Search: “sti”

Kuwait will be hosting the “Formula 4 UAE” and “Formula Regional Middle East” Championship this weekend for the first time ever. Both these events are governed by FIA, the same sporting federation that governs “Formula One”.

This is the second time that Kuwait Motor Town is hosting an international event this season and because this is a FIA event, it’s pretty big. The way the organizers are handling things behind the scenes is extremely professional and they’re being very strict. I just left the media briefing and safety is being prioritized above everything else with every decision being made, even with simple things like track access for the media which for this event is only being given to media who’ve participated in previous KMT events.

You can watch these races at the track!

These races are open to spectators to come and watch and there will be various activities happening at the track for all ages ranging from food trucks to bouncy castles. This event should be fun to watch.

The ticket price is KD2 for the day or if you want to attend all 4 days including testing and qualifying its KD5. The full detailed schedule is available on the KMT website but here are the race start times:

Friday, January 27
2:30 pm – F4 UAE (Race 1)
3:45 pm – FRME (Race 1)

Saturday, January 28
9:40 am- F4 UAE (Race 2)
10:30 am – FRMEC (Race 2)
2:25 pm – F4 UAE (Race 3)
3:20 pm – FRMEC (Race 3)

For tickets or more information, visit @kmtkw or kmt.kw/events

Tickets can also be purchased at the gate if they aren’t sold out.

Below are all the events I found taking place this weekend, if I missed anything let me know in the comments:

Thursday, Jan 19
Meet Me At The Terrace
Light Expo
The Promenade Family Fun
The Kuwait Motor Show
The Valley Market

Friday, Jan 20
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace
Light Expo
Kuwait Duathlon 2023
A Weekend Downtown
BNK Padel Open Finals
Drag Race Round 2
The Kuwait Motor Show
965 MX Junior Championship
Workshop: Embroidery Basics
Music Night at Palama
The Valley Market
Trip to Jahra Reserve

Saturday, Jan 21
Meet Me At The Terrace
Treasure Hunt At Alshaheed Park
Light Expo
EO at Cinema Hall
BNK Padel Open Finals
Drag Race Round 2
KMT Open-Cockpit Car Track Day
The Kuwait Motor Show
Art N Dine: Take me to Saturn
Asherij Beach Cleanup
The Valley Market
A Weekend Downtown

Exhibitions
Bridging East and West
Building Prints
Mona Al-Qanai Letting Go
Surrender by Bader Qabazard

Activities
Albohayra Farm
Ascend Rock Climbing
Indoor Karting
Little Jungle
Murouj Farm
Movement Classes at Omni Studio
Roller Blade at Roller Hub
Yoga at Darātma

Museums to Visit
Abdullah Salem Cultural Center (ASCC)
Amricani Cultural Center Museum
Bait Al Othman Museum

For the past couple of months, I’ve been forcing myself to try a new place every week. I had gotten a bit too comfortable just eating at the places I liked but also there were very few new places I was interested in trying anyway.

Ode is one of the spots that did get my attention. I knew all the talented people behind the project and loved their work so I had been meaning to pass by it ever since it opened.

The menu isn’t very large, most of the sweet and savory items are out on display but there are a handful of other items that are prepared in the kitchen. The display is visually very appetizing so it’s pretty hard to pick what to eat. Go in a larger group so you could order a wider range of items. The prices are slightly on the expensive side but the portions are fairly large so it does balance out.

I went with a friend so we didn’t order too many items. We had mama’s zaatar rolls with whipped feta, the avocado on sourdough with scrambled eggs (I didn’t pick this), and the flan tart with tonka and kumquat compote. From the three I wouldn’t order the avocado and scrambled eggs again since it turned out to be too basic, but the zaatar roll and specifically the flan tart were both delicious. Add a coffee to the order and our bill came out to 13KD.

