Search: “kuwait”

You’ve probably never heard of Dr Bloom, I hadn’t until I came across his account after he left a comment under one of my posts. He’s a florist mostly in a dark hoodie, has nearly a million followers, and his reels have over 100 million views. So, I was surprised to learn he was living in Kuwait, which is why I reached out to him for his story, and we arranged to meet.

Dr Bloom is a duo made up of Maciej and Wiktoria, both Polish, who moved to Kuwait nearly a year ago after being approached by Pino Flowers, a local flower shop, to help launch their new store in Shuwaikh Market.

Maciej’s story is actually pretty random. He started out as a firefighter before transitioning to a desk job at an IT firm, which he hated. After being laid off during job cuts, he needed a new career. His daughter loved flowers so he decided to open a flower shop. Just like that, he didn’t have any previous experience or anything.

Since I always prefer using unique content, I asked if he’d be willing to create a video specifically for me. My wife runs the ceramic design studio From Mud, and she was working on a sculptural vase design that I thought might interest him, as it didn’t look like anything he’d used before. I brought the vase over and left it with him for a couple of weeks to experiment with, and then he invited us to watch him make the video.

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A post shared by DR BLOOM (@drbloom_floraldesign)

The behind-the-scenes video-making process was fascinating to watch, as he mostly wings it. I could tell he has a basic structure in his head, but since every vase and floral arrangement is different, he has to adapt on the fly.

He’s extremely talented and tasteful, which is why I find it pretty unreal that I could just pop into his shop and have him put together a floral arrangement for me. I love that and also how his videos which capture the interested of millions of people around the world are produced right out of Shuwaikh.

You can check out some behind-the-scenes shots and the video he made above. If you ever need a flower arrangement, you can find him at @pinoflowers, and definitely check out all his videos on his account @drbloom_floraldesign

Today is the grand opening of Wimpy’s brand-new location at Sky Mall. The new store is Wimpy’s first dine-in location in Kuwait, and features a sleek, modern design with an open kitchen so you can watch the chefs prepare fresh meals right in front of you.

They’re going to have an exciting event where you’ll be able to indulge in Wimpy’s legendary burgers and wraps. But, it’s not just about the food, there will also be live music, a thrilling magic show, and incredible giveaways, including a chance to win 33 grams of gold.

Wimpy pioneered Kuwait’s love for burgers when they launched the original Cheeseburger in 1969 – the very first in Kuwait! A few years ago they went through a full rebrand and they’ve now taken their classic burgers and remastered them and made them even better.

Wimpy’s vision is to offer better-for-you choices, with everything made to order. Wimpy uses clean ingredients, with beef free from additives and colorants. The chicken contains no preservatives or antibiotic growth hormones, and all vegetables are delivered fresh daily. The potato buns are additionally produced locally in Kuwait.

I also discovered that the Wimpy (GCC and Egypt) is locally owned by investors from Saudi Arabia and UAE.

This event is your chance to taste the new remastered burgers yourself, and enjoy great entertainment. Sky Mall is located in Dajeej and the event is taking place from 5PM to 7PM.

Also for the next 45 days they have a buy one get one free offer, so if you don’t pass by today you can still take advantage of their offer. @wimpykwt

Allbirds, the popular sustainable footwear brand, opened its first location in Kuwait today.

Allbirds is known for creating some of the world’s most comfortable shoes, flats, and clothing using natural materials like merino wool and eucalyptus. The brand is dedicated to sustainability, working to reduce its carbon footprint to near zero. They replace petroleum-based synthetics with natural alternatives, such as wool, tree fiber, and sugar cane. The result? Soft, breathable products that are better for the planet.

Their shoes are lightweight, bouncy, and comfortable, with no flashy logos or unnecessary details. Made from natural materials, they’re designed for practicality.

If you want to see what the hype is about, visit their first Kuwait store at Assima Mall in Kuwait City. You can also check them out on Instagram at @allbirdsme

“My Belongings,” or “Moqtanayaty” (مقتنياتي) in Arabic, is a store in Kuwait City specializing in vintage electronics, including radios, boomboxes, record players, TVs, cameras, as well as records and cassettes.

Unlike most places that sell vintage items, nearly everything in this store is in working condition. They also repair vintage electronics in their in-house workshop. So, if you have an old record player that stopped working, you can bring it in, and they’ll try to fix it for you.

The store isn’t new—I first discovered it and posted about it in 2016 when it was located beneath JOA in the city. Since then, they’ve relocated several times and now have two locations in a building across the street from Souk Al Mubarakiya.

Their corner store on the ground floor serves as the repair shop, while the main showroom is located on the first floor of the same building. To access the showroom, you’ll need an employee from the repair shop to take you upstairs.

