Search: “kuwait”

I came across this photo taken by Tor Eigeland of the Kuwait Towers under construction sometime in the 70s. What I found interesting about it is that it’s the only image I’ve ever seen of the towers at night while still under construction.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse was meant to be released in the region on June 22, but last week it got banned in Kuwait and across the region. The reason behind the ban is due to the presence of transgender symbolism in the film, a “Protect Trans Kids” poster which appeared briefly during one scene (pictured below).

Whats interesting is that we’ve recently started seeing more movie bans and less censorship and that is supposedly due to the studios no longer allowing cinemas to edit their films. Disney and Sony have both recently not allowed Asian countries to edit out LGBT content so the only option cinemas have is to ban the films outright. It’s interesting because they previously would allow cinemas to edit out nudity or kisses, so it’s odd that they aren’t allowing LGBT content to be cut.

Staged in Kuwait’s eleventh season closes this weekend with three final performances of the hit musical “CHICAGO”. The classic musical is as relevant today as it was when it was first written 50 years ago and the Staged in Kuwait production is a must watch.

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend then this is it. There is a showing every night this weekend and the tickets start at KD10. If you want to book, click here.

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
Elemental (6.8)
Kandahar (6.2)
The Flash (N/A)

Other Movies Showing:
Fast X (6.2)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (8.3)
Guy Ritchie’s the Covenant (8.5)
Just Super (6.4)
Sisu (7.0)
The Boogeyman (6.2)
The Little Mermaid (7.2)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (7.4
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (6.5)

The classic films below are currently showing at the 1954 Film House:
Cast Away (7.8)
The Last of the Mohicans (7.7)
Tarzan – 1999 (7.3)

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

I love these photos of a fashion shoot that took place around Kuwait back in 1973. The photos were taken by Schiffer Pál, a popular Hungarian director and writer. I’m guessing before he became popular he was also a photographer but I haven’t been able to figure out how he ended up in Kuwait. Some interesting tidbits, the Kuwait Towers were still under construction in the photo above and the pool shots were taken at Gazelle Club.

Due to the square format of the photos I’m assuming they were taken on a medium format film camera which explains why the quality of the scanned photos is amazing.

If you want to check out the full series of photos, click here.

via @tareqkandari

Not a lot happening this weekend but there is a good variety of different things. check out the list below and let me know if I missed anything.

Thursday, June 8
Musical: Chicago
IFK Movie Night
The Avenues Summer Edition
Musical Meshk

Friday, June 9
Musical: Chicago
Brahms and Mozart Performance
The Avenues Summer Edition

Saturday, June 10
Musical: Chicago
Jam Session 3.0
The Avenues Summer Edition
Storytelling: Ambition
Wejha Summer Bazaar
Ladies Island Trip

Exhibitions:
A Retrospective by Amin Mahfouz
Recollections by Deema Alghunaim

The movies below are now showing at Cinescape, Grand Cinemas and VOX:

New This Weekend:
About My Father (6.1)
Last Sentinel (5.0)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (6.5)

Other Movies Showing:
Book Club: The Next Chapter (5.6)
Fast X (6.2)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (8.3)
Guy Ritchie’s the Covenant (8.5)
John Wick: Chapter 4 (8.2)
Just Super (6.4)
Ride On (7.2)
Sisu (7.0)
The Boogeyman (6.2)
The Little Mermaid (7.2)
The Pope’s Exorcist (6.1)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (7.4

The classic films below are currently showing at the 1954 Film House:
Cast Away – 2000 (7.8)
Tarzan – 1999 (7.3)

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

“ABC’s of Kuwait” is a new alphabetical rhyming book about Kuwait which I picked up before my vacation at the Ecru Pop Up. It’s written by Bibi Salem Al-Sabah and illustrated by Nada Dalloul and it’s a book for both children and adults alike. Every spread is a different letter with multiple words and tidbits relating to Kuwait.

If you’re interested to pick up a copy the price is KD8 and the book is available online here but also at @cycokw @little_bees_books @lildreamerskw

The Kuwait Towers are old, and due to more than five decades of marine climate exposure, some of the decorative metal discs started to detach and fall to the ground. Back in 2020, the Kuwait Towers was awarded a grant by the Getty Foundation to conduct a technical study to identify the underlying problem behind the disc detachments and develop conservation protocols for carrying out repairs and maintenance. After delays due to covid, the study was finally completed this year.

