Search: “kuwait”

A friend of mine shared this link with me which is basically a search engine for all the books available at the book fair. I’m actually surprised that it exists because not only will it tell you if the book is at the book fair, it can also let you know which hall, which stall and the price.

That’s super cool, check it out here.

Thanks Forzaq8!

Over the weekend I was invited to Sahara Arena, a new upcoming area of Sahara Resort. I wasn’t there to check out the arena itself, which is still in the early stages of construction, but to get a sneak peek at a new pop-up called The Diwaniya Show.

The Diwaniya Show is being described as Kuwait’s first dining show to feature a full Broadway style production. It’s a project created through a collaboration between three local brands: the creative agency Beattie+Dane, the production company Massive Content, and Seazan, the team behind the Melenzane By the Sea experiences. With all three teams involved, you can expect the same elevated experience they’ve become known for with their previous projects.

Similar to the previous By the Sea experiences, The Diwaniya Show is a large installation that’s being built from the ground up. They took over a large section of the Sahara Golf Resort and built a large theater along with an outdoor retail and entertainment space that overlooks a beautiful artificial lake and the golf course’s green hills.

The idea behind this year’s experience is to give guests an immersive evening where the storytelling, music, and performances all take place just a few steps from their dinner table. There will be two daily shows with dinner, running five days a week. Although it might not look like it from the photos, The Diwaniya Show is expected to open at the end of this month. They just launched their Instagram account, so if you want to stay posted, head over to @aldiwaniyashow

For more photos, click here.

Yesterday I passed by the Kuwait Book Fair and it was pretty packed in the morning, filled with buses and kids from different schools around Kuwait.

The book fair is divided into three halls, 5, 6 and 7. The English book stalls are all located in a corner of hall 6. Compared to the Arabic books the English stalls make up a very small part of the fair but even if you’re there just for the English books I’d walk around the rest of the fair since there were a few Arabic book sellers that also had some English books for sale. The main English stalls though were the following:

Al Sadu House
Austin Macauley Publishers
Awtar Publishing
Brijbasi Art Press
Harvard Press
Hachette
KISR
Macmillan
National Geographic
Oxford University Press
Qatar Press
Samarkand
Scholastic
Thames & Hudson
The English Bookshop
USBORNE
US Embassy in Kuwait
WH Smith

From the list above all the stalls are in hall 6 except for three, the US Embassy, KISR and Al Sadu House, those stalls were located in hall 7. I’m not sure if I’m just imagining it or not but the English books section seemed smaller than the previous years. Still worth checking out though.

If you’re into Kuwait’s past, there is a great book called ‘Screen & Memories Since 1954’ that documents Kuwait’s movie theater history. I picked it up last year and it’s really nicely put together and bilingual. You can find it at the Maraya Publishing booth in Hall 6, Stall A26.

And if you’re planning to pass by the fair, just take into account that it’s open at different timings on Friday and Saturday compared to the rest of the week.

Mornings 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Afternoons 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Friday 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Lots of things happening including book fair, the powerboat championship, AKON and a couple of markets.

Thursday, November 20
Kuwait International Book Fair
The Improv Show Battle Night
Murouj Market
Bugsha Waves Market
XCAT Powerboat World Championship

Friday, November 21
Kuwait International Book Fair
Samaa One Day Retreat
Stargazing Trip
Theater: The Lion King
AKON
Murouj Market
Mindful Journaling with Coffee
Charm Sewing Hangout
Winter Club Pop-up
Bugsha Waves Market
Fabric Collage Art Workshop
XCAT Powerboat World Championship
Jam Sessions

Saturday, November 22
Kuwait International Book Fair
Theater: The Lion King
British Academies Carnival 2025
Women’s Community Bike Ride
Fantasy Themed Gathering
Souq Al Hareem Photo Walk
Murouj Market
Bugsha Waves Market
Story Time at Amricani
Soof Wool Mill Tours
XCAT Powerboat World Championship

The 48th Kuwait International Book Fair kicks off this Wednesday, November 19 at the Kuwait International Fairground and runs until November 29.

The book fair debuted in 1975 and is the largest held in Kuwait, usually offering a massive selection of Arabic books along with a good range of English ones.

The fair will be located in Halls 5, 6 and 7, and the opening hours will be:

Mornings 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Afternoons 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Friday 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

For more information, head over to @kw_nccal

If you’ve got a dog come by to the Pet Gala on Saturday, I’ll be there as one of the judges. Check out all the events below.

Thursday, November 13
The Social on the Roof
AIU Film Festival Movie Screenings

Friday, November 14
KEF Tour 2
The Social on the Roof
Cultural Centre Fall Festival
Picnic Potluck at the Farm
Oil Pastels & Coffee
Salt Beats Live Band Session
Joy Hub Opening

Saturday, November 15
KEF Tour 2
Home Alone Screening
The Social on the Roof
Coffee, Canvas & Connect
Da Gusto’s Pet Gala
Paint & Sip Japanese Edition
Voltaire Market

Note: Camel Racing starts at 1:30PM this Saturday

Aseer Time, the largest juice shop franchise in Kuwait, made headlines a few months ago after opening their first store in China. Now they’re back in the news again after becoming an official sponsor of Spanish football team Sevilla FC.

