Search: “kuwait”

I just read on twitter that Kuwait Customs are going on strike tomorrow. I really hope that’s not true, customs already take forever to clear packages and with a strike I’m sure things are going get delayed even longer.

I just read about this in Arab Times and I’m kinda concerned since all I drink is mineral water and I drink a lot of it, around 6 liters a day.

KUWAIT CITY, Oct 5: The US Embassy in Kuwait has warned its citizens against drinking a certain kind of mineral water, reports Al-Shahed daily. The report could not be independently confirmed.

The embassy in a statement said this water contains contaminants and materials unfit for human consumption and harmful to public health.

The statement said random samples of mineral water, the type sold in the local market, were sent to a special lab in the United States and the results were not convincing.

Sources say the statement added it is surprising the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Kuwait Municipality laboratories have failed to warn citizens and residents against drinking this water.

Here is the link to the article [Link]

In my previous post I mentioned how the Central Bank of Kuwait was originally designed by Arne Jacobsen. Well I managed to get more information on the Central Bank project in form of a PDF which you could download from [Here]

Update: Found some more pictures of the Central Bank, my favorites are below but you could see them all [Here]

Patrick over at Projekt Cyan posted about the Kuwait Central Bank today. Turns out the Central Bank was originally designed by Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen back in the early 70s, the guy who designed the very famous “egg chair“. The Kuwait Central Bank was actually his last project before he passed away. The picture above is how it originally looked when built.

Below is a picture of how it looks like today.

Finally this is how the new Central Bank is going to look like once completed.

You can read more about this on the Projekt Cyan website [Here]

First two photos via Thorsten Botz-Bornstein

The current Kuwait Airport (pictured above) was originally designed by the legendary Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. The British architect and critic Stephen Gardiner wrote in 1985 that this is “the most beautiful airport in the world” because of its “breathtaking simplicity of color and shape.” It is “white sculptured space as cool as an ice-cube, as enormous as a vat intake of pure air, as light as a tent, as canvas hung from cables and sails.”

Below is how the airport looks like today.

via Thorsten Botz-Bornstein

Update: If you want to see more pictures of how the airport used to look click [Here]

There was a press event held today at the Sheikh Saad terminal regarding the new airport design. At the event a CD was given to the attendees which contained various renderings of the airport (previously posted about here) as well as PDF’s containing information on the airport design plus some facts and figures. None of the documents say when the airport will be completed but they do say construction begins next year. Oh and it will have a metro station meaning I will be able to take the train from my home to the airport… that’s if they ever build the metro.

Other interesting facts, the airport will be covered with solar panels as previously speculated and they’re actually aiming to be the first passenger terminal in the world to attain the LEED “gold” accreditation (laymen terms = it will be very environmentally friendly). The steps which in my previous post I thought were weird (check image above) turned out to be water falls which makes a lot more sense. Check out all the renderings below, they’re slightly updated and polished compared to the previous renderings that were posted. Finaly here is a link to a zip file containing the PDF’s in Arabic and English. [PDF LINK]

Thanks Rabee

Found the above on the K’s PATH Facebook page. Didn’t know Kuwait had such a system before and not sure why they ever stopped it. [Link]

Update: A reader sent me another tag he has dating to 1986. Looks like the quality of the tags dropped a notch.

I just read on the Qabaq blog that the new Range Rover Evoque is now available in Kuwait with prices starting at KD16,500 for the 4-doors version and KD17,500 for the coupe. Not bad at all. [Link]

I was in Dajeej the other day when I passed by Negochi whom I briefly posted about last year. The store is known for their rifles but I left the place more impressed with the other stuff they carried like their huge collection of flashlights, binoculars and even their large collection of glow sticks (ravers rejoice!). The place isn’t that big but it’s packed to the brim with a lot of random cool items that I don’t have any use for but wish I did. For those interested they also carry Leatherman tools although their collection is a bit limited.

I took some pictures with my phone cam hence the low quality shots but you can check out more photos on their Facebook page although their pictures seem old since the shop has a lot more items on display now.

Negochi is located off the 6th Ring Road in Dajeej right behind where the new OSN office is located (down the street from their previous location). You could also call them up if you get lost on 97238543 or 24336426.

Prada and Miu Miu are finally coming back to Kuwait again and this time they’re opening up at 360 Mall. Both brands were previously located at Villa Moda but ended up closing down along with the other brands.

Note: I think the location of the Prada store will be in front of Bottega Veneta near Burberry. That location seems big enough and it would be located in a strip that’s currently occupied by Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent as well.

Update: Got some more information regarding this. Prada signed a regional partnership with UAE based Al-Tayer Group and they are the ones who are bringing Prada and Miu Miu to Kuwait. As I predicted the Prada branch is going to open opposite Bottega Veneta while Miu Miu is going to open next to Marni. My guess is they might be open by the end of the year or early 2012.

The rendering above is of the new design for the Pushkinsky cinema in Moscow. It was designed by architect Hend Almatrouk and Gijo Paul George. I’ve never seen anything that looks like it and I also hadn’t heard of Hend before. I was just checking out her blog and she’s got a lot of crazy stuff. Here are some related links:

Time Warp Architecture – Trend Hunter
Rossiya’s Flourish – suckerPUNCH
Hend Almatrouk on YesYous
Hend’s Blog

Thanks Mohammad

Update: Hend sent me an email saying that she has a design studio which she started with her partner Gijo Paul George called “Studio_Toggle”. They’ve got better quality shots on their studio’s website so check it out [Here]

I know this sounds weird and I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it but according to an article on the Hotelier website it seems they’re planning on bringing the famous Swedish Ice Hotel to Kuwait. The Ice Hotel is basically a hotel built out of ice and everything inside is made of ice so I have no idea how this will work in Kuwait. Check out the article [Here]

The Kuwait Women’s Football League is a social league for women who love to play football. The main object of the league is to create a fun environment for women who want to play or use this as a means for exercise. It’s a women’s league so obviously no men are allowed. If you’re interested to sign up here are some details:

Deadline for signing up: Friday, September 30th, 2011
Tournament start date: Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Game Times: Wednesdays 6:30-7:20pm or 7:30-8:20pm

Location
ACA Boys Campus, Hawally, Block 9, Sharhabil Street

How to sign up
As an individual or a team of 11 (7 a side + 4 subs)
Send your name or team name including all player names to [email protected]

For more information contact them on 55522322 or visit their website [Here]

It’s for ages 13 and up by the way.

I’m not a fan of football but my brother is and he thinks it’s pretty cool that an Arsenal Soccer School has opened up in Kuwait. They’ve got a website up and running with information on the courses plus a registration form to fill if you’re interested in joining. I’m guessing the school is only for children but I couldn’t find any details on their website regarding the age limit. Anyway here is the link so you can check it out for yourself [Link]

It’s a pretty amazing deal since you also get a free phone line and a 4GB memory card on top of the not yet released iPhone 5.