Search: “kuwait”

Atyab Al Marshoud has been part of Kuwait’s history since 1925, when founder Sulaiman Al Marshoud, initially arranging transportation for Hajj pilgrims, became intrigued by fragrances during a trip to India. He soon opened Kuwait’s first fragrance shop, sourcing oud and bakhoor from Southeast Asia. His fragrances quickly became popular, attracting the attention of Kuwait’s royal family. Upon Sulaiman’s passing, his sons Abdulrazaq and Waleed continued expanding the family business.

In 1991, Waleed Al Marshoud borrowed 8,000 KD to open the company’s first Salhiya store while serving as a police officer. Years later, his son Marshoud registered the brand in Paris, hoping to collaborate with a high-end perfumery. When that deal fell through, he strategically reclaimed the inventory, accelerated sales efforts, and launched a factory in Paris by 2015. These moves propelled the company’s growth, eventually leading to a global presence of 86 stores, 500 sales points, and revenue surpassing 25 million KWD.

Eager to break into London’s luxury scene, Marshoud initially aimed to partner with Harrods, but strict regulations made it challenging. Undeterred, he opened a standalone store in Knightsbridge in 2020. In 2022, after two years of development, they launched Marshoud 4 Red which became an instant hit among both local and international audiences. The store’s revenue surged over 400%, prompting Harrods to revisit a partnership offer, which Atyab Al Marshoud declined to protect its London exclusivity.

As they celebrate 100 years, Atyab Al Marshoud is more than just a brand, it’s a legacy. A reminder of how something as simple as a scent can carry stories, evoke memories, and connect generations. atyabalmarshoud.com

Let me know if this has happened to you. Whenever I order anything from Amazon straight to Kuwait, I either get the packages shipped via FedEx, or Aramex.

When the package gets shipped by FedEx, I don’t run into any issues, the packages get delivered straight to me without delays.

On the other hand, if the package ships with Aramex, it’s a completely different story.

The package doesn’t go out for delivery, instead Aramex starts blaming me for the delay either by stating they attempted to deliver the package and I wasn’t there, or that the delivery information is missing. This happens basically all the time.

Amazon sends me a message daily saying my package is on hold because Aramex is saying there is missing delivery info. Aramex doesn’t attempt to call me to get the “missing” info. I also can’t called Aramex to ask them what info is missing since there isn’t a way to talk to a human being and their automated system doesn’t have an option for updating delivery or whatever. They also have an automated WhatsApp system that you could in theory try and get a hold of a real person through, but I haven’t been able to get someone myself to verify that actually works. Yesterday I tried that and I’ve been on hold for more than 24 hours now and haven’t gotten a hold of anyone.

So the package usually stays in limbo for a few days, Aramex telling Amazon they can’t deliver cuz of missing info, and I can’t call Aramex to give them whatever missing info they want. Then, a few days later magically Aramex somehow manages to get the missing info and send my package out for delivery.

I have a theory to why they do this, I believe it’s so that they don’t look slow in front of Amazon. They blame the customer so that it’s not their fault for being late. End of the year when Amazon audits there delivery speed it won’t show any delays in delivery that way.

So let me know if you’ve run into this problem before because I’m sure it can’t be happening just to me.

Update: This is hilarious but I have another package that was meant to be delivered today and they couldn’t because “We’ve attempted to deliver the shipment, but the office was closed. Not to worry, the delivery has been rescheduled”

They tried to deliver at 11:39AM so obviously they are lying because the office was open at that time. This summarizes my issue with them, they keep coming off as liars. If they were just honest and were like “Sorry we couldn’t deliver the package today because it’s the holidays and we have too many shipments to deliver” I would have understood and be ok with it. But saying the office is closed when it isn’t, come on….

Last week I found a copy of the second Wizr book on a website in Czech Republic for like 2KD and bought it. It’s my second copy, and although I didn’t have plans for it originally, someone gave me the idea of scanning and digitizing the books so I might end up sacrificing this extra copy by taking it apart and scanning the pages.

I first posted about the Wizr 10 years ago. Wizr was a series of stories written by Keith Wells, a British journalist who was living in Kuwait back in the 70s. Keith used to work for Arab Times, and between 1979 and 1984, released three Wizr books with the help of Peter McMahon, an illustrator. To me the stories feel like funny blog posts inspired by his experiences in Kuwait, from dealing with ministry paperwork, to poking fun at the driving here. I was communicating with Keith this past week, getting some more info for this post, and he’s still a pretty funny guy. He left Kuwait in 1987 and is now retired living with his wife Suzi in Australia.

