Search: “kuwait”

A couple of weeks ago I posted Spinneys might be opening in Kuwait, and it’s now official. Spinneys just announced they’re entering Kuwait through a joint venture with Alshaya Group.

Kuwait will be their fourth GCC market, with ten stores planned and the first expected to open in 2026.

They don’t mention where the first store will be, but I’d previously heard Alshaya was looking to replace Carrefour in The Avenues with their own supermarket brand, so that might still be the case. Link

I just came across some interesting but bizarre news. According to a number of articles that popped up over the past few hours, 24-year-old Kuwaiti investor Saad Kassis-Mohamed is planning to resurrect the defunct Caterham Formula 1 team for the 2027 season.

The Caterham F1 Team was a Malaysian, later British owned Formula One team based in the United Kingdom. The team raced for three years between 2012 and 2014.

The reason I found the news bizarre is because, until these articles, I had no idea who Saad was. More than one publication called him a Kuwaiti investor or entrepreneur, but from what I can tell he isn’t Kuwaiti. He might be an investor in the Kuwaiti market, but I haven’t found much on that either. There is a Wikipedia entry that says he was born in Kuwait and is a Kuwaiti entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, so I am guessing that is where they are pulling the info from.

According to a couple of the articles, Saad was named last year on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in the Social Influence category. But aside from a few press releases on dodgy looking news sites, I haven’t found anything about him on Forbes itself.

Saad’s investment firm, SKM Capital, which is supposedly behind the F1 bid, also doesn’t seem to exist outside of these articles.

The whole story doesn’t add up, yet it is being published on sites like Newsweek, Motorsport Week, and Autosport. Very weird.

Update: They’ve sent over the following clarifications:

Saad was part of the Forbes Monaco 30 Under 30 class of 2022. SKM Capital is an investment vehicle intended to be formed once a committal is reached in the context of an F1 program. It is accurate to describe it as “in formation, contingent on final commitments,” not as a non-existent or misrepresented entity.

Here are my favorite things happening this weekend. As always, double check the event details with the organizers.

Thursday, August 21
Foodhall Carnival

Friday, August 22
Foodhall Carnival
Sunrise Paddle Boarding

Saturday, August 23
Foodhall Carnival
Her Wellness Journey with Lululemon
Unwind Through
Second Chance Book Sale
Color Me Brunch
DAI StoryTime Zoo
Paint & Sip Chill Edit
Escape to Qaruh Island
Korean Game Day
Girls Only Game Day

I just read that Kuwait Airways now has self check-in that includes boarding pass issuance AND baggage weighing. Previously you could on self check-in if you didn’t have any luggage just carryon but now it seems you can also drop off your bag yourself. source

If you’ve come across a photo booth in Kuwait, maybe at an event or mall, it was probably a Calling Marilyn booth. Calling Marilyn was born when popular studio photographer Salma Alessa brought her studio’s signature high-end aesthetic and attention to detail to a wider audience. A luxe photo booth where people can have fun and capture moments with friends turned out to be the perfect way to share her photography style beyond the studio.

Not only do the photos look great, but the booths themselves are just as impressive. Each one has a unique design inspired by its environment and is created locally. No two are alike, and all are built in collaboration with local artisans and creatives. They also like thinking outside the box, literally. Last year they turned a vintage Cadillac convertible into a booth just for fun, and people had a blast with it.

Another cool aspect is that the photo booths don’t store or save digital copies. It brings back the old school magic of physical copies, while also being a privacy feature. The photos you print will be the only copies that exist.

If you want to check out one of their public booths, you can find them in various spots around Kuwait, including 360 Mall, Assima, Al Andalus, Al Thuraya, Khiran Mall, Marina Mall, and more.

Check them out @callingmarilyn

I’m really surprised how many things are still taking place every weekend even through the summer. Usually it gets pretty quiet, but there are still plenty of things to do. Check out my favorite ones below and as always, double check the event details with the organizers.

Thursday, August 14
Korean Movie Night: Harbin
Story Time at PCC

Friday, August 15
8 15 Mini Market
Sunrise Paddle
The Gathering

Saturday, August 16
Girls Only Game Day
8 15 Mini Market
Sunrise Paddle
DAI Story Time Zoo
DAI Family Day
Social Game Night
Matcha Workshop with Oysa
Lumen printing
Visual Journaling

@VisitKuwait posted the 4 different categories that were recently introduced for the Kuwait tourist visa. source

The cost of the tourist visa is just KD 3 so around $10. source

I wasn’t expecting my last post to get such an emotional reaction. I knew it would spark a respons but I expected more debate and less outrage. About 99.9% of the comments strongly disagreed with the gym’s explanation for why women’s prices were higher than men’s. That was made very clear.