A couple of weeks ago I met with architect Zahra Ali Baba (@zhrabba) and engineer Jaber Alqallaf (@jeemroom) both from the National Council for Culture Arts & Letters and part of the team responsible for restoration and rehabilitation of the Kuwait Towers. I got to hear about how they along with the rest of the local team collaborated with international experts on the study and it was very fascinating to say the least.

The towers were built out of concrete in the 70s and studded with 41,000 enameled metal discs in different shades of blue, green, and gray, and in a very specific pattern. In the photo above you can get a better idea of the mechanism that connects the discs to the spheres. Because the towers are located right by the sea they’re exposed to the salty sea air that has corrosive effects on both the concrete and metal. The study was conducted to identify the issues with the discs and then set a plan to fix them.

Another thing I hadn’t thought about before is the fading of the color. Over time the discs have discolored with exposure to all the elements and so the color of the towers today, is slightly different than they used to be.

I never really thought about the towers aging and I drive by them every day with the presumption that they’d always be there. But, unless there is a team working behind the scenes to conserve them, they won’t last forever. Thankfully we have a team, and one that really cares.

Café Kitsuné, the sub-brand of the trendy French-Japanese lifestyle brand Maison Kitsuné is opening in Kuwait.

Maison Kitsuné expanded their brand in 2013 by opening Café Kitsuné in Tokyo followed by a location in Paris in 2019. I’ve been to the one in Paris and I’m a fan of the brand like I’m sure many people are.

Café Kitsuné has over 21 locations worldwide and they’re now planning to open in Kuwait (lso set to open in Dubai). The details aren’t finalized yet but they’re planning to open in Abdullah Al Salem sometime this year.

Photo of Kuwait at night taken by an astronaut from onboard the International Space Station with a NIKON D5 and a 400mm lens on May 6, 2023.

via Reddit

Located in Sharq, the Cartoon Network theme park is a franchise by Warner Bros and is the largest indoor theme park in Kuwait. The park, which was developed in collaboration with Future Kid spans a massive 3,500 square meters and provides visitors with a unique opportunity to interact with beloved Cartoon Network characters and brands.

One of the key attractions of the park is the Ben 10 themed Immersive Adventurer ride, supplied by the UK-based dynamic media attractions specialist Simworx. This ride is a highly dynamic, 3DOF motion simulator, designed as a 16 seat ‘vehicle’ that uses 13 video screens to project media on all sides of the vehicle, even the roof, fully immersing riders in the world of Ben 10.

The park continues to evolve and improve, with a complete redevelopment undertaken in 2019, replacing all the existing rides and introducing new, exciting attractions.

To find out more about the park, visit @cnworldkw

This post is a paid partnership.

Although Apple Maps originally launched back in 2012, it only started working in Kuwait last week. I don’t know what took Apple so long but I’m glad its now finally working here. While I’m a fan of Google Maps, I find the interface of Apple Maps not only easier to read and follow, but also significantly faster to use.

If you’ve never used Apple Maps before you can now try it out.

iHop, previously an Alshaya brand closed down their physical locations back in 2021 before eventually closing down delivery as well. Now they’re back in Kuwait again but this time they’re Kout Food Group, the same company that has Burger King, Pizza Hut and Subway amongst other brands.

They just opened their first location at CRE Mall in Mahboula and will be opening other locations including one in Avenues. They’ve also started delivery which is being handled by the cloud kitchen operator Kitopi.

I was always a fan of iHop since they had a pretty good affordable no frills breakfast and some great pancakes. Their Mahboula location is completely out of the way for me so I’m not going to be passing by anytime soon, but definitely will once they reopen in the Avenues.

Not a lot happening this weekend but there is a good variety of different things. check out the list below and let me know if I missed anything.

Thursday, May 18
Zahy Expo
IFK Cinema Night
Workshop: Palestinian Embroidery
Wejha Open Studio Nights
Artistic Studio Nights

Friday, May 19
Zahy Expo
International Museum Day
Voices from the Occupation
Lets Go Thrfting!
Touch of Hope Charity Concert
Indie Print Festival

Saturday, May 20
Al Hamra Music Night
Zahy Expo
Lets Go Thrfting!
Coffee Sunset Sea Cruise
Clothing Swap & Shop
Theater: Out at Sea
TEDxKuwaitCity

Exhibitions:
An Oasis in the Desert of My Soul
Hundred Best Arabic Posters by 100/100
I am Every Woman by Rasa Romanova
Voices of the Occupation by AUK