Search: “kuwait”

The popular internet speed testing website Speedtest.net has a global index that is updated on a monthly basis ranking mobile and fixed broadband connections around the world. So how is Kuwait currently doing compared to the rest of the world?

Mobile Internet
Rank: 56th
Average Speed: 19.59 Mbps

Fixed Broadband
Rank: 83rd
Average Speed: 14.73 Mbps

I’m actually pretty surprised with the fixed broadband speed since I would have expected it to be a lot lower due to the fact that fiber isn’t widespread yet. Actually I’m also pretty surprised with our mobile internet speeds since I rarely get over 4 Mbps unless I’m in Kuwait City and even then it’s usually around 15-17 Mbps.

Regionally UAE ranked the highest for Mobile Internet coming in 7th with an average speed of 43.98 Mbps while Qatar ranked the highest in Fixed Broadband coming in 49th with an average speed of 27.78 Mbps.

For more information and the full rankings click [Here]

One of the biggest boxing fights of our time is taking place this Saturday, August 26th. Its sort of a crossover fight since Conor McGregor, one of the biggest MMA stars who fights in the UFC is crossing over into boxing to fight the eleven-time five-division professional boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. If you’re in Kuwait, here are three ways to watch the fight:

OSN: If you’re an OSN subscriber you can watch the fight on OSN Sports Box Office HD. The cost is $20 and here is a link with more information [Link]

Cinescape: Cinescape has partnered up with OSN to broadcast the fight at one of their theaters. Not much information on this yet other than this one post on the Cinescape instagram account [Here]. So you’ll have to check their instagram account before the event for more info.

Online: You can purchase the pay per view on the UFC website. Cost is 30 euros but includes one month access to UFC Fight Pass. For more details click [Here]

The main card will take place around 5 or 6AM Kuwait time so be prepared to either stay up late or wake up super early to watch the fight.

Update: Just to be clear, the fights take place Saturday in the US so its 5 or 6AM Sunday morning here in Kuwait.
Update2: Looks like Cinescape will no longer be broadcasting the fight

The Kuwait Baseball Softball Challenger League (KBSC) is a local non-profit organization that provides their players with 6 months of physical activity and competition twice a week for a minimal fee.

Registration for 2017-2018 season is now open for boys and girls ages 4 to 17. They have their regular baseball divisions, a girls’ softball division and a challenger division for players with physical and/or developmental disabilities.

Their baseball fields (pictured above) are located off the 6th Ring Road at the Hunting and Equestrian Club. They are super legit fields with green grass, bleachers and even lemonade and corndogs. If you’re interested to find out more or to register for their 2017-2018 season, click [Here]

The movies below are now showing at either Cinescape, Grand Cinemas or Sky Cinemas:

New This Week:
Richard the Stork (5.9)
Security (5.8)
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (6.7)
Annabelle: Creation (7.2) ♦

Other Movies Showing:
47 Meters Down (5.8)
Atomic Blonde (7.2) ♦
Baby Driver (8.3) ♦ ★
Dunkirk (8.6) ♦ ★
First Kill (4.8)
Kidnap (6.0)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (7.0)
Resident Evil: Vendetta (6.3) ♦
The Dark Tower (7.7)
The Emoji Movie (1.7)
The Hatton Garden Job (6.6)
The Wall (6.3)
War for the Planet of the Apes (8.5) ★

The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

A Beautiful Planet 3D (7.9)
Dream Big 3D (7.9)
Humpback Whales 3D (7.2)
Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean 3D (N/A)

Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.
★ is for movies I’m interested in. ♦ implies movie might contain censorship.

Failaka Island was recently featured in the New York Times “The Daily 360”. Th video is composed of a bunch of short 360 degrees videos stitched together which you can move around in. Check it out above or in full screen on the NYT website [Here]

A lot of people are becoming vegetarian or vegan for some reason so I figured it was worth putting this list together. Below is a list of restaurants that have a large selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes (not salads). I’m sure I missed out on a whole lot so let me know what else to add below.

