Search: “kuwait”

Eid Sari Al Azemi has a farm in Wafra and proudly calls himself the first banana farmer in Kuwait. While others have grown bananas in Kuwait before, Al Azemi stands out with over 2,000 trees supplying the local market daily with his Kuwait-grown bananas.

Al Azemi initially started with just eight banana trees as an experiment to see how they would turn out. After growing and tasting them, he decided to expand and grow more. Despite his friends and fellow farmers advising him to stick to tomatoes and cucumbers, Al Azemi was determined to innovate. He chose not to follow the crowd and instead pursued his vision of bringing something new to the table. So, he started growing bananas, and not just one kind, he grew bananas from Ecuador, Oman, Philippines, and Turkey.

He considers himself the first banana farmer in Kuwait since he was the first to grow over 1,000 banana trees with plans to expand to 30,000. While bananas are his primary focus, he also cultivates papayas, figs, and mangos. I thought mangos would be the hardest to grow in Kuwait, but interestingly, bananas were the most challenging in his experience.

Right now his bananas aren’t widely available yet due to the limited number he produces. He currently sells to a wholesaler in Sulaibiya but he recommend you pass by his farm and buy directly from him. He says he sells them cheaper than the imported bananas in the market, and you’ll also be getting them straight from the farm.

If you want to pass by his farm, here is a link to it on Google Maps. You can also follow Eid on instagram @kes.1971, and on TikTok @eid_alsari and Twitter @h_asdasd where he is more active

Last week, there was a heated debate in the Kuwait Reddit community about why anyone in Kuwait would get an electric car when fuel is so cheap. Curious to find out for myself, I contacted Mercedes and borrowed an EQS 450 electric SUV for a few days. Now, I think I have an answer.

It turns out EV owners in Kuwait never have to pay to charge their cars.

From what I can tell, all the public charging stations in Kuwait are free. There are currently over 40 different charging locations in Kuwait, including all along the Gulf Road, and in popular spots like The Avenues and 360 Mall. If you work at an office tower like Al Hamra or Al Raya, you also have EV chargers available there. That means you can charge your car for free while you’re at work or out shopping. But, in some apartment buildings like mine, there are power sockets in the parking that residents can use for free. So, when I had the car, I just plugged the car into one of the sockets and charged it overnight at no cost.

I also tried charging at one of the new EV chargers on the Gulf Road to see what that experience was like. They’re located in all the parking lots that were part of the recently refurbished waterfront. I chose to charge at the station next to the Kuwait Towers because I needed a nice shot for this post and it was super easy to use. I didn’t even need to use my own charging cable, the chargers have cables already attached. All I had to do was take the cable and plug it into the car, and it started charging right away.

I’m not saying you should buy an electric car just because you don’t have to pay for fuel. There are many other benefits to owning an EV, but free charging is definitely a nice bonus.

If you ever need an English copywriter, I’d highly recommend a friend of mine, Naz. Naz has been copywriting for over 20 years and was my editor for our school paper, the Voice of AIS, back in the mid-90s. Speaking of which, I need to try and find copies of those if they still exist.

If you’re a business, Naz can help you with your website content, write press releases for you and even help you come up with a name and slogan for your new business. To get in touch with her, send her a message on instagram @nazwriteswell

Yesterday COMFEST announced that Dacre Montgomery, the actor that plays Billy on the popular Netflix series Stranger Things is coming to Kuwait in September. Dacre is coming to take part in a meet and greet at the POPUP BY COMFEST event thats going to be taking place from September 26th to the 28th at the fair grounds. To stay posted on the event or to find out who else they might be bringing you can follow the COMFEST on Instagram @comfestcon

Kuwait is currently oversaturated with burger spots but that wasn’t always the case. Back in 1969, when Wimpy opened in Kuwait, there weren’t any other burger brands.