If you’re looking for a small trendy brunch spot with a variety of interesting and unique dishes, they’re located in Salmiya near Pet Zone and are open from 10AM to 7PM daily except for Sundays. Here is their location Google Maps and they’re on Instagram @ode.eatery

AAB World which was already considered the largest photography and videography store in Kuwait now has a new and much larger location. The new location is still in the basement of Symphony Mall but is now located across from their previous store. The new store looks like it’s 6+ times larger than their previous store which was starting to feel cramped because of the large variety of equipment and accessories they were selling.

Thinking about it now, I don’t recall ever going to a photography store larger than the new AAB World. It’s so big they have a full podcast setup, a video broadcasting setup and an area dedicated to workshops and events. The majority of the cameras and equipment are also all on display for you to fiddle with and try.

I don’t need to tell you to visit AAB World if you’re looking to get a new camera or podcasting equipment since you most likely already know about them, but if you haven’t seen their new store then you should give them a visit because it really is impressive. @aabworld

Shakir just launched the chicken shawarma a couple of days ago and it made me realize just how strange it was that they didn’t have chicken as an option to begin with. If it was me opening a shawarma place and someone suggested to me to only sell meat I’d be like wtf? The number 1 rule of a shawarma place is the fact that you have chicken and meat, that’s basic Shawarma 101. But that’s the power of Shakir, since the start they’ve been doing things differently and it’s worked out really well for them.

I passed by their Salmiya location yesterday which tends to be fairly quiet, but when I got there it was really busy with delivery drivers and people waiting to order the new chicken shawarma. I’m a big fan of Shakir but had recently gotten bored of it, the fact they have chicken now has re-sparked my interest in the brand and I’m guessing it’s done the same with other people.

Was it worth the wait?

So their chicken shawarma is actually pretty good, better than I was expecting it to be, not that I was thinking it was going to be bad. I think it’s their nicely balanced garlic sauce combined with the freshly baked bread that gives it a slight edge over my other favorite places like Ebn 3my and Shawarma Arabi. The only issue is the ratio of chicken to bread, they’re pretty stingy with the filling. After having two sandwiches, I went back for a third and asked for extra chicken (it’s an option with the meat shawarma for an extra fee if you didn’t know). But, according to the cashier, the IT guys hadn’t set up that option yet on their system. When it does become an option, that’s how I’d recommend you have it, order the sandwich with extra chicken or else it will mostly feel like you’re eating bread as you can see in my photo.

Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The price of the chicken shawarma is 750fils similar to their meat. They also have the platter for 2.750KD. I had my sandwich with just garlic inside because that’s how I like it but it usually comes with greens, sweet potato chips, and pickles.

Teta’s is a new breakfast and brunch spot that just opened today in Kuwait City. The place is super cute with a rustic-looking interior and a menu to match.

The restaurant was full when I dropped by but they did have a lot of to-go items on display. The interior is somewhat of a bakery/coffeeshop while the main dining area is outdoors.

They currently open from 9AM to 6PM and are located across the street from Behbahani Complex, where Lunch Room used to be (Google Maps).

If you want to check out the menu, click here and here.

Below are all the events I found taking place this weekend, if I missed anything let me know in the comments:

Thursday, Jan 12
Meet Me At The Terrace
Yard at The Assima Mall
The Promenade Family Fun

Friday, Jan 13
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace
Yard at The Assima Mall
Hannibal Race 2023
Trip: Into The Stars
965 Superbike Championship

Saturday, Jan 14
Meet Me At The Terrace
Treasure Hunt At Alshaheed Park
Al Kout Run
Art N Dine – Take me to Saturn
Assima Mall Reading Book
DAI Storytime
Cooking Class: Italian Tagliatelle
Know Your Mughals

Exhibitions
Surrender by Bader Qabazard

Activities
Albohayra Farm
Ascend Rock Climbing
Indoor Karting
Little Jungle
Murouj Farm
Movement Classes at Omni Studio
Roller Blade at Roller Hub
Yoga at Darātma

Museums to Visit
Abdullah Salem Cultural Center (ASCC)
Amricani Cultural Center Museum
Bait Al Othman Museum

JACC have announced that the award-winning Broadway show Shrek The Musical is coming to Kuwait next month. There will be 14 shows taking place over 9 days starting from February 2nd up until the 11th.

