Search: “kuwait”

Last night Forbes Middle East revealed their annual list of Middle East’s 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen and 7 businesswomen from Kuwait made the list for 2025. Similar to last year, what is really impressive is that 3 of the top 5 most powerful businesswomen are Kuwaiti.

Here are the most powerful women in Kuwait:

2. Shaikha Khaled Al Bahar
National Bank of Kuwait Group (NBK Group)

4. Wadha Ahmad Al-Khateeb
Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC)

5. Dana Nasser Al Sabah
Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) – KIPCO

17. Nadia Bader Al-Hajji
Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC)

22. Henadi Al-Saleh
Agility

54. Elham Mahfouz
Commercial Bank of Kuwait (Al-Tijari)

58. Donna Sultan
KEO International Consultants

Forbes considered the following when creating their list:

• The impact that the leader has had on the region and the markets that she serves.
• The achievements and performance of the leader during the last year.
• Their role within the company.
• The size of the business in terms of revenues, assets, AUM, market capitalization, and number of employees.
• Sustainability and CSR initiatives.
• Years of industry experience and the time the leader has served in their current role.
• The other roles they currently hold.
• Leaders of family businesses were excluded.

For the full top 100 list, click here.

Here are my favorite things happening this weekend. Due to the weather, check the event accounts for any cancellations.

Thursday, February 13
Gulf Bank Family Day at Khiran Mall
Jazz, Crêpes & Art
Kuwait International Food Festival
The Improv Show
Youm Albahar Festival
Father Daughter Date Night
The Promenade Market
Gardenia Outdoor Living Pop-Up

Friday, February 14
Kuwait International Food Festival
Vintage Movie Posters Exhibition & Auction
Youm Albahar Festival
The Promenade Market
Wellness Market
Gardenia Outdoor Living Pop-Up
Let’s Go Hiking
Kuwait Cats Club Show 2025

Saturday, February 15
Kuwait International Food Festival
Vintage Movie Posters Exhibition & Auction
Youm Albahar Festival
Makers Market
The Promenade Market
Wellness Market
Gardenia Outdoor Living Pop-Up
Kuwait Cats Club Show 2025

Looks like the AC issue at the Kuwait National Planetarium is fixed since they reopened to the public again yesterday. Visitors can now watch five daily shows from Monday to Thursday at 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 PM, 5:30 PM, and 6:30 PM.

Kuwait’s planetarium was one of the first in the Gulf Region and originally opened back in 1986. The technology at the planetarium has recently been fully upgraded with a new system consisting of nine 4K video projectors, new computer technology and an upgraded sound system. But, at the heart of the planetarium is the unique Zeiss STARMASTER projection system. Only 19 of these STARMASTER projection systems are installed worldwide and they’re known for providing a very realistic starry sky.

The planetarium is located on the Gulf Road, opposite Seef Palace and is part of the Kuwait National Museum.

Entrance to the planetarium is free. For the schedule and info on the shows, click here.

Rebels Air Nuts is a new revolutionary snack that just became available in Kuwait. It’s considered revolutionary in the snack industry due to its unique production process and innovative approach to healthy snacking.

Unlike traditional fried or baked snacks, Rebels Air Nuts uses a new air-puffing process that removes the need for added oils and fats while maintaining a crunchy texture. This makes the peanut lighter, crispier, and healthier compared to regular peanuts and other nut-based snacks.

The snack was developed in Spain and comes in three flavors:

Hot Chili: A spicy option for those who enjoy a bit of heat.
Sour Cream: A milder, tangy flavor.
Sal & Pimienta (Salt and Pepper): A classic savory combination.

They sent me all the flavors to try and my favorite was the Hot Chili. Looking at the snacks it’s hard to imagine they started off as regular peanuts, it actually reminds me of popcorn, like they’ve made peanuts pop. The snack isn’t as brittle as popcorn, and it’s also more crunchy. I took some photos of it in my hand so you can see how big they are as well.

The brand is being introduced in Kuwait by the company Dunes of Kuwait who also brought the healthy and popular ‘Greenback’ plant-based protein bars to Kuwait (they also taste really good).

Rebels Air Nuts will initially only be available on the Dunes online store ‘Swap It‘ before becoming available in other stores around Kuwait. So if you want to try these new snacks, head over to @swapit.kw

Below are my favorite events taking place this weekend.