Wimpy was a US burger franchise that first opened in 1934 with the name inspired by the burger loving character, Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons. In 1957, Wimpy International was created, and in 1969, Kuwait Food Company (Americana) brought the Wimpy franchise to Kuwait.

The first Wimpy location in Kuwait was in Salmiya which I’ve shared the pictures above. The other location I have shared is the Ahmadi Market location below.

Wimpy claim to have served the first ever cheeseburger to Arabia. I know from people who used to go to Hubara Club in Ahmadi in the 60s that they had a burger on their menu. But, that wasn’t really open to the general public. So, it would be safe to say, that Wimpy, at least helped introduce the burger to the mainstream population of Kuwait.

The Kuwait National Planetarium has reopened again after being closed since 2016 for renovations.

The planetarium was one of the first in the Gulf Region and originally opened back in 1986. The technology at the planetarium has been fully upgraded with a new system consisting of nine 4K video projectors, new computer technology and the modernization of the sound system. But, at the heart of it all is the Zeiss STARMASTER projection system. Only 19 of these STARMASTER projection systems are installed worldwide and they’re known for their high level of brightness, pinpoint sharpness, and providing a realistic starry sky.

The planetarium is open from Monday to Thursday with five shows playing daily at 10AM, 11AM, 12PM, 5:30PM and the last one at 6:30PM. Check out the current schedule and whats playing below. Entrance to the planetarium is free.

If you’ve never been to the planetarium before, it’s located on the Gulf Road, opposite Seef Palace and is part of the Kuwait National Museum. Here is the location on Google Maps.

Note: Just one thing to point out, this past week they’ve been having issues with the AC and have had to cancel some shows.

Update: I was given this number by the staff so that people can call and check ahead of time if they’re having AC issues or not 22408496

This post is for my Lebanese readers, Malak Al Tawouk is opening in Kuwait right next to Johnny Rockets in Salmiya.

Malak Al Tawouk and another similar place called HaJal were my goto restaurant when I was studying in Lebanon during my university days in the late 90s. They served HUGE tawouk sandwiches for super cheap, like 600fils cheap. The sandwiches were usually filled with coleslaw, tawouk, fries and ketchup. Very budget friendly, very filling and tasted delicious which is why it was one of my favorites places.

Since they first opened in 1996, they’ve grown and opened multiple of locations in Lebanon, as well as locations around the world, mostly where Lebanese reside so Montreal, Paris, Dubai etc. I’m not to sure about their choice in their first location in Kuwait though, that strip where they’re opening has a pretty long history of restaurants failing. Only Johnny Rockets has survived there and nothing else.

Note: I found an old post of mine from 2006 where I mentioned Malak Al Tawouk was opening in Kuwait. Not sure what happened back then but they’re finally opening now. I also found a photo from 2006 of the sandwich next to my phone back then (pre-iPhone). I tried to find the original photo in my archive but I just wasted an hour of my life looking for it and eventually gave up since I have a more important post I’m working on.

The Soph Spot is a local merch store with a commitment towards helping a variety of causes, from injured children in Palestine, to animal welfare and ongoing regional challenges.

The idea came to Haya (not sharing her last name since she wants anonymity) because she was always helping animals and harassing everyone around her to do the same. But, she hated the idea of begging for donations, so she thought there must be another way to get people to donate and that’s when she came up with the idea for a merch shop (named after her dog Sophie who passed away) where all proceeds from the sales would go towards helping animals.

While in the process of creating The Soph Spot, Haya realized that her idea could also help a variety of causes, and since she’s half Palestinian, she decided to create a a line of Palestinian merch where proceeds would go to @heal.palestine. Recently, she also added a collection drawn by children, with proceeds of those sales going towards the Red Crescent Society, specifically for families who can’t afford medical care.

It’s a pretty smart, feel good concept, and one that works since people tend to like buying merch that supports a cause they care about. As of this post Haya is supporting three causes, but hopes to keep adding more as she goes. Her merch is actually really cool and I love some of the designs.