Tickets start at 10KD but those tickets are for wheelchairs while the second cheapest tickets are 15KD and are for seats with restricted views. So realistically, tickets start at 25KD and go up to 50KD for VIP seats.

I imagine tickets will sell fast, so if you’re interested in watching a Broadway show in Kuwait, this is your chance. To book tickets visit the JACC website ‎‏jacc-kw.com

I recently got back into shooting with 35mm film so the timing of this is pretty perfect. VO (I still have no idea what they do) are opening what they’re calling the largest photography dark room in the Middle East. The dark room will contain eight enlargers (6 for 35mm film, 2 for 120mm film) and will be a collaborative space for anyone interested in exploring and experimenting with this old art form.

If you don’t know how to develop photos that’s ok because they have a Darkroom 101 workshop that costs 30KD and will teach you the process. Developing your own photo costs 5KD (including the chemicals) and printing your own images starts at 1.2KD per photo.

The dark room is opening on January 10th and you can get more information by visiting their Instagram @vo.thedarkroom or their website vo.com.kw/darkroom

Below are all the events I found taking place this weekend, if I missed anything let me know in the comments:

Thursday, Jan 5
Meet Me At The Terrace
Bazzar Expo
KMT: Car Open Track Day

Friday, Jan 6
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace
Bazzar Expo
Roll Race Event
Super Run Event

Saturday, Jan 7
Meet Me At The Terrace
Treasure Hunt At Alshaheed Park
Bazzar Expo
AlSadu Workshop: Fun with Textiles
Basta: Fermentation Workshop
Storytelling with Ahmed Almonsouri
Artists Hangout
TrashHero Beach Cleanup
Speedcubing Workshop
Watch Camel Races

Exhibitions
25 O’Clock by Walid Taher
A Retrospective by Abdulwahab Al Awadhi
Visitor of Freedom by Thuraya Al Baqsami

Activities
Albohayra Farm
Ascend Rock Climbing
Indoor Karting
Little Jungle
Murouj Farm
Movement Classes at Omni Studio
Roller Blade at Roller Hub
Yoga at Darātma

Museums to Visit
Abdullah Salem Cultural Center (ASCC)
Amricani Cultural Center Museum
Bait Al Othman Museum
Tareq Rajab Museum

Yesterday I passed by Youm Al-Bahhar which officially reopened on Sunday after getting refurbished.

I’ve been visiting Youm Al-Bahhar since I was a kid in the 80s so I’m very familiar with the place and tend to visit it every few years for nostalgic purposes but also because of the bookshop there which I first visited back in 2014. The bookshop called the Kuwait Heritage Library mostly sells old books many of which are rare, so I like to pass by the guy every so often to see if he got anything new.

The Youm Al-Bahhar village has changed a lot since it first opened. Initially, it resembled an old fisherman’s village built on sand next to the sea and was filled with different old-school entertainment rides for the kids (the photo above of me and my brother is the only one I could find showing it). Over the years the village kept getting more modernized and eventually the children’s games were removed.

If you visited the village over the last few years then you’re not going to see much of a difference in terms of the main structure. It’s been cleaned up, and given a fresh new paint job but the layout is still basically the same. The village has a few shops that sell different things related to Kuwait, there is now a small museum, a rooftop cafe which was closed when I passed by, and an area filled with benches and surrounded by a few shops that sell various traditional food like tea and rugag bread.

The village opens from 11AM to 10PM but the various shops open from 4PM onwards. Entry is free and the village is located across from the National Assembly building (Google Maps).

A Space X rocket, carrying the first Kuwaiti Satellite (Kuwait Sat-1) will launch into space from Florida later today.

The satellite is a CubeSat which is a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. CubeSats are generic, modular satellites that come in different sizes and can be customized with various payloads. Kuwait’s satellite will have a camera payload which was put together by students at Kuwait University and will be operated by them after disengaging from the rocket.