Thursday February 6
Auto World Car Show
Astronomers Diwaniya
International Show Jumping 2025
Jazz in Arabic at Al Shaheed Park
TK Outdoor Market at Murouj

Friday February 7
The Importance of Being Earnest
Auto World Car Show
To My Valentine Pop-up
Al Farsi Kite Desert Display
International Show Jumping 2025
TK Outdoor Market at Murouj
Super Run Event

Saturday February 8
The Importance of Being Earnest
Auto World Car Show
To My Valentine Pop-up
Mirror House 11th Art Festival
International Show Jumping 2025
Letters to the Holy Land Pop-up
TK Outdoor Market at Murouj
Movie Premier: The Devil’s Driver

I try not to post too many food posts back to back, but this one couldn’t wait. According to a source of mine, La Petite Maison (LPM), the popular high-end French Mediterranean restaurant, is planning to open in Kuwait. Supposedly, the same company that brought Beefbar, Ferdi, and Philippe by Philippe Chow to Kuwait is now bringing LPM.

Since opening in London in 2007, LPM has expanded to 10 locations worldwide, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Doha.

I reached out to both parties for confirmation. The Kuwait-based company told me they’d update me in a couple of weeks, while LPM said they can’t confirm anything for Kuwait just yet.

“Just yet” sounds promising, so hopefully, an official announcement is coming soon. For now, I’ve filed this under a rumor. @lpmrestaurants

Update: According to a reader who just messaged me, looks like LPM are coming to Kuwait because they were in negotiations for a seaside location.

I’ve been working in the food industry for years now and I haven’t come across a concept similar to this. It literally breaks all the rules for what a restaurant should be.

The owner, Abdullah AlJarallah, comes from a financial background. By day, he manages investment deals and entrepreneurship, but his true passion is actually pizza.

Jars Pizza isn’t a traditional business; it’s a creative space where Abdullah explores the art of pizza making, experiments with techniques, and shares the journey with his small but growing community. He bakes the pizzas himself but doesn’t bake or sell every day, nor does he have a fixed menu. He isn’t even on the delivery platforms and he doesn’t have a store front. Instead, when he plans to make pizzas, he informs his followers about the type of pizza available that day and when. He involves them in the process, from making the dough to baking the pizza. Customers then pick up their orders from the commercial kitchen he operates out of. No delivery since he wants you to taste the pizza fresh.

His focus isn’t on sales, it’s on craftsmanship, fermentation, and the joy of sharing great pizza with those who appreciate it.

The concept began with his deep love for the process and the science of dough fermentation. What started as a personal pursuit evolved into something he wanted to share. His goal is to build a community that appreciates pizza—not just as food, but as an experience. Whether you want to learn, watch, or simply enjoy a well-made slice, Jars Pizza is about bringing people together over something simple yet beautiful.

I’m personally following his account so I can wait for his next drop. If you’re curious to see what it’s all about, you can follow him too at @jarspizza.

Here are my favorite events taking place this weekend.

Thursday January 30
Winter Garden at Al Shaheed Park
Disney’s Dumbo DAI’s Family Film Night
Murouj Market
Buksha Market at Boulevard
Al-Farsi Desert Kite Display
International show jumping 2025

Friday January 31
Winter Garden at Al Shaheed Park
Murouj Market
Thrf at Solelab
Buksha Market at Boulevard
Al-Farsi Desert Kite Display
International show jumping 2025
Vision Board Workshop at Sluggish
Palama A night of Fire & Music

Saturday February 1
Winter Garden at Al Shaheed Park
Murouj Market
Thrf at Solelab
Bodega & Thrift Party
Buksha Market at Boulevard
Urban Sketchers at MOMA
International show jumping 2025

According to a contact of mine, Alshaya is bringing Ulta Beauty, one of the most popular beauty retailers in the U.S., to Kuwait and the region.

Ulta Beauty is known for offering a mix of luxury, drugstore, and indie brands all under one roof. Unlike Sephora, which focuses mainly on high-end products, Ulta carries everything from Dior and MAC to NYX and Maybelline. Another major draw is its in-store salons, offering services like haircuts, styling, facials, and brow treatments—something unique for a beauty retailer.

If this story turns out to be true, then it will be Ulta Beauty’s first location outside the U.S., as the brand currently operates only in its home market.

I’ve reached out to Alshaya for confirmation on this rumor but haven’t heard back from them yet.

Note: I was close to not posting this since I’d never heard of the brand and didn’t think people would care but in less than 25 minutes it’s already gotten over 1,000 likes on Instagram.

Update: It’s official, first location expected to open end of the year.