Keith originally met Peter at a party. Peter hadn’t read any of the Wizr stories so when Keith told him who Wizr was, Peter picked up a sheet of paper, scribbled away for a minute or two, then held it out and asked Keith, “Him?” It was perfect. After that, both became close friends.

Keith would write a story, take it to Peter’s flat every Friday, and he’d illustrate the cartoon. The combination became very popular and after a couple of months in the Arab Times, they were approached by Tony Jashanmal, who owned a department store on Fahed Salem St, and Bashir Khatib, who owned the ‘The Kuwait Bookshops’ to publish a book full of the stories. The first book one was launched at the British Embassy Gardens in November 1979. They sold 428 copies that night, and Keith and Peter left home with a bag full of cash.

The two carried on working together for around a year, then Peter was murdered, a long sad story (which I’m hoping to get more information on soon). The second Wizr book was published with cartoons that weren’t used for the first, and the third book used odd scraps and recycled pics. The books are pretty hard to come by so I was curious to how many copies were printed. According to Keith, in total, they printed 10,000 copies of the first two books, and around 5,000 of the third. There were only around 4,000 or so native English speakers in Kuwait back then, but according to Keith most people bought multiple copies of the books and sent them to relatives and friends abroad.

Keith still has around 50 copies of the books left, as well as Peter’s original cartoons, and several of his oil paintings. He’s digging through his stuff to see what else he might still have. We’re both trying to figure out what to do with all of it, maybe ship everything to Kuwait and hold an exhibition. I suggested maybe putting him in touch with the British Embassy and maybe have them bring him over and have some sort of event again in the British Embassy Gardens, like a 45 year anniversary thing. If you have ideas, let me know!

The books aren’t easy to come by, but they do pop up online every now and then. I scanned a few pages and illustrations from the book and uploaded them to Flickr. I’ve included the unedited scans, as well as scans I’ve edited where I’ve combined the stories and illustrations to fit on one page. You can check them out here.

Back in 2017 I posted about how “Old Kuwait is Digitally Disappearing“. The article was mostly about how things are disappearing off the internet, it could be old articles, photos or videos related to Kuwait. Now I’ve realized we have another problem, people who were involved with Kuwait back in the 60s and 70s are starting to die.

There was a photographer I was in touch with last year called Tor Eigeland. He had visited Kuwait back in 1967 according to him although I think it was sometime in the 70s based off the photograph I had found of his of the Kuwait Towers under construction (the photo in this post). Yesterday I messaged him because I had some things I wanted to run by him and his wife replied to me letting me know he sadly passed away this past April at the age of 92.

There is a guy who reached out to me who was part of the team that brought the Marriott Hotel ship to Kuwait. I haven’t been able to get a hold of him for nearly a year now so I fear he’s passed away as well.

Yesterday I got in touch with Keith Wells, a British journalist who was living in Kuwait back in the 70s. I was worried he had passed away since the last time I spoke to him was 10 years ago, thankfully he turned out to be still alive.

But thats basically how things are at the moment, every time I email someone I used to be in touch with, I wonder if they’re still alive. I feel like there are still too many stories that need to be documented, and many will sadly never be told.

Winter in Kuwait tends to mean cozy drinks which is why hot chocolate is always a favorite here. This season, Tim Hortons has perfected their milk hot chocolate recipe, making it more irresistible than ever. The new Milk Hot Chocolate is creamy, comforting, and great for chilly mornings or cozy evenings.

Tim Hortons have 12 locations across Kuwait, celebrated for their warm ambiance, 100% premium arabica coffee beans and, of course, their iconic freshly baked and dipped donuts and timbits. Visit @Timhortons.Kuwait and enjoy

The 26th Arabian Gulf Cup which goes by the awkward name Khaleeji Zain 26 is taking place in Kuwait in 10 days time. Tickets for the games went on sale a few days ago and start from 2KD and go up to 30KD.

If you want to buy tickets they can only be purchased through the Khaleeji Zain official website and app called Hayakom. Hayakom provides live news, real-time match updates, team details, stadium guides, touristic attractions amongst other things.