Sevilla FC, founded in 1890, is based in Seville and known for its passionate fans and strong European record. They’ve won the UEFA Europa League a record seven times, making them one of Europe’s most successful clubs in that competition.

Aseer Time isn’t just a sponsor, they’re also the team’s official juice for this season.

If you’re interested in learning more about the partnership or owning an Aseer Time franchise, you can contact them on WhatsApp at +96567090966.

Lots of outdoor activities this weekend including a few desert trips and a market, check them out below:

Thursday, November 6
Padel World Cup 2025
Distant and Close: Chinese Art in Kuwait
Football for Humanity
Boost at The Petal

Friday, November 7
Khaneh at The Sandwich Shop Pop-up
Scented Sachets at Sunrise
Padel World Cup 2025
Distant and Close: Chinese Art in Kuwait
Desert Excursion, Cleanup & Kashta
Football for Humanity
Redland of Ubaid Desert Outing
Boost at The Petal
Let’s Go Hiking!
Abu Takes over Wellthy

Saturday, November 8
Operation Turtle: Beach Cleanup
Abu Takes over Wellthy
All Women’s Community Bike Ride
Padel World Cup 2025
Distant and Close: Chinese Art in Kuwait
Art for your Brew
Children’s Day at Amricani
BLS Winter Bazaar
Boost at The Petal

Nobu Hospitality just announced that they’ll be opening Nobu Residences and Restaurant at Hessah Plaza, inside the Hessah District Project.

Nobu is a global luxury brand known for its restaurants, hotels, and residences around the world. It was founded back in 1994 by chef Nobu Matsuhisa along with actor Robert De Niro and film producer Meir Teper.

No opening date was mentioned in the press release. Source

Thanks Khalid!

Earlier today I got confirmation that it’s Bella Hadid coming to Kuwait and not Paris Hilton. Bella is the founder of the fragrance brand Ôrəbella, which she launched in partnership with Ulta Beauty. With over 60 million followers on Instagram, I think she’s the highest-profile celebrity to visit Kuwait since Kim Kardashian back in 2012.

Bella will be in Kuwait on November 7 to launch Ulta Beauty at The Avenues. The timing hasn’t been finalized yet, but it’s expected to take place in the afternoon.

Follow @ultabeautymiddleeast for the official announcement.

Leica is opening a store in Kuwait at 360 Mall. Boushahri Group used to be the dealers in Kuwait back when they were selling 35mm cameras. I remember always wanting the Leica Minilux point and shoot and later the CM, but they were too expensive. When Boushahri closed their main store on Salem Mubarak they continued to sell Leica at their smaller store on Baghdad Street before eventually shutting down.

Leica is now no longer with Boushahri Group and instead with the Qatari luxury group Ali Bin Ali.

Ulta Beauty is opening in Kuwait on November 7th, and there’s a rumor going around that they’re bringing a megastar for the launch. A couple hours ago, they posted a teaser that looks like it could be Paris Hilton. The video describes the person coming as “iconic,” which happens to be the name of Paris Hilton’s perfume that also happened to have launched exclusively at Ulta Beauty.

I used to have a huge crush on her back in the late 90s, so it’s going to suck if I miss her visit since I’m not going to be here for the opening. I’ve reached out to a couple of sources for confirmation but haven’t heard back yet. I’ll update this post once I find out more.

Update: A reader DM’d me to point out the video they’re using is from Bella Hadid’s Orebella. So the fact they’re using the term “Iconic” but the video is from Orebella makes me think they’re just trying to confuse us. So could be either Paris or Bella 🤷🏼‍♂️

ICE has been all over the news for their controversial arrests in the US, but I didn’t think their latest capture would be a Kuwaiti citizen.

According to the news, a Kuwaiti was arrested by ICE in San Diego after he rammed his car into their vehicles trying to escape. He injured 3 federal officers during the attempted escape and according to the article he was in the US illegally and is also wanted here in Kuwait. So random. Source

These are my favorite events taking place this weekend.

Thursday, October 23
A5 Mall Kashta Expo
FULLOUT HipHop Dance Workshop
Sonatas for Violin & Piano
RoadRush Festival
The Flag-wavers of Gubbio

Friday, October 24
A5 Mall Kashta Expo
The Elite Comedy Show
Let’s Go Hiking!
RoadRush Festival

Saturday, October 25
A5 Mall Kashta Expo
Self-care Day: Violence Awareness & Empowerment Event
Botanical Gelli Printing Workshop
Sip & Flow
Farmers Market
Trash Hero Beach Cleanup
DAI StoryTime at Amricani
Sama & Cacao Ceremony

According to Arab Times, the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) announced that it will enforce strict measures against stand-up comedy shows that violate licensing regulations and public morals.

I’m guessing this is related to one of (or some of) the recent standup shows that took place. Did anything happen that I’m not aware of?