Search: “kuwait”

I originally posted about Haydo back in 2006. But, this is the story again with some details corrected. I no longer know what the original source of my information was, but there were some timeline inaccuracies and some exaggerated details. So this is as accurate as the story can be with the information I found.

Back in October 1981, Kuwait played a World Cup qualifying match in New Zealand. Just before kickoff, some Kiwi fans displayed an offensive banner reading “Stick to ya camels” as the Kuwaiti team came onto the field. Kuwait went on to win that match, 2–1.

A couple of months later, the two teams met again, this time in Kuwait. The Kuwaiti Football Association adopted a camel named Haydo as its mascot, and just before the game started, they brought out a few camels to parade around the stadium—demonstrating Kuwait’s pride in its heritage. Kuwait drew the match and secured qualification for the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

Kuwait was the first Arab country from Asia to qualify for the tournament. A Spanish newspaper later claimed the Kuwaiti national team would be late to the World Cup because they would be “traveling on the backs of their camels!” Contrary to that prediction, Kuwait arrived early—so early that neither journalists nor locals knew they were even in Spain.

In an effort to gain attention, the head of the Kuwaiti Football Association told a French journalist (who was there to cover the arrival of the French team) that “the Kuwaiti team would withdraw from the competition unless they could bring their mascot, Haydo.” Within hours, the hotel was packed with reporters keen to find out more about the camel mascot.

Eventually, the Spanish authorities and the hotel manager agreed, allowing the Kuwaiti team to bring their camel as long as it stayed in the hotel’s backyard. The head of the Kuwaiti Football Association then called the Moroccan Minister of Sport, requesting that a camel be sent to Spain as soon as possible. He also ordered a custom T-shirt for it.

All the buzz surrounding the camel drew a lot of attention from locals and journalists, making Kuwait’s presence truly felt. From that point on, Haydo became the official mascot of the Kuwaiti national team.

These are, in my opinion, the 6 hottest NYE dinners happening in Kuwait this year. Check them out below (listed alphabetically). I’ve included 3 indoor options and 3 outdoor ones.

Cure
Includes DJ and set menu
KD55

Odaichi at SVN
Includes live entertainment, DJ and set menu
KD50

OFK at JON
Includes concert, fireworks and set menu
KD95

Piatti
Includes DJ and À la carte menu
KD65 minimum spend

Roka
Includes dj and À la carte menu
KD30 deposit – no minimum spend

Young Po on the Roof
Includes live entertainment and set menu
KD50

Got another recommendation? Share it in the comments below.

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kuwait Airways (@kuwaitairways)

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

Found this article while browsing through the NYT archive. I hadn’t heard of this incident before. Article taken from the New York Times Sept. 18, 1977 issue.

KUWAIT, Sept. 17 (AP)—Seven monkeys escaped from their cage in the Kuwait zoo and killed two children in panicked crowd, ‘ the police reported today. A zookeeper was seriously bitten in the incident Friday before policemen shot and killed one of the monkeys and captured the others in a long chase, the police said.

Here is a list of different events taking place this weekend.

Thursday, December 12
Night of Serenity
It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Improv!
Murouj Market
Mirzaam Expo
Sons of Yusuf New Album Listening Party
End of Season Recital
Bloom Market

Friday, December 13
Night of Serenity
Jahra Cultural Season at The Red Palace
Murouj Market
Mirzaam Expo
Kite Festiva
GR Yaris Cup Season 2
Farmers Market at the Terrace
GIG Battle Fitness Festival
Bloom Market
Kuwait Coffee Festival

Saturday, December 14
DAI’s December Family Day
Jahra Cultural Season at The Red Palace
Murouj Market
Mirzaam Expo
Winter Bazaar
KTAA Winter Bazaar
GIG Battle Fitness Festival
Bloom Market
NBK Run 2024
Kuwait Coffee Festival

The ice skating rink used to be one of my favorite landmarks in Kuwait. As a kid in the 80s, I took ice skating lessons there, and by the early 90s, it became a popular hangout spot for me as a teenager. We’d listen to great music (there was a DJ), play arcade games, grab dinner, and, of course, skate. I always loved the building’s design—it was truly iconic. When I created the Kuwait Blogs app back in 2010, I chose the ice skating rink as the image to represent Kuwait. It felt less cliché than the Kuwait Towers, and its unique shape made for a perfect app icon.

The rink was designed by French architect Dominique Beau, whose firm won the contract in November 1977. It officially opened in March 1980, making it the first ice skating complex of its kind in the Middle East. Beau thoughtfully incorporated local culture into the design—the iconic structure was inspired by Bedouin tents, while the terracotta tiles on the interior and exterior walls were influenced by traditional Sadu weavings.

Sadly, the rink was demolished in 2020 to make way for a new ice skating rink as part of the Al Shaheed Park Phase III project. When I got a sneak peek of the new rink last year, I noticed a tribute area dedicated to the old one. It’s a mini museum showcasing parts from the original rink, including terracotta tile wall patterns, ceiling beams, original seats, and other artifacts. Interestingly, the minaret of the Phase III mosque was built using beams from the old rink. Still, I wish they had preserved the original rink instead of replacing it.