You can see some of the items above, but if you want to buy something or just show your support, the instagram is @thesophspot and the website is thesophspot.com

There is a rumor going around that Lana Del Rey is planning to come to Kuwait and perform as part of her Middle East tour. Turns out the rumor originated from a couple of popular instagram accounts that posted an audio file where Lana supposedly mentions she will be performing in Kuwait and Qatar. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but that’s not true.

The audio file is actually from a really old Lana Del Rey interview with an Australian radio station from back in 2015. The funny thing is, Lana doesn’t even say she is coming to Kuwait. During the interview Lana mentions that if she was going to do another real tour, Australia would be one of the first places she would think of, other than the Middle East. When the host asks where she would like to tour in the Middle East, Lana then mentions she’d like to perform in Kuwait and Qatar.

You can hear the audio snippet that has been going around above. Don’t believe everything you read online, even if they have over 100,000 followers.

Last year the MOI purchased and installed new smarter cameras and looks like they’ve been having success with them since they just ordered more than 100 new ones. The smart cameras are made by Jenoptik and can detect red light, speeding and moving vehicle offenses, such as illegal turns. The cameras are expected to be delivered third quarter of this year but no word if they will be replacing old cameras, or if they’re going to be installed in new locations.

Jenoptik has been involved in a variety of traffic safety projects in Kuwait since the 1990s. source

There are plenty of public beaches in Kuwait but not that many swimming pools you can access without being a member or staying at a hotel. But, some hotels do offer day passes to their pools so I called as many hotels as I could until I had enough to put a list together. This is the 2024 edition list so the prices are current.

All the pools on this list are singles friendly except for Seashell Julaia Resort which isn’t. None of the pools require you to be invited by a member except for SVN. SVN gets an exception for this list because it’s the nicest place with lots of very cool facilities. So for a very premium members only club, it’s actually great value compared to a lot of other places, so find a friend with a membership.

The list below is arranged from least expensive to most expensive:

Al Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort
Telephone: 24590000
Price: 10KD

Seashell Julaia Hotel & Resort
Telephone: 1844444
Price = 15KD

Crowne Plaza
Telephone: 1848111
Weekday/Weekend: 20KD

Symphony Style Hotel
Telephone: 25770000
Weekday: 20KD
Weekend: 25KD

Holiday Inn Salmiya
Telephone: 25760000
Weekday: 20KD
Weekend: 29KD

Hyatt Regency Al Kout Mall
Telephone: 23931234
Weekday/Weekend: 25KD
Ladies only on Monday and Wednesday

Millennium Hotel
Telephone: 22050505
Weekday/Weekend: 25KD

Mövenpick Hotel Resort AlBidaa
Telephone: 22253100
Weekday: 25KD
Weekend: 30KD

Hilton Resort
Telephone: 22256222
Weekday: 30KD
Weekend: 35KD

SVN Club (member invite required)
Telephone: 1876777
Weekday: 30KD
Weekend: 40KD

Marina Hotel
Telephone: 22230030
Weekday: 35KD
Weekend: 40KD

Four Seasons
Telephone: 22006000
Weekday/Weekend: 40KD (70KD Couple)

Waldorf Astoria
Telephone: 24774444
Price 1: 40KD (Inc. 1 Mocktail)
Price 2: 50KD (Inc. Food + Mocktail)

If I missed a place where you can access a pool with a day pass, let me know in the comments.

A few weeks ago I posted that I got a bluetooth adapter for my Bang & Olufsen A9 and that I had crazily bought the A9 for 890KD 10 years ago. Out of curiosity I was trying to find out how much a new one today costs and I cam across the Bang & Olufsen website for Kuwait.

Not sure how long its been around for but I wasn’t aware they had an online website with all the prices listed. Want a Beolab 50? That will cost you 18,975KD. Want a Beolab 90? Thats selling for 47,000KD. Add to cart!

