Search: “kuwait”

With winter approaching, it’s finally cool enough to take your pets outdoors without worrying about the heat. That’s why I put together a guide of pet-friendly spots, from coffee shops to parks, with the help of @mocha.i.am, who inspired me to make this post. If you know of more pet-friendly spots, mention them in the comments.

Cafes & Restaurants – Indoors
Masaha 13
Sluggish

Cafess & Restaurants – Outdoors
Back Burner – SVN
Baked
Barasti
Broskis
Da Gusto
Earth Roastery – Bida’a
Gia – Salmiya (Temporarily Closed)
Joe & the Juice – Salmiya
Masaha 13
Okan Coffee House
Seoulian
Speak Coffee Roaster
The Sandwich Shop

Parks
Shuwaikh Park – Popular on Friday & Saturday Mornings

Hotels
The K Hotel

A couple of days ago, Boulevard World in Riyadh opened to the public as part of Riyadh Season. Boulevard World (or BLVD World) is located right next to BLVD City, another large entertainment zone. The venue features replicas of iconic landmarks from several countries, and this year they’ve added three new zones: Indonesia, Korea, and Kuwait.

The Kuwait zone features replicas of the Kuwait Towers, Seef Palace with its clock tower, and a large dhow. It also includes restaurants serving authentic Kuwaiti food, along with traditional arts and live performances.

If you’ve never been to BLVD World or City, you really should. I’ve been three times, and each time it was bigger than the year before. It’s a gigantic world that feels a bit like Universal Studios or Disneyland. Riyadh is also always a fun road trip if you want to drive down.

From Kuwait to Riyadh 🇰🇼❤️
Authentic Kuwaiti food, traditional arts,
and live performances are waiting for you at the Kuwait Zone inside Blvd World 🌏

Book your tickets nowhttps://t.co/zvz6LyRkSL#BigTime#RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/kMANvQx4vy

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) October 11, 2025

Photos are from @addadruh.

UFC Bantamweight Champion, Merab Dvalishvili was in Kuwait this weekend. I found out when I was at the gym and when I checked Merab’s instagram story he had posted a video of Al Shaheed Park taken from inside the Four Seasons, my guess is where he was staying. Supposedly he was in Kuwait to visit some friends. Pretty wild considering I just watched him fight on TV last week!

Qudra is a Kuwait-based freelance marketplace that connects freelancers with clients. I posted about them when they first launched last year, and now, a year later, they’ve expanded beyond Kuwait with a launch in Dubai to serve the wider MENA region.

Their platform connects talent in Kuwait and the MENA region with clients seeking services like graphic design, digital marketing, and interior design. The app offers secure payments, direct chat, and detailed freelancer profiles to help clients find the right match.

Since I last posted about them, Qudra has rolled out new features including Qudra Pro, a way for freelancers to verify their profiles, gain more visibility, and access exclusive opportunities. They’ve also improved payments, added better project management tools, and enhanced communication features based on user feedback.

If you’re a freelancer
Qudra lets you showcase your skills and get discovered by clients. Payments are secured before you start a project, and once it’s completed, the funds are released to you.

If you’re a business
Qudra simplifies the hiring process by providing access to a diverse pool of talent with a wide range of skills. You can also post a job listing with a specific budget and have freelancers reach out to you.

Qudra makes freelancing safe, efficient, and rewarding for both sides. Try them out joinqudra.com

Here are my favorite events taking place this weekend.

Thursday, October 9
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live
Ixir Wellbeing Expo
Interstellar IMAX Screening
Astronomers Diwaniya

Friday, October 10
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live
Ixir Wellbeing Expo
A Tribute to Whitney Houston
Interstellar IMAX Screening
BAKED Turns 4 Brunch

Saturday, October 11
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live
Ixir Wellbeing Expo
Resistance For Hope Exhibit
Pigment to Paint
Art & Frequency Gathering
in-between pop-up open cafe
Interstellar IMAX Screening
Conversations with Strangers 7.0
Mandala Flow Workshop
Korean Movie Night: Forbidden Dream
BAKED Turns 4 Brunch
KSP’s Fight Night 4

I usually post about brands and their products, but this one’s a bit different since it’s about the company behind the brands. You’ve probably never heard of SocialEats, but you’ve definitely heard of their concepts. SocialEats is a creative hospitality group that started in Kuwait in 2016 with its first brand, Chocomelt, and has since grown to multiple brands and over 30 branches across the GCC. Some of their brands include:

Chocomelt
A flagship dessert spot that’s been serving handcrafted creations for over 10 years across the GCC.

Chutney & Co
An Indian tapas concept bringing elevated Indian cuisine to Kuwait and soon Qatar.

B.Social
A creativity-driven brand for custom cakes and desserts made for every kind of celebration (including allergen-free).

The Neighbourhood
A nostalgic space built around good vibes and balanced food, and home to their award-winning matcha.