With this satellite, Kuwait will be able to take its own photos of its own country from space which could then be used for many purposes ranging from environmental studies to mapping cities.

If you’re interested in watching the launch, 360 Mall will be broadcasting it live on their Oval Screen in the Main Atrium at 5:45 PM. For more information check @kw.university and @kfasinfo

Below are all the events I found taking place this weekend, if I missed anything let me know in the comments:

Thursday, Dec 29
Meet Me At The Terrace
Rooftop Movie: Home Alone 2
Murouj Market
Bazzar Expo
The Walk: Kuwait Before Oil
Bugsha Street Food Market
Albohayra Farm
Latifa Neo Expressionism
The Promenade Family Fun

Friday, Dec 30
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace – Oud Nights
Murouj Market
Bazzar Expo
Albohayra Farm
Latifa Neo Expressionism
KMT: Open Track Day
965 Motor Club Superbike Championship
Bugsha Street Food Market
New Year’s Market

Saturday, Dec 31
Meet Me At The Terrace
Treasure Hunt At Alshaheed Park
Murouj Market
Bazzar Expo
KMT: Drag Roll Race
New Year Run 2023
Albohayra Farm
Latifa Neo Expressionism
Beekeeper’s Life Experience
New Year’s Market
Bugsha Street Food Market

Exhibitions
25 O’Clock by Walid Taher
A Retrospective by Abdulwahab Al Awadhi
Visitor of Freedom by Thuraya Al Baqsami

Activities
Albohayra Farm
Ascend Rock Climbing
Indoor Karting
Little Jungle
Murouj Farm
Movement Classes at Omni Studio
Roller Blade at Roller Hub
Yoga at Darātma

Museums to Visit
Abdullah Salem Cultural Center (ASCC)
Amricani Cultural Center Museum
Bait Al Othman Museum
Tareq Rajab Museum

Below are all the events I found taking place this weekend, if I missed anything let me know in the comments:

Thursday, Dec 22
Construction Expo Baytak
Meet Me At The Terrace – DJ Nights

Friday, Dec 23
Construction Expo Baytak
Kites Watching in Bnaider
Meet Me At The Terrace – Live Music
Let It Snow Painting Event
Kuwait Rally Championship

Saturday, Dec 24
Construction Expo Baytak
Meet Me At The Terrace
Doll Making Workshop
Art of Life Coaching – Fresh Start Workshop
Trip to Failaka
An Insight into Kuwaiti Films
Al Jahra Nature Reserves Eco Tour
Yoga – Festive Flow by the Pool
ALONE! Mindfulness Session
Bloom – Sustainability Lifestyle & Entertainment Market

Exhibitions
25 O’Clock by Walid Taher
A Retrospective by Abdulwahab Al Awadhi
Visitor of Freedom by Thuraya Al Baqsami

Activities
Albohayra Farm
Ascend Rock Climbing
Indoor Karting
Little Jungle
Murouj Farm
Movement Classes at Omni Studio
Roller Blade at Roller Hub
Yoga at Darātma

Museums to Visit
Abdullah Salem Cultural Center (ASCC)
Amricani Cultural Center Museum
Bait Al Othman Museum
Tareq Rajab Museum

As you probably know, tickets to Winter Wonderland are completely sold out till March which is when the park will close. But, there is a way to still get tickets.

Winter Wonderland have a lot of different events that taking place inside the park. For example, right now there are three upcoming events, there is a music show on December 22nd and two entertainment shows, one on the 23rd and the second on the 24th. Purchasing tickets to those shows grants you access to the park. The ticket prices vary, the entertainment show costs 5KD (similar to the Winter Wonderland entry ticket cost) but the music show starts at KD20.

To get access to the park you just need to purchase a ticket to a show when they announce them. Currently, the 5KD tickets to the entertainment show are sold out but tickets to the music show are still available. If you want to visit Winter Wonderland, just keep an eye out for their show announcements. @winterland_kw