One thing that stood out to me, since it was mentioned multiple times by different people, was the claim that women pay three times more than men for the same gym. So I decided to contact 16 gyms in Kuwait, basically every gym I could find that offered facilities for both men and women, to see which one was charging three times more for women. Here’s what I found:

Men pay more at 6 gyms
Women pay more at 4 gyms
6 gyms have the same price for men and women.

When men pay more, it’s by 18.8% on average.
When women pay more, it’s by 25.6% on average.

I couldn’t find a gym where the women’s membership was three times more than the men’s. Maybe that comparison is being made between different gyms, like a one-year subscription at Oxygen in Mangaf for men (KD 200) versus a one year subscription for women at Platinum Sabah Al-Salem (KD 720). In this specific case, women would be paying three times more, but it’s not a fair comparison.

There were comments about Platinum’s Sabah Al-Salem branch specifically. The membership there is KD 390 a year for men and KD 720 a year for women. Oxygen has a men’s gym in Sabah Al-Salem that charges KD 440 a year, so Platinum is likely keeping the men’s price lower to compete is my guess.

In any case, if you don’t like that your gym charges a pink tax, leave the gym. If a gym charges a pink tax and women are still paying it, the gym has little incentive to reduce their prices.

Check out the list below of gyms in Kuwait that offer membership to both men and women. These are the yearly membership prices:

ARGAN Albida’a Club
Men KD 1,250
Women KD 825

C Club
Men KD 1,750
Women KD 1,350

Circuit+
Men KD 670
Women KD 828

Elite Fitness
Men KD 1,100
Women KD 1,100

ERA Members Club
Men KD 650
Women KD 650

Flare Fitness
Men KD 595
Women KD 720

Edge Fitness (Holiday Inn)
Men KD 479
Women KD 445

Inspire
Men KD 1150
Women KD 1150

Platinum
Men KD 750 (all branches)
Women KD 870 (all branches)

Privus Health Club
Men KD 1,400
Women KD 1,200

Rafa Nadal Academy
Men KD 800
Women KD 800

Spark
Men KD 670 (single branch)
Women KD 950 (single branch)

SVN
Men KD3,000
Women KD2,600

The Burrow
Men KD 1,100
Women KD 1,100

The Champion
Men KD 250
Women KD 250

Viking Club (Radisson Blu)
Men KD 1050
Women KD 825

Note: When checking the prices, keep in mind that some gyms have offers or include additional services with the membership. For more details, DM the gym or call them.

Recently there has been a lot of talk about the price difference between men’s and women’s gyms in Kuwait. Women’s memberships are often more expensive with no clear explanation to why. So, I reached out to a gym (they want to remain anonymous) that operates both men’s and women’s branches to find out why their women’s membership costs slightly more than the men’s. These are the 5 main reasons they say women’s gyms cost more:

Prime Locations
Women’s branches are in safe, central spots like malls and shopping centers. Great for comfort and accessibility, but rent in these areas is expensive.

Specialized Coaches
Finding top female coaches in Kuwait is not easy, especially those with international certifications and skills like prenatal training, yoga, and Pilates. Getting them here means covering relocation, visas, housing, and benefits, which all add to costs.

More Equipment Variety
Women’s gyms often have a wider mix of machines compared to men, from Pilates reformers to functional rigs. This means bigger investments and more frequent maintenance.

Higher Operating Costs
Women’s gyms operate in fewer peak hours while still carrying full overhead. Maintenance also has to be done after hours, often late at night, which costs more.

Maintaining Quality
Dropping prices could mean overcrowding and faster wear and tear. Keeping memberships at a certain price helps maintain a comfortable and high-quality space.

What do you think?

Photo courtesy of @trainwithg

Yesterday a friend sent me this post he came across online. The account had 200K followers and the post at that point around 8,000 likes (it’s over 12K now). I hadn’t come across a Rolex vending machine nor heard about it so assumed this was fake news, but I reached out to the dealer anyway just to confirm that which they did (that it was not true).

But this is pretty much what the Internet is nowadays, tons of fake news and pictures just created to generate clicks. Anything interesting or cool I come across I need to triple check just to make sure if it’s real or not. I think I prefer the web back when it was harder for people to create and share content.

Here are my favorite events taking place this weekend.

