graish Market at Messilah Beach
The Bazaar at Hessah Plaza
Zai Ramadan Expo
pre-Ramadan DAI StoryTime
Alandalus Market
A Cultural Talk by eL Seed

Valentine’s is this weekend, so here’s a list of 16 romantic restaurants that have something planned for the occasion.

All the places shared are doing something for Valentine’s, whether it’s special set menus, live music, or decorations. I’ve also included the starting price, but keep in mind that some restaurants charge more for outdoor seating or offer different set menus, so it’s call the restaurant you’re interested in for more details.

Vigonovo
No minimum

JARS
From KD 25 per couple

Kei
From KD 45 per couple

Cantina
From KD 50 per couple

Roka
From KD 60 per couple

Al Boom
From KD 70 per couple

Paparazzi
From KD 70 per couple

Solange
From KD 80 per couple

Mei Li
From KD 90 per couple

Peacock
From KD 100 per couple

Dai Forni
From KD 110 per couple

Li Beirut
From KD 110 per couple

Republique
From KD 110 per couple

OFK
From KD 110 per couple

Sintoho
From KD 120 per couple

Ricardo
From KD 160 per couple

There has been a lot of news lately about countries banning social media access for children, mainly because of concerns around mental health, harmful content, cyberbullying, and how hard it has become for parents to manage online safety on their own. Although Kuwait hasn’t implemented a ban on social media access for children yet, Virgin Mobile Kuwait is one step ahead.

Virgin Mobile just launched a new mobile plan designed to offer a safer online experience for children called Aman (meaning safe in Arabic). Aman works at the network level, so it’s not an app or software you install, and there are no complicated device settings you need to deal with. Everything is handled automatically through the network, which makes online safety a lot easier for parents.

Once the Aman plan is active, popular social media apps like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, and X are automatically restricted. You don’t have to do anything else from your end.

Another cool thing about the Aman plan is that it’s designed to improve over time with feedback from parents. That means parents can influence future updates, including which platforms or apps should be blocked next. It makes Aman feel less like a fixed product and more like something that grows and improves as families use it.

Also, just to be clear, this works on phones and home routers as well.

If you want to find out more about Virgin Mobile’s Aman plans, head over to @virginmobilekw

I recently found out that the UAE cinema brand Star Cinemas is planning to open in Kuwait. They currently operate in two markets, the UAE and Oman, with over 150 screens across both. They’ve been around since 1964, although this is the first time I’ve come across them, which probably has more to do with me not living in the UAE than them not being very popular.

For their first location, they’re planning to take over the old Cinescape space at Al Fanar Mall in Salmiya (pictured in this post).

From what I’ve been able to put together, they won’t be competing directly with the likes of Cinescape or VOX. Instead, they’re likely to go up against smaller cinema brands such as Sky Cinemas and Ozone Cinemas.

I wasn’t able to get a launch date from Star Cinemas, but I do know they’re currently looking for F&B partners for their concession stand, so I’m assuming it’s happening soon.

Cinescape at Al Fanar opened back in 1997 and was the first cinema in Kuwait to be located inside a mall. The location was extremely popular in the late 90s and early 2000s, before eventually closing last October.

As a pet owner myself, I think this is a pretty cool idea.

Bubbles & Paws is a local pet furniture concept started by three pet lovers who ran into the same issue a lot of pet owners have faced before, they couldn’t find pet furniture that worked with their living spaces. Most of what was available was either too plain, too bulky, or looked like it belonged in a storage room. On top of that, a lot of the options they came across weren’t very comfortable or didn’t feel safe enough for their pets.

So instead of settling, they decided to create what they couldn’t find.

The goal wasn’t to make flashy designer pieces, instead, it was to design furniture pets would actually enjoy using, while still fitting naturally into a home. Furniture that felt cozy and looked good, not something you felt like hiding when people came over.

What started as a personal frustration quickly turned into a business idea. One built around the idea that pet furniture shouldn’t feel like a compromise, either for your pet or your living space. They currently have around a dozen different designs, each in its own color, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find something that fits your space. Their Minty Heaven bed for example might work for my dog, while the Frosty Ears bed could be a better fit for your cat.

They have options that work for most living spaces, so if you want to see the full collection, head over to their website bubblesandpawscompany.com

Below are my favorite events taking place this weekend. If you’re interested in the camel races this Saturday they start at 8AM and then again at 3:30PM since it’s the first day of the Kuwait Camel Racing Championship.

Thursday, February 5
Family Fun with IKEA
Play: Antigone
Souk Mubarakiya Historical Walking Tour
Kuwait Light City
International Show Jumping 2026
Salt Movies: The Karate Kid

Friday, February 6
Family Fun with IKEA
Porsche Club Festival
Play: Antigone
Kuwait Light City
Al-Farsi Giant Kites Display
International Show Jumping 2026

Saturday, February 7
Porsche Club Festival
Play: Antigone
Qout Market
Kuwait Light City
Subiya Desert Cleanup
Fun and Games