The showroom is like a mini museum where everything on display is for sale.

If you want to stop by to browse or get something, the shop is open daily except for Fridays from 8:30 AM to 1 PM and again from 4:30 PM to 9 PM. It’s located on Ahmad Al Jaber Street, opposite the Ahli Bank of Kuwait tower. Here is their location on Google Maps and here is their Instagram account @vintage_radio_

If you’re a fan of cars you’re going to appreciate this video. It was shot in 1982 and is of a car meetup in Blajat Street, Salmiya. YouTube

Here’s some good news to start the week. The Kuwait Society for Animal Welfare (KSAW) is a newly established animal rescue nonprofit organization, recently approved by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.

KSAW is the latest animal rescue organization to receive official status, and despite being newly launched, it has already outlined its goals, which include:

⁠- Organizing vaccination, spay, neuter, and health care campaigns for stray animals to limit the spread of diseases and epidemics that can be transmitted to humans.

• ⁠Rehabilitating stray animals and pets abandoned by their owners and putting them up for adoption. This will play a role in reducing the number of neglected animals suffering on the street and the resulting environmental and health risks.

• Holding free educational events and courses on a wide range of animal-related topics, including responsible pet ownership; the benefit of the relationship between people and animals, especially children; and the phenomenon of cruelty to animals developing into violence against people.

Although there are already animal rescue groups in Kuwait doing an incredible job saving and caring for animals, being an official nonprofit organization comes with several advantages like the ability to partner with international NGOs, collaborate with the local government on animal rescue campaigns, and to legally request support.

This is wonderful news for the welfare of animals in Kuwait. To stay updated on the activities of the Kuwait Society for Animal Welfare, follow them at @ksaw_q8

Baseball has been played in Kuwait since the late ’70s, yet not many people know about it. It feels like one of Kuwait’s best-kept secrets.

I love catching a Friday game when the weather’s perfect. The baseball fields are green and really lush, so it always feels like you’re in the heart of the US with kids in baseball gear roaming around, while spectators enjoy lemonade and corndogs.

Since the weather is getting better, registration for the 2024/25 season is now open. If you’re looking for an activity for your kid, or maybe you’re an adult looking to play baseball for fun and socializing, here are the details:

Registration is open till October 16 and there are three divisions:

Youth Baseball (Coed) – Ages 4+
Registration fee is 100KD for the season

Girls “Fast Pitch” Softball – Ages 14+
Registration fee is 100KD for the season

Adult Softball (Coed) – Ages 13+
Registration fee is 50KD for the season

The fees cover the cost of field staff, field maintenance, and baseball equipment (bats, balls, and tees). All you need to bring is your own glove.

Practice is twice a week, one day in the middle of the week and Friday. Once the games start, Friday becomes game day.

Baseball season runs from October 20 to February 23, while the adult baseball season runs from October 4 to April 25. The baseball fields are located at The Hunting & Equestrian Club right off the 6th Ring Road, near Murouj.

If you’re interested in signing up you can WhatsApp them on 97883026. Their instagram account is @q8baseball

I’ve known about this event for weeks but couldn’t share details until now. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted to go to a monster truck show, and it’s finally going to happen!

The Hot Wheels Monster Trucks show is coming to Kuwait next month to perform 4 shows over 4 days from October 23 to 26. The event will be taking place at the Basel Salem Alsabah Club and is it brought to you by Blast Off Events and Live Nation.

Tickets will start at 15KD and will be available later today on Eventat.com and LiveNation.me

If you want a preview, check out @hotwheelsmonstertruckslive

Update: I replaced the main photo with the official poster now that it’s launched.

I never got the chance to see Michael Jackson live, but this might be the next best thing. Michael Lives Forever is a mega tribute concert, with faithful reproductions of his iconic costumes and choreography. This isn’t just a random tribute show, this is the longest-running and most successful Michael Jackson tribute show in the world. Like properly legit.

After watching a couple of videos of the show, it looks like from where I’ll be sitting, I wouldn’t be able to tell it wasn’t the real Michael Jackson performing. The show was actually conceived, choreographed, and brought to life by Lavelle Smith Jr., the renowned choreographer who worked directly with Michael Jackson for over 25 years. The show has toured around the world and has been seen by over a millions fans to date.

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A post shared by Blast Off Events (@blastoff.events)

Blast Off Events are the ones bringing Michael Lives Forever to Kuwait and the show is taking place on October 25 at the JACC National Theater. Tickets start from just 5KD and are available on jacc-kw.com. For more information head over to @blastoff.events

Qudra is a Kuwait-based freelance marketplace that links freelancers with clients. Their platform is designed to easily connect talent in Kuwait and the MENA region with clients in need of various services, such as graphic design, digital marketing, interior design and more. The app offers tools like secure payments, direct communication, and comprehensive freelancer profiles, making it easier for clients to find the right match for their projects.