MoG
A specialty coffee concept known for its signature menu and attention to detail in every cup.

From Kuwait to the world, SocialEats is growing fast and going global with plans to expand beyond the GCC into the UK, Turkey, India, and Iraq. What started as a shared passion for hospitality has turned into a diverse portfolio of brands, from award-winning desserts and elevated Indian cuisine to specialty coffee and custom cakes. Check them out socialeats.com

The comedian Bassem Youssef is returning to Kuwait next month for a show at The Arena. His event last year sold out pretty quickly, so I expect this one to do the same.

The show is on November 15, and tickets are now on sale starting at KD 25 through thearenakuwait.com

Here are some of my favorite events taking place this weekend.

Thursday, October 2
Gahwa by The Avenues
Fullout Dance Workshop
QERAT Jewelry Exhibition

Friday, October 3
Gahwa by The Avenues
Speedcubing Nationals 2025
QERAT Jewelry Exhibition
Sunrise Yoga

Saturday, October 4
Gahwa by The Avenues
QERAT Jewelry Exhibition
Speedcubing Nationals 2025
SL Show
A Table of Cakes
Urban Sketchers in Blockat
The Cartoons’ Orchestra
Singapore F1 Qualifying Session
Coffee Painting Workshop
Back to School Chess Fest Competition
DAI StoryTime at Amricani
Blooms & Brews
Family Kayak Race
Matcha Workshop
Hardcover Binding Workshop
Sunrise Yoga

Akon, the popular American R&B singer, is coming to perform in Kuwait this November. He rose to fame in the 2000s and still has a strong following today with over 10 million fans on Instagram. He was supposed to perform in Kuwait back in 2015, but the concert was canceled.

Fun facts, Akon holds the Guinness World Record as the top-selling artist for ringtones, and he is also the first artist to hit 1 billion views on YouTube.

@fame.entmt and @quantumconkw are the ones bringing Akon to Kuwait, and he’ll be performing at The Arena on November 21. Tickets will go on sale soon through thearenakuwait.com

I’ve posted about UFO sightings in Kuwait in the late 70s twice on the blog, first time back in 2013 and then again in 2021. Recently, I found out (via @thevenerablebetty) that Kuwait was also featured in the 1979 summer edition of UFO Update! magazine, and I managed to get a copy of it.

The article was written by an executive from an American oil company who was in Kuwait on business. While driving out to one of the oil fields, he spotted a strange aircraft, and the piece details what he experienced and saw. He wasn’t the only eyewitness that night.

I’ve also uploaded additional clippings as a bonus read. These were declassified by the US State Department and include US embassy wires along with statements from KOC officials, KISR, and even the Ministry of Interior, who investigated a report by a Kuwait Airways pilot who had spotted an “unusual light phenomenon.”

I used to be a huge UFO buff, so I always find these stories interesting. Even if you don’t believe in UFOs, they’re still fun to read. I’ve uploaded everything to my Flickr and you can check them out there.

Back in 2019, a small Bhutanese spot called Momo Zaa opened in Salmiya and quickly became popular for their delicious momos (steamed dumplings). Sadly, the pandemic hit the following year and they ended up closing. The good news is they’re now back, this time with a new name and a new location.

Lepo & Lemo opened this past August in a new location in Salmiya. I actually prefer this new location because it’s walking distance from my place, like literally a 10 minute walk which is great. The restaurant is small but cute, with a good amount of seating for the space, including some seating outdoors.

We were a total of three so we ordered a bunch of things to try:

Crispy Chili Potato KD 1.850
Veg Juma (Vegetarian Sausage) KD 1.850
Chicken Momo (Dumpling) KD 1.850
Beef Momo (Dumpling) KD 1.950
Kewa Datshi (Potato Chili Cheese Stew) KD 1.750
Norsha Pat (Stir-fried beef) KD 2.650
Steamed Rice KD 0.750
L&L Signature Fried Ice Cream KD 2.650

For some reason my food photography skills seem to get worse with age, but trust me, everything looked great and tasted even better. Like, unexpectedly delicious. It’s been a while since I last had their food, so I’d forgotten how good it was. Everything was full of flavor and by the end I couldn’t decide what I liked most. The sausage I think really surprised me with how good it was, but I’d say the beef dumplings were my favorite dish. The cheese stew was my least favorite but even that wasn’t bad, it’s just everything else was much better.

I try not to post about food unless it’s something special, and L&L is definitely special. Even if you’ve never had Bhutanese food before, their dishes feel approachable and not at all intimidating. They had some unusual items like noodles with laban, which I’m saving for my next visit, but the dishes I mentioned above are all pretty beginner friendly.

We were three people and the bill came out to KD 13.650. They gave us the dessert on the house.