If you want to get tickets or check out the website, head over to hayakom.pas.gov.kw

It’s been two years since I launched my Instagram account, and what a year this one has been. Since we are at the end of the year I wanted to do a year in review kinda post so that I have a record of it somewhere.

It was a pretty stressful year trying to find content that would be suitable and engaging enough for Instagram. If a post won’t generate more than 1,500 likes, then I wouldn’t consider publishing it. It’s a difficult ask, and a lot of pressure, especially since I only have around 55K followers, but it’s one of these policies I created for myself so I could keep the quality of my posts high. Plus, I work better when pressured so this helps.

There are exceptions of course, sometimes I like to post things I care for, like I posted about British Film week recently, and another post about a local creative winning an award for a book design. Both posts I wasn’t expecting much engagement on, but I didn’t care really. Other times I post stuff not expecting much engagement, like my Primark post, but then it turns out to be my 2nd most reached and engaged post, and the most shared of the year. I haven’t figured out yet what post will blow up or not, don’t think I ever will. The biggest surprise was probably my post on the new IKEA store in Shuwaikh. I published it and went to walk my dog. I didn’t even check my account again for over an hour because I didn’t want to feel the disappointment of publishing an un-engaging post. To my surprise the post had blown up and it’s now my 3rd most reached and engaged post of the year, I think it has over 6,000 likes. No idea why, but I think the whole comparison to a movie set must have caught people’s attention.

One thing I’ve been trying to tackle is copycats. I used to have that issue back when there were so many bloggers, I’d post about something and then they’d post the same thing. With Instagram I’ve had to deal with people using my photos without permission, or copying content ideas or formats and always without crediting the source. It’s very frustrating obviously because it’s not easy coming up with new ideas or topics, and then people just copy it. But people aren’t just copying me, there is so much copying of each other it’s ridiculous. Someone flies a drone over a new project, posts about it, within hours you have a dozen other vloggers flying their drones to capture the exact same thing and post about it. Someone posts about some hole in the wall fatayer place, suddenly everyone is discovering hole in the wall fatayer places. Mostly, I just find other peoples content so uninteresting and so hard to watch. Why do most vloggers sound like car salesman on a TV commercial?

Financially, this year been really good to me, like a life saver since I got married and had a ton of things to spend on. I generated 0% of my blog income through the website, 100% through my Instagram account. That’s just crazy.

I compared the performance of this year to the past 10 years and 2024 was the highest performing. It’s not higher than 2012/2013 which was the blogs financial peek, but I’m getting pretty close.

Initially I was worried about labeling my ads as ads since I wasn’t sure advertisers would want that, but thankfully, they’ve all been fine with it. I think I only had one or two brands that refused to advertise with me unless I hid the fact it was an ad. Since I’m not in this for the money I obviously didn’t care. I’m also not accepting ads from brands that are being boycotted.

I’ve limited myself to 3 promoted posts a week which is a lot considering I post on average like 5 or 6 posts a week. But it’s good money and I don’t want to turn it away. So instead, I’m just more active trying to find more content to post. It’s a win win for everyone, readers get more content, I get financially rewarded.

Back to the subject of labeling ads as ads, I think my readers appreciate it which is why they’re actually more willing to engage with my promoted content. I still don’t understand how I’m one of the very few people who labels ads as ads. If it’s an ad just tell your followers its an ad, it’s not a big deal.

Now the plan for next year is to try and just keep things the same.

I don’t need more ads, at the current rate I’m more than good. I also don’t need more followers.

I think 55K is basically all my target audience in Kuwait. Anymore and I think I’ll be getting followers who shouldn’t be following me. I’ve had to block so many people this year, I just checked and as of this post I’ve restricted 371 people and blocked 584. I have zero chill. You get two strikes, first strike I restrict you, second strike I block you. The ability to restrict and block people are my favorite Instagram features.

Anyway, until next year.

I was going through my old posts on Wachamean and I found one I had written right after our 3-week lockdown during Covid. At the time, I was craving burgers and fries, so the first thing I did once we could leave the house was head to Wachamean. Their Jammin’ Bacon burger is one of my favorite burgers, but it’s a limited time only burger so it’s not on their menu all the time.