The British boy band Blue, who had a number of hits in the early 2000s like All Rise, One Love, and Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, is coming to Kuwait. Blue rose to fame as one of the top boy bands of their era, selling over 15 million records worldwide. I honestly didn’t know who they were, but that’s probably because I come from an era when New Kids on the Block and Take That were the popular boy bands.

Blue will be performing live on April 10 & 11 at the National Theater at JACC. Tickets are going on sale next Monday.

A few weeks ago, I shared photos of old Kuwait taken by Ghazi Sultan (1941–2007), a Kuwaiti architect and urban planner. Ghazi was regarded as one of the key figures in Kuwait’s modernization and is best known for the waterfront project, including Green Island.

Since that post got so much engagement, I was granted access to his full archive and I will be publishing posts in collaboration with @ghazihamadsultan whenever I come across something interesting. I already have a few posts lined up, starting with these photos taken by Ghazi Sultan of Kuwaiti homes in the 1960s, many of which were either under construction or newly completed.

To check out all the photos from his archive, click here.
To find out more about Ghazi Sultan, visit ghazisultan.com

I don’t eat wings so I never tried Wingstop. I can understand for example why Chipotle is so popular, but how good is Wingstop that it’s gotten more engagement than when I announced Chipotle was coming to Kuwait? I didn’t think it was that big of a brand, I’m so confused.

Thursday, January 23
Custom Auto Show
Family Fun with IKEA at Boulevard
The Scientific Center Green Market
Salhiya Nights Market
The Social Market

Friday, January 24
Custom Auto Show
Plugged in Music Fest
Children of the Time Machine
Family Fun with IKEA at Boulevard
The Scientific Center Green Market
Salhiya Nights Market
The Ascend Rock Climbing Games

Saturday, January 25
Qout Market at The Oasis
Custom Auto Show
Children of the Time Machine
Family Fun with IKEA at Boulevard
Classical and Romantic Songs Opera
The Scientific Center Green Market
Urban Sketchers at Al Bahar Village
Squid Game at Mishref Park
The Ascend Rock Climbing Games
Salhiya Nights Market
AAW Run for a Cause!
Charm Studio at Solelab

Wingstop, the popular American restaurant chain specializing in chicken wings, is opening in Kuwait. Apparel Group, the company that brought back Nando’s to Kuwait, is behind the launch and aims to open the first location within 2-3 months (around March or April).

Initially, they’ll be opening two locations: one in Bid’a where TGIF Nike used to be, and the second in Salmiya on Baghdad Street next to Trolley. Two additional locations are planned to open by the end of the year.

If you’re excited about their launch and want to stay posted on their opening, follow them at (tag removed, read note below)

Note: I made a mockup of how the hoarding for Wingstop might look like since it’s currently just white, just a fun preview.

Note2: I had initially tagged what I thought was their Instagram account but turns out they don’t have an account yet. Once they do I’ll update this post with one.

@dr_diecast_models is a Kuwait-based diorama artist I’ve admired for years. He specializes in driveway dioramas, with my favorites being his incredibly realistic recreations of deserted driveways with abandoned cars. Last week, I reached out to him to learn more about his story and see how he brings these dioramas to life.

Dr. Diecast (he wants to stay anonymous) has loved models and cars since he was young. One day, he built a diorama set for one of his models, and when his friend saw it he was impressed. That friend also happened to run a popular auction account and offered to help sell the dioramas if he could make two sets a week. The dioramas became popular, and his hobby quickly turned into something bigger.

The dioramas are 1:18 scale, meaning everything is 18 times smaller than its real-life counterpart. He builds all his sets in a small room tucked away in the corner of his house. I watched him work on a wall for one of his sets, and the level of detail and weathering he painstakingly applies with a paintbrush is mind-blowing. From the size of newspaper boxes to the dimensions of each brick, everything is accurately measured to stay true to scale.

His most popular sets are those depicting cars parked outside old homes, untouched for years, or cars that have been abandoned near electrical substations in neighborhoods.

The cars are a whole other story. He has his own ‘car bank’ you can choose from, but if he doesn’t have the car you want, he can help you source it. From there, it’s up to you whether the car stays as is or gets customized to look a certain way. My favorite is the red car covered in dust, with its protective cover ripped, the driver’s window smashed, and the typical white sticker with a red ‘X’ on the windshield. It’s such a mundane yet familiar real-life scene, and I love it.

Depending on the diorama, he charges around 65 KD, excluding the car. His customers are mostly in Kuwait but he also gets a lot of orders from around the GCC. If you want to check his work out more of his work head over to his account @dr_diecast_models