I love that they have all the prices up. Anyway, the new A9 starts at 1,290KD which is quite a big jump from their prices 10 years ago. Here is the link to the B&O website.

A couple of weeks ago, I revisited the Tareq Rajab Museum to explore their private photography archive again. This time, I discovered several more interesting items, including the beautiful old photo above, taken sometime in the 1970s, of a mosque in Kuwait.

I didn’t recognize the mosque, so I asked my Twitter followers if they knew it, and one person did. It turns out the mosque is called Ahmad Abdullah Mosque, and not only is it still standing, but it’s also located practically across the street from my office.

The mosque is located in Kuwait City and was built in 1915. It’s situated in the area behind Dickson House, where the old city project is currently under construction.

Although the project is cordoned off with a wall, there are two mosques in the back that are still accessible through a gate. As soon as I saw the mosque, I recognized it as the same one, even though the part of the mosque that housed what looks like a baqala in the old photo seems to have been demolished at some point.

I took some photos of the mosque, but since it’s currently right next to the wall surrounding the construction site, I couldn’t capture the exact same angle as the old photo.

If you want to check out the mosque in person, here is the location on Google Maps.

Here is a feel-good story to start the week. Six lions rescued from Kuwait finally have a new home at a wildlife sanctuary in South Africa. Known as the ‘Kuwait 6’, the males Muheeb, Saham, Shujaa, Saif, and females Dhubiya and Aziza were victims of the illegal pet trade. All the lions were less than two years old when they were either surrendered, confiscated, or captured in Kuwait after being abandoned by their owners.

Staff and volunteers at the Kuwait Zoo nursed the lions back to health and looked after them until they were able to find them a home. After a long 15-hour journey, the lions arrived in South Africa last week.

Animal Defenders International (ADI), the non-profit organization that campaigns against animal cruelty and exploitation, offered the lions a new life at the 455-acre ADI Wildlife Sanctuary in South Africa. Qatar Airways Cargo assisted ADI in transporting the animals as part of their WeQare ‘Rewild the Planet’ initiative. Qatar Airways Cargo has an amazing and very caring program where they offer free transport to organizations involved in returning wild animals to their natural habitat.

For their first two weeks, the lions will be in quarantine before being released into the main habitat. ADI have been posting photos and videos of the ‘Kuwait 6’ on their instagram account @animal_defenders_international and it looks like the lions are in a really good place.

If you’d like to donate for the care of the ‘Kuwait 6’, you can by clicking this link. But, you also have the option to adopt one of the lions starting from just 20KD. For more on adoption, click here.

I’ve been ordering from Bite Club ever since they opened back in December. As a cheesesteak fan, I tried Bite Club on a friend’s recommendation and was instantly hooked. Since then, I’ve become a regular customer.

When the Bite Club team briefed me for this post, they mentioned they believed they had one of the best cheesesteaks in Kuwait. Interestingly, (they don’t know this) but before they reached out to me I had been working on a list of the top cheesesteaks in Kuwait, and Bite Club was #1 on my list. I don’t think it’s just one of the best; I think it IS the best cheesesteak in Kuwait.

Bite Club was created by a group of friends who are very passionate about food. One of the reasons I love their Philly Cheesesteak, besides the incredible flavor, is the high-quality meat they use. This commitment to quality ingredients extends across their entire menu, they even make their sauces in-house from scratch so they can control every ingredient.

They have three different cheesesteaks on their menu, but the only one I’ve tried and usually order is their regular “Rib-Eye Cheesesteak”. In addition to the cheesesteaks they also have smashed burgers and fried chicken burgers on their menu, as well as a variety of sides that includes both normal and sweet potato fries, and “chickies”.

If you want to try my favorite cheesesteak in Kuwait, they’re available on Talabat, Deliveroo and Jahez. They also offer V-Thru pick up from their location in Hawally. Check them out @eatatbiteclub