For freelancers, Qudra offers you a space to showcase your skills to a relevant audience. I’ve also heard too many stories of freelancers completing work only to have clients take it without paying. With Qudra, your payment is secured before you start, and once the project is completed, the funds get released to you.

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Qudra offers numerous benefits to clients seeking freelance services. It simplifies the hiring process by providing you access to a diverse pool of local talent with a wide range of skills. Alternatively, you can post a job listing with a specific budget and have freelancers reach out to you.

Whether you’re looking to hire or showcase your skills, Qudra makes the process seamless and efficient, revolutionizing the growth of Kuwait’s freelance economy.

To find out more or to download the app, head over to Qudra.app

Pinkfong and Baby Shark are coming to Kuwait for a one of a kind concert experience.

The Baby Shark live shows offer a unique musical experience and are ideal for fans of all ages. Pinkfong have performed in over 200 countries and engaged over 1.5 millions around the world. Children can sing along to the songs and meet the characters.

The show, organized by Blue Panda Production, will take place from October 3 to 5 at the Gulf Cooperation Council Joint Program Production Institution Theater in Salmiya (Google Maps).

Here’s some exclusive information: you can book a meet-and-greet with the band after every show, directly at the venue.

So join Pinkfong and Baby Shark as they take you on a musical adventure. Tickets start at 10KD and are available on Eventat. For more information, check @bluepandaproduction

I recently found out the price of Ozempic in the US and it’s over 8x more expensive than Kuwait which is crazy. So I decided to check the prices around the world and Kuwait seems to be pretty good when compared to places like the US or the UAE. Oddly, I think Kuwait is the only country where you don’t need a prescription for it.

Here is a list comparing the price of Ozempic in Kuwait vs other countries:

Australia: KD 26
Bahrain: KD 33
Canada: KD 45
Denmark: KD 37
Egypt: KD 76
France: KD 25
Germany: KD 32
Japan: KD 52
Kuwait: KD 35
Netherlands: KD 32
Qatar: KD 67
Saudi Arabia: KD 31
Sweden: KD 30
Switzerland: KD 44
UAE: KD 95
UK: KD 28
USA: KD 295 (yup, not a typo)

Yesterday the Ministry of Interior announced they’ll be installing new intelligent AI-powered traffic cameras. The new cameras are meant to automatically detect seat belt violations, and drivers using their phones while driving. This isn’t the first time the MOI announced automated monitoring. Back in January 2023, the MOI announced they were installing new smart cameras that could detect both those violations, but that never materialized for some reason.

Although not much information was shared yesterday regarding the new cameras, based on some research I did there are a couple of companies that provide these traffic cameras, including Acusensus and VITRONIC. VITRONIC recently installed AI cameras in the UAE and have a Middle East office so it’s very probable those are the ones we are getting.

No matter which brand we are getting, they all work similarly:

• The traffic cameras capture high-resolution images of approaching vehicles.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) software filters the images to detect possible mobile phone use, or failure to wear a seatbelt by the driver and front seat passenger.

• If AI does not see a potential violation, it will reject the image.

• If AI detects a driver who may be using a phone or not wearing their seatbelt, it flags the image for further review.

• Images which are flagged for potential violations are then checked and verified by an officer.

So AI won’t be issuing tickets automatically, violations will still be double checked by a real person which is good news. These new AI cameras are also really effective. In Australia they trialed a similar AI traffic camera and in the first month alone, 1,500 drivers and 225 passengers were caught not wearing seatbelts, and almost 1,200 drivers were caught using their mobile phones.

Not sure how bad seatbelt violations are, but I’m really hoping this will stop people using their phones while driving since they’re the most annoying drivers.

I’m a huge fan of the way the Cybertruck looks. There is at least one in Kuwait since I’ve seen it park next to my office but there’s now another one and it’s for sale.

The local car dealer AlSarraf Motors has a Cybertruck in stock with 0 mileage available and it’s priced at KD62,000. In comparison, back in July a Cybertruck with just 500miles sold for around KD36,600 on bringatrailer.com. Add around 600KD for shipping plus 5% for customs and it would obviously be cheaper to get one directly from the states. But, if money is no object and you want a Cybertruck right now, this is your only option.

I just found Nando’s on Talabat. Not sure when they started since they don’t seem to have mentioned it on their instagram account but that’s pretty cool.

I have a Nando’s near me in Salmiya so I usually just pop over, but now I can just order to my place when I’m feeling lazy.