While I wait for the Jammin’ Bacon burger to make a comeback, they dropped another one of their limited-time items last week—their popular chicken burger, ‘Gimme Dat Chicken.’ It’s a sweet, spicy, and crispy fried chicken with American cheese, pickles, coleslaw, honey mustard, and brioche bun.

In addition to that, they’ve also introduced a new chicken burger sandwich, the Buffalo Chicken. It’s a crispy chicken fillet topped with melted cheddar cheese, zesty buffalo sauce, and creamy ranch sauce.

If you’re a fan of Wachamean like I am, now’s a great time to check them out and give their chicken burgers a try while we wait for the Jammin’ Bacon burger to make its comeback. The Gimme Dat Chicken and Buffalo Chicken both are available at any of their 9 locations around Kuwait, or through delivery. Don’t forget to follow their account to stay updated on their latest drops @eatwachamean

Yesterday I posted that Wicked was not technically banned in Kuwait, despite reports from some media outlets. The local censors have now approved the GCC version of the movie, and it’s currently showing in Kuwait starting today.

This week I started watching Landman after a friend recommended. Wow it’s such a good show! I think my favorite series this year and definitely currently enjoying it more than the new Dune. Landman stars Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm and Demi Moore. It’s streaming on Paramount+.

I rented the movie The Wild Robot since my wife wanted to watch it, it was surprisingly really good.

Let me know in the comments what you recently watched or planning to watch.

Movies at the Cinemas
The movies below are now showing at the local cinemas:

New This Week:
Armor (3.5)
Home Alone (classic) (7.7)
Interstellar (re-run) (8.7)
The Keeper (8.0)
The Order (7.1)
The Return (6.6)
Wicked (8.1)

Other Movies Showing:
Black Cab (4.1)
Elevation (5.6)
Gladiator II (7.0)
Here (6.2)
Moana 2 (7.1)
Panda Plan (6.1)
Red One (6.7)
The Wild Robot (8.2)
Venom: The Last Dance (6.3)

The numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at the time of publishing.

A few weeks ago I spotted a post by Gulf Bank on LinkedIn celebrating their 64 year anniversary. They had shared a few old photos but they were low-res and not really that great, so I decided I’d try and find some better ones, and I did.

According to Gulf Bank’s ‘About Us‘ page, the bank was founded in 1960. The page also mentions that in 1961, they hired architect Jean-Robert Delb to design their head office. While the building he designed is still their head office today, they only moved into it in September 1976, according to an old newspaper ad. Before that, they operated from a different head office.

Their original head office was designed in 1963 by Tony Irving and Gordon Jones of the Design Construction Group (DCG). The building was two floors and was composed of three separate buildings wrapped into one. The municipality for some reason had insisted that the owners of the units adjoining the bank adopt the identical architectural treatment, which is how we ended up with that iconic looking block.

Sadly, the original Gulf Bank head office building was recently demolished. It was the same building that had housed Richard’s Coffee and NIU, right across the street from Souk Mubarakia.

The photos above are from a 1972 issue of Aramco World and were taken by Burnett H. Moody. The black and white photo below was taken by Andy Warhol when he visited Kuwait.

The advert below was taken from Kuwait Times, September 1976 issue.

From all the issues in Kuwait, this is one they felt needed fixing? This was a pretty iconic mural, yes it was old, and the paint had faded, but that’s because it was painted over three decades ago. The mural had a purpose, and it meant something. Now it’s just a painting of a flag on a side of an old building.

Not to be confused with the Jahra Nature Reserves which I posted about the other day, the Jahra farms are a historical part of Jahra which I’ve been wanting to visit for years. Yesterday, I finally went, and I’m glad because they might not be around much longer.

Jahra started as a small oasis village known for its underground water and fertile soil. The residents cultivated the land leading it to become known as a notable trading point and stopping place on the way to Kuwait City. With the increase of agricultural production, the village started attracting bandits who would steal and destroy its crops. Eventually the Red Fort (also sometimes called the Red Palace) was built in 1896 to guard the village.

Ironically, because of the Red Fort, the historical farms might now be removed and replaced by new entertainment and shopping facilities as part of Jahra’s plan on attracting more tourists.

I was lucky enough to get a tour of the farms by the architect and Jahra native, Asaiel Alsaeed who also runs the account @jahra_village. I actually attended one of her talks on Jahra nearly 5 years ago, so it was pretty cool getting the tour by her. Unlike the farms in Wafra and Abdaly, the Jahra farms are situated right in the heart of the city. They’ve been fairly neglected, as farmers have long anticipated the government taking them over, leading to minimal investment in their upkeep. But that’s also part of their charm, some of the crumbling walls are so old that they were built with traditional materials: stone gathered from the sea and coated with thick mud plaster.