If you want to check them out, Lepo & Lemo open from 3PM to 11:30PM and are located in Salmiya right behind the 4th Ring Road fire station (Google Maps). They’re also on Instagram @lepo.lemo

Deliveroo just did something pretty cool and fun. They took four of Kuwait’s favorite chefs and sent them abroad to cook, learn and trade recipes with some of the world’s top chefs.

The Kuwaiti chefs that took part in this program were:

Faisal Al Nashmi (Table Otto, San Ristorante, and more)
Ghalia Hayat (Oh G!)
Khaled AlBaker (Little Ruby’s, Young Po, and more)
Sawsan Daana (Matbakhi by Sawsan)

The idea? Bring back the secrets behind viral global dishes while sharing Kuwait’s own flavors with the world. They sent Faisal to Rome, Ghalia to London, Khaled to Seoul and Sawsan to Athens. Think of it as a culinary exchange program and going by the videos Deliveroo have been publishing, it looked pretty fun.

The chefs are now back in Kuwait and they’re each working on creating a dish based on their experience abroad. These 4 new dishes are going to be exclusive to Deliveroo, so you won’t find them anywhere else. To find out when they drop, make sure you are following @deliveroo_kw

his is a super busy weekend. If you’re a fan of House of Dragons, Milly Alcock is going to be in Kuwait for the comic festival this weekend. Check out all my favorite events taking place below.

Thursday, September 25
Comic Festival Convention
Bugsha Market at Assima
Auto World Show
Pokémon Trading Event

Friday, September 26
Comic Festival Convention
Film Club: Hook
Bugsha Market at Assima
Song Circle & Cacao Ceremony
Auto World Show

Saturday, September 27
Comic Festival Convention
Girls Only Game Day at Cozy Den
Seeds of Connection
Brunch, beats & tote bags
AIESEC x Qesati : Re-Inventing Myself
Bugsha Market at Assima
The State Symphony Orchestra of Moscow
Basics of Astronomy
Visual Journaling Session
Literary Open Mic
Soof Wool Mill Tour
Book Club: Confetti & Ashes
Auto World Show

Photo from @hadoolalk

There have been rumors about Uber coming to Kuwait for at least a decade now, and I think we might finally be getting it next year. I don’t have any inside sources confirming this, it’s just my opinion.

Recently I got a notification from my Uber app with a message saying “Hello, Kuwait. Wherever you’re headed, explore with ride options that fit your travel plans”. Someone on Reddit posted a different message he got which said “See more of Kuwait. Explore the city sights with Uber”.

That was the first hint. The second came when a reader emailed me saying he was taking a cab to pick up his new car and got into a conversation with the driver. The subject of Uber came up, and the driver told him they were starting in Kuwait on October 2nd. He even showed him an email with Uber in the subject line.

That’s when I decided to reach out to a contact at Careem to see if they knew anything. Since Uber acquired Careem years ago, I figured if anyone had info on Uber coming to Kuwait, it would be them. Here’s what I found out.

Uber is NOT launching in Kuwait on October 2nd.

What’s actually happening is that Careem’s driver backend is being integrated into Uber’s software. This is consistent with how things work in other markets where Careem operates, and it makes sense since Careem is owned by Uber. This is also confirmed on the Careem drivers page, which now states:

Captains operate on the Uber app now!
Signup on the Uber Driver app to get Careem bookings on the Uber Driver app and enjoy Uber Driver perks!

The signup link then redirects drivers to the Uber website to complete the process.

But from the conversation I had, I felt there was more to the story. When I asked if Uber was launching in Kuwait on October 2nd, my contact said they were still only operating as Careem for now, but might have some news in 2026. When I asked if Careem was rebranding to Uber, they said no, that would not happen. If Uber decided to enter the market, both apps would operate in Kuwait. They then hinted again that some exciting news could be coming early next year.

Here’s what I think. Uber is in fact coming to Kuwait next year. My guess is that Uber and Careem will operate as one entity with two different apps, meaning Careem drivers are Uber drivers and vice versa. That makes sense since both would be using the same backend system. That’s just my theory though, and for now we’ll have to wait and see.

Auto World Show is the largest car exhibition in Kuwait. It launched in 2023 and is back this year for its third edition.

Most of the major car brands are taking part, including: 212, Audi, BAIC, BYD, Cadillac, Changan Auto, Chery, Chevrolet, Detour, Dongfeng, Exceed, Exlantix, Ford, Foton, GAC, GWM, Geely, GMC, Haval, Hero, Honda, Hongoi, Ineos, Infiniti, JAECOO, Jaguar, Jeep, KGM, KIA, Land Rover, Lincoln, Lynk&Co, Maserati, Mazda, MG, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Omoda, Polestar, Porsche, RAM, Renault, Rox, Skoda, Soueast, Suzuki, Toyota, Volvo, VW, Yamaha, and Zeekr.

The show is being held at the Mishref Fairgrounds in halls 5, 6, 7, and 8. Entry is free, and the event runs daily from 10AM to 10PM. @autoworldshowkw