BE Cafe
Fed by JM
Ginger
Greenland
Healthy Feast
OVO
Saravanaa Bhavan
Super/Foods
The Bowl
Udupi
Wilgrow

One of the oldest sports clubs in Kuwait is looking to recruit men and women for their rugby team. If you’re interested keep reading below for a small brief on who they are along with information on how to contact them:

Fancy playing rugby? Kuwait Scorpions is always looking to recruit new players for the upcoming 2017/2018 season. We have both male and female teams. Any level of experience is welcome. Pre-season training has started already and will continue every Monday and Wednesday from 7PM.

A brief overview of Kuwait Scorpions Rugby Football Club (KSRFC)

• The Kuwait Scorpions are the oldest rugby club in the Middle East. Established in 1946 when Kuwait Oil Company and the British Army played the first ever recorded fixture in the region.

• The Kuwait Scorpions are a registered member of Gulf Rugby (formerly Arabian Gulf RFC) which is in turn affiliated with the IRB (International Rugby Board).

• The club consists of players from all around the world; we currently have players from the United Kingdom, Republic of Fiji, USA, Canada, Lebanon, Egypt, South Africa, as well as an increasing number of Kuwaiti players.

• The Kuwait Scorpions is not gender biased and has two main branches, the Men’s Senior Team and the Ladies Senior Team. In addition to the two main branches we have a Men’s Veteran Team that forms for special events.

• The Kuwait Scorpions Men are the defending Dubai 7’s Gulf Men’s Open Champions (2014).

Interested in becoming a Scorpion?
The Kuwait Scorpions would love to hear from you, regardless of your age, gender, or past rugby experience, Kuwait Scorpions Rugby Club provides a great way to keep fit, improve your rugby skills, socialise, and visit other countries around the Gulf region.
If interested, please don’t hesitate to contact Hussain Al-Helal at [email protected].

Instagram: @q8scorpions
Facebook: facebook.com/q8scorpions
Website: q8scorpions.teamapp.com/

To check out photos of the Kuwait Scorpions from the early 50s, click [Here]

Legendary Kuwaiti actor Abdulhussain Abdulredha has passed away in London days after reportedly falling into a coma and years of health struggles.

The Kuwaiti comedian is perhaps best known among generations of Gulf fans for his part in the 1981 Bye Bye London play that poked fun at Arabs’ obsession with the British capital.

Abdulredha is one of the founders of the art movement in Kuwait, which he founded with a group of artists that included Khalid Al-Nafisi, Ali Mufidi, Saad Al-Faraj, Ibrahim Sallal, and Ghanem Saleh, amongst others.

On the stage, Abdulredha was often credited for his role in influencing what many considered the golden age of Kuwaiti theatre during the 1970s and 1980s. Among his most prominent roles was playing Saddam Hussein in the Saif Al Arab play.

His last and final role came in ‘Selfie 3’ which appeared on MBC during Ramadan this year. [Source]

Super sad news.

There are a few things going on this weekend, so check out the full list below:

Thursday
Art Light installation by Architect Nouf AlMayal
Divan Movie Night: Airplane
Oriental Music Night

Friday
Art Light installation by Architect Nouf AlMayal
Brunch with Fattet Baba & Artspace
Instameet!
Kuwait Bibliophiles: Book Club Meeting

Saturday
Art Light installation by Architect Nouf AlMayal
Yoga with the 3
Story Time at Amricani

If you’d like to share an event on the blog [Email Me]
For a full list of upcoming events click [Here]

Sometimes events get canceled or have details changed so always double check with the organizers.

The movies below are now showing at either Cinescape, Grand Cinemas or Sky Cinemas:

New This Week:
47 Meters Down (5.8)
Kidnap (6.0)
Resident Evil: Vendetta (6.3) ♦
The Emoji Movie (1.7)
The Hatton Garden Job (6.6)

Other Movies Showing:
Atomic Blonde (7.2) ♦
Baby Driver (8.3) ♦ ★
Dunkirk (8.6) ♦ ★
First Kill (4.8)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (7.0)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (8.2)
The Dark Tower (7.7)
The Jungle Bunch (6.6)
The Wall (6.3)
War for the Planet of the Apes (8.5) ★

The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

A Beautiful Planet 3D (7.9)
Dream Big 3D (7.9)
Humpback Whales 3D (7.2)
Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean 3D (N/A)

Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.
★ is for movies I’m interested in. ♦ implies movie might contain censorship.