Walking around the farm fields and exploring them is pretty fun, and I’d recommend you visit  and check them before they are torn down because there is nothing really like it in Kuwait. The farms are mostly all open and free to walk into, they aren’t the Disneyland farms of Abdaly and Wafra, so don’t expect food trucks or gift shops. There are a few wooden shacks next to the farms that sell vegetables, but that’s about it. The area we visited has around 10 farms next to each other, with some in better state than others. You’ll see water wells, streams and lots of greenery there, all while weirdly being surrounded by a bustling city. The view out the window of some of the homes in the surrounding area must be so unusual since they overlook these farm lands.

If you want to visit, the farms are around a 30 minute drive from the city. We parked outside Chili’s at “Awtad Mall” in Jahra and then crossed the street into the farms. Once you’re there, I recommend using Google Maps’ satellite view to explore the farms. There isn’t much signage, and you’ll often need to cross from one farm to another—or even through a farm—to get around. The farmers are friendly and welcoming, and they’re accustomed to visitors, including bird watchers. So if you’re looking for something new and different to do, head to Jahra.

AB Wellness is proud to be Kuwait’s first medical center dedicated to optimizing your health through cutting-edge solutions and holistic treatments. As a medical center, AB Wellness ensures you have access to a dedicated team of doctors and nurses, providing expert care at every step. With global partnerships, the center also brings top visiting doctors from around the world across various fields, offering a truly comprehensive approach to holistic health and the latest in wellness innovations.

With a focus on new and innovative wellness, AB Wellness offers three key categories: Recover, Renew, and Rejuvenate, each designed to enhance your well-being.

Recover emphasizes on healing and restoring the body through advanced therapies designed to alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and improve overall well-being. With treatments like Cryotherapy, Oxygen Chamber, Infrared Sauna, and Physiotherapy, it’s all about recovery and revitalization.

Renew on the other hand offers rejuvenating experiences aimed at boosting energy levels, detoxifying, and enhancing mental clarity. IV Drips, Sound Healing, and Lymphatic Drainage work to recharge your body and mind, leaving you feeling refreshed.

Finally, Rejuvenate is about indulgence and self-care, offering a range of luxurious treatments to enhance your beauty and well-being. From massages and facials to hair and body treatments, this category is designed to revitalize your appearance and provide a sense of relaxation.

To find out more, head over to @abwellnesskw or albannaywellness.net

Yesterday, the Environment Public Authority reopened the Jahra Nature Reserve to the public for the winter season. The reserve is considered to be the first eco-tourism project in Kuwait with the aim of increasing environmental awareness and appreciating the landscape.

Since it’s a reserve, visits are guided, and you’ll only have access to selected areas, with no wandering off on your own.The reserve has three observation outposts, and you’ll need to select one when booking your visit. Each visit is limited to an hour and a half.

The cost of visiting the reserve is KD10 for a group of up to 5 people, and increases the larger your group is. If you’re interested in visiting the nature reserve, you can book through the Sahel App, or through the EPA website.

The popular Marina Hotel Kashta is back for a new season! Known for its beautiful location, charming setup, and wide range of amenities, it has become a favorite among guests over the years.

The kashta setup is located right on the beach, offering a breathtaking backdrop of Kuwait City and a serene view of the open sea.

You can book one of two daily sessions, the Sunset Kashta runs from 4 PM to 7 PM, and the Dinner Kashta from 7:30 PM to 11 PM. Each session offers a unique experience with different packages and prices:

Sunset Kashta
Time: 4PM to 7PM
Includes: A set menu with salad, pizza, sandwiches, fries, desserts, and a selection of cold and hot drinks.
Price: 14KD per person

Evening Kashta
Time: 7:30PM to 11PM
Includes: A buffet and live stations featuring salad, soup, pizza, pasta, vegetable biryani, shawarma, BBQ grills, fries, desserts, and a selection of cold and hot drinks.
Price: KD20 per person

They also offer private cabanas for groups of at least 5 people.

For bookings, visit the link in the @marinahotelkwt bio or call 60074802.