I’m usually pretty good at digging things up, but I’ve never managed to find photos of the rink during its construction. Thankfully, Laila Al Hamed from @zericrafts and Huda Abdulmughni from @studio.khemiae spent over a year working to get their hands on some very rare photos. These came from the French architect, Dominique, and an engineer who worked with the Al Kharafi Group during its construction. I’ve shared some of the photos before but I’ve now uploaded them to my Flickr account in their original size and unedited. You can check them here.

This is just a quick update to my previous post relating to the opening of Popeyes in Kuwait. According to my contact there, the opening date of their first location has now been pushed back to January 2025.

Popeyes operated in Kuwait until closing in 2014, and now the Saudi food company Tanmiah is bringing it back. They’re opening two branches in Kuwait initially, one in Divonne Complex in Abu al-Hasaniyah, and the other in Sky Mall in Dhajeej.

Get ready for the Ya Hala Kuwait Shopping Festival, a massive 70-day initiative aimed at boosting the local economy while delivering an unforgettable shopping and entertainment experience. Whether you’re a local, resident, or Gulf tourist, this event has something for everyone.

What’s It About?
The festival’s goal is to stimulate Kuwait’s economy by enhancing commercial, tourism, and entertainment activities. From massive discounts and exclusive offers to exciting giveaways, the festival ensures every outing is a rewarding one.

Who’s Involved?
Expect participation from shopping malls, retail stores, restaurants, cafes, entertainment venues, and even cooperative societies. It’s a collaborative effort that brings together all sectors, including aviation, hotels, and small businesses, to offer something truly unique.

Why You Should Visit
The Kuwait Shopping Festival isn’t just about shopping—it’s a celebration of local culture, economic growth, and community spirit. It’s designed to support small and medium enterprises while creating a vibrant atmosphere that encourages domestic tourism.

Whether you’re looking for great deals, family entertainment, or a reason to explore Kuwait’s rich commercial and cultural offerings, this is the time to dive in.

Let the festivities begin! Keep an eye out for more updates and exclusive offers @yahalakuwait

Contrary to what some new media outlets are reporting, Wicked wasn’t technically banned in Kuwait. According to a contact at Cinescape, the censors requested cuts to certain dance scenes, unrelated to any LGBTQ+ characters. The studio refused these edits, which is why the film isn’t being shown in local theaters.

So similarly to when Barbie was released, if you’re in Kuwait and want to watch Wicked, you’re going to have to drive to Saudi to do that. Here are the three closest cinemas currently showing the movie:

Vox Cinemas
Location: Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia Google Maps
Distance: 2 Hours and 13 Minutes from borders

Muvi Cinemas
Location: Al-Jubail, Saudi Arabia Google Maps
Distance: 2 Hours and 24 Minutes from borders

AMC Cinemas
Location: Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia Google Maps
Distance: 3 Hours and 24 Minutes from borders

Alternatively, you can also just wait a bit until the film becomes available to rent and stream online, although that might not be as fun as a roadtrip. If you’ve never driven to Saudi before, it’s super easy and the roads are in great shape. You also don’t have to worry about visa since any resident of Kuwait can get one.

Lots of events and markets taking place this weekend, below are my favorite ones.

Thursday, November 28
Snow White Pantomime
Murouj Market
Turbo Nights Car Show
Bogsha Market at Green Island
Long Live the Olive Tree Festival
Threads of Resilience Palestinian Exhibition

Friday, November 29
DAI Fall Festival & Market
Murouj Market
Turbo Nights Car Show
Bogsha Market at Green Island
Jazz Cafe Live
Long Live the Olive Tree Festival
Wellness Weekend & Market
Threads of Resilience Palestinian Exhibition

Saturday, November 30
Murouj Market
Turbo Nights Car Show
Bogsha Market at Green Island
Wellness Weekend & Market
Threads of Resilience Palestinian Exhibition
Shakshooka Market

Al Waseet Pools has been Kuwait’s leading swimming pool company for over 40 years. As Kuwait’s first pool specialists, they have built a legacy of trust, becoming the go-to name for everything swimming pools.

Recently, Al Waseet completed an exciting new project, a slight departure from their usual work, they installed the largest hydrotherapy pool in Kuwait.

Hydrotherapy swimming pools are specialized pools designed for therapeutic exercises and relaxation, commonly used for physical rehabilitation, pain relief, and stress reduction. These pools are usually heated to a comfortable, consistent temperature which helps to relax muscles and improve circulation. The water buoyancy reduces the weight and strain on joints, making it easier and less painful to perform exercises and movements, which is especially beneficial for people with conditions like arthritis, back pain, or mobility issues.

The hydrotherapy pool was installed at the Retirees Wellness Center, Thukher, part of The Public Institution for Social Security. It features state-of-the-art aquatic therapy equipment, including underwater treadmills and bikes, resistance jet technology, support bars, handrails, and more.

This is a project they’re especially proud of, given the benefits it will bring to retirees. For more information on Al Waseet, or if you’re considering a pool for your home or a maintenance contract, visit their Instagram account @waseetpools or website waseetpools.com