A lot of you might of heard about the new home business license that was supposed to be available starting August 1st (I posted about it). I went last week to the Kuwait Business Center and they informed me that it was not yet available, but should be soon. I did manage to get some more information from them that might be useful for those of you that want to start a home businesses (this information is not official yet, but I did receive it verbally from one of the managers at KBC)

1) You will be able to register for the license online

2) You will need to register an address which can be a postal code address, email or law firm office

3) Types of business have not been announced yet, but they will have 59 options to choose from

4) Business owner will not be able to register under Public Institution for Social Security or receive any social allowances either

5) The company license will be included under sole proprietorship only (one person company), and will not be able to employ workers under the business

6) This is only available for Kuwaitis

For any legal inquiries, please email me on [email protected] and my team or I will get back to you within 24 hours.

Post by Fajer Ahmed – Legal Counsel
The legal opinions expressed in this post are those of the author Fajer. Opinions expressed by Mark or any other writer on mark248am1.wpenginepowered.com are those of the individual’s and in no way reflect Fajer’s opinion.

The movies below are now showing at either Cinescape, Grand Cinemas or Sky Cinemas:

New This Week:
Altitude (4.7)
First Kill (4.8)
The Big Sick (8.1) ♦
The Dark Tower (7.7)
The Jungle Bunch (6.6)
The Wall (6.3)

Other Movies Showing:
Ali and Nino (7.4)
Atomic Blonde (7.2) ♦
Baby Driver (8.3) ♦ ★
Boyka: Undisputed (7.3)
Cars 3 (7.1)
Despicable Me 3 (6.6)
Dunkirk (8.6) ♦ ★
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (7.0)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (8.2)
War for the Planet of the Apes (8.5) ★

The movies below are also now showing at the Scientific Center IMAX theater:

A Beautiful Planet 3D (7.9)
Dream Big 3D (7.9)
Humpback Whales 3D (7.2)
Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Secret Ocean 3D (N/A)

Numbers in brackets refer to the IMDB rating at time of publishing.
★ is for movies I’m interested in. ♦ implies movie might contain censorship.

Every year on the anniversary of the 1990 Kuwait Invasion, I like to share some links related to the war. This year I added a couple of new ones, check them all out below:

Free Kuwait
This is a website that focuses on the campaign that was led by Kuwaitis in exile and is loaded with photos and information.

Kuwait Invasion – The Evidence
This is a website that contains over 1,200 pictures taken right after the 1990 invasion as photographic evidence to all the destruction caused by Iraq.

Short movie: Hearts of Palm
Hearts of Palm is a short movie set in August 2nd 1990 and deals with Kuwaiti students living in Miami Florida during the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait.

The Class of 1990
This is a short documentary about reuniting class mates years after the 1990 Iraqi invasion.

Homemade video from the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait
Video clips taken by a Kuwaiti family during the Iraqi invasion

Desert Storm Photos
Photos taken by soldiers during Desert Storm.

Short Animation: Sandarah
A captivating story based on true events that took place during the 1990 Iraqi invasion.

First Account of Iraq’s Invasion of Kuwait
Interviews with various Kuwaitis that were in Kuwait during the 1990 invasion.

Iraqi Invasion Pictures
Photos of the Gulf War aftermath.

Photo on top by Adel Al-Yousifi

Selections, the bi-monthly cultural magazine posted a short article on Kuwait’s Modern Art Museum. One bit of information that caught my attention was the fact the building used to be an important school before, a fact I wasn’t aware of:

Interestingly, the museum is housed in one of Kuwait’s few pre-World War Two era buildings, an imposing former school that educated some of the country’s most prominent figures, including the current Emir Sheikh Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Today, the unique building is managed by the National Committee of Culture, Arts and Literature, which is responsible for maintaining the collection and permanent displays on site.

You can check out the full article on the Selections website [Here]

Thanks cognitoas

A reader sent me the picture above this morning and I didn’t think of it much since I hadn’t heard of Shakey’s before, but later during the day I drove by one here in L.A. so decided to google it now. Turns out Shakey’s was the first franchise pizza chain in the United States and now they’re opening up in Kuwait. Their first location will be in Salmiya, right on top of Five Guys.

Thanks Mohamed