Thursday, August 7
Bloom Market
Italian Collage Night on Tote Bags
Storytime at PCC

Friday, August 8
Bloom Market
Sunrise Paddle

Saturday, August 9
Bloom Market
Women’s Circle
Second Chance Book Sale
Back to the 200s Junk Journal Club
Girls Only Board Gaming
Island Escape to Qaruh

According to a reliable source, Spinneys, the popular supermarket chain, might be coming to Kuwait and partnering up with Alshaya.

Spinneys is considered a premium supermarket and is popular in the UAE and Lebanon, with locations also in Egypt, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. In the UAE, Spinneys also operates the Waitrose brand.

This isn’t the first time Alshaya has been in talks to partner with a supermarket chain. Back in 2011, they were reportedly in talks with Tesco before that deal fell through. At the time, I was told Alshaya was looking to replace Carrefour in The Avenues with their own supermarket concept. I have no idea if that’s still the case, but I’d imagine that would be the most likely scenario.

Last year, Kuwait competed for the first time at the Asian Surfing Championships after officially joining the International Surfing Association (ISA). They’re back again this year, continuing to build their presence in the sport.

This year’s Kuwait team consists of three surfers:
Ahmad Alrefae @a.alrefae2
Essa Alessa @eksultan
Naif Alkhatrash @kuwaitisurfer

The National Surfing Coach is:
Ibrahim Egan @egan_18

Ahmad and Essa grew up in Kuwait, spending most of their time in Bnaider engaging in various watersports. They began surfing during their teenage years but gained most of their experience after moving to California for university. Naif, on the other hand, moved to Bali, where he currently lives and has been surfing for over 10 years.

The Asian Surfing Championships are currently taking place from August 3 to 12 in Tamil Nadu, India, organized by the Asian Surf Federation. Nineteen countries are competing, and Kuwait’s first heat took place earlier today. You can check out some photos of the team from today in the carousel. This marks the second time Kuwait has been recognized as a country with surfers by both the International Surfing Association (ISA) and the Asian Surfing Federation (ASF).

If you want to stay posted on the Kuwait Surf team’s progress at the Asian Surf Championship, follow their instagram account @kuwaitsurfcommittee

Today marks 35 years since Iraq invaded Kuwait, starting the Gulf War. I was in Kuwait and just 11 years old when I woke up that morning to find out what had happened. We had just finished celebrating my younger brother’s birthday the night before, so it took a while for me to grasp how much life was about to change.

My family stayed in Kuwait for six weeks before fleeing by road to Lebanon, where I lived until the war ended and we moved back to Kuwait in the summer of 1991. Although I was young, I have vivid memories from that time, mostly tied to the media, from CNN’s Operation Desert Storm coverage to the “FREE KUWAIT” and later “Free Our POWs” campaigns, and even small things like anti Saddam car bumper stickers.

I remember as a kid desperately wanting a “FREE KUWAIT” badge or t-shirt. It was such a strong and meaningful visual that, 35 years later, it’s still a powerful image.

The “FREE KUWAIT” logo was designed by Michael Lorrigan with the help of the British design firm Bostock & Pollitt (now called Pollitt & Partners). Michael, who was a teacher and deputy headmaster at New English School at the time, was in England on summer break when the invasion happened. After the war broke out, he discovered the newly formed Kuwaiti media committee in London and joined them, eventually becoming one of their most dedicated members. The name “Free Kuwait Campaign” was chosen as a unifying label for various London-based groups supporting Kuwait during the invasion. When Michael shared the sample logos with the campaign group, a member called Ali Al Mulaifi suggested making the word “FREE” larger than “KUWAIT.” That became the final version. source

There is actually a great interview you can watch (it’s in Arabic) that details Michaels role in the Free Kuwait campaign which you can watch here.

The photos in this post were all taken in London by Dr. Adel Al-Yousifi. They are part of his photo-book “A Testimony from London” and are also available online at his website, free-kuwait.net. Dr. Adel also created the website evidence-kw.net, which documents the impact of the war on Kuwait and is based on another photo-book he published in 1994.

Check out my favorite things taking place this weekend below. As always, double check the event details with the organizers.

Thursday, July 31
Feels Like Summer Zine Workshop
Literally Open Mic
Pokeman Trading Event

Friday, August 1
Sunrise Paddle with Outdoorish

Saturday, August 2
Pilates on a Yacht
A Critical Reading of Kuwait’s Invasion Aftermath
Urban Sketchers at The Promenade
Girls Game Day
Paint Your Heart
Island Escape to Qaruh