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Back in February, I got a tour of a 2,000KD-a-night hotel room but a friend told me there was a more luxurious 4,500KD-a-night room at the St.Regis. So I got in touch with them and after a bit of back and forth getting all the approvals, yesterday I finally got a tour of their 4,500KD-a-night Amiri Suite.

The 400sqm suite was designed to be a luxurious home away from home for royalty, diplomats, and celebrities. The suite can’t be booked online only by phone. It has a beautiful view of JACC and a lot of features including:

• Master Bedroom
• Barber Area
• Meeting Room
• Video Conference Room
• Large Dining Area
• Massage Room
• Fitness Area
• Sauna and Steam Room

Unless someone proves me wrong, I believe this has to be the most expensive hotel room in Kuwait. If you want to see some nicer photos of the room, they a few on the @stregiskuwait website. Link

There used to be a pool hall in Salmiya behind Hungry Bunny called Shark or Sharx, not really sure. I can’t seem to find any information about it online or that it even existed. But a reader sent me the snippet above from a Russian news channel that had filmed a short report in the place and you can watch it above.

If you remember anything about it let me know.

Thanks Janna

Update: Turns out it wasn’t behind Hungry Bunny but instead next to Zahra Complex. Here is a photo of the building that was in taken from msmooretravels.com

Update2: Here is a photo of the entrance but taken after it had shut down

I’m not really sure how I initially found out about this specific yellow pages directory from the American Women’s League of Kuwait, but it was on my watch list for some time and one eventually popped up for sale a few weeks ago. I tend to find out about random books and then add them to my watch list and wait patiently, usually, years before a copy eventually/hopefully pops up somewhere online and I get a notification. When this book popped up on eBay and knowing how difficult it is to find because it really isn’t a book you’d generally save, I quickly purchased it without even trying to negotiate on the price. I like directories because they usually help me connect various things together.

For example, on the Salmiya map on one of the pages it showed a “Camping Area” which confused me, how did Salmiya have a camping area? Then a follower on Instagram helped me figure out where that area was (Google Maps) and I realized that was the location of the Salmiya Youth Hostel which was supposedly run by the Kuwait Boy Scouts.

Then under the grocery store section, it listed various supermarkets, many I actually need to research especially New Supermarket because I remember the Salmiya location from the early 80s. But one of the supermarkets listed was Khalaf, which last year I happened to find photos of their Salmiya location.

Since I felt this was worth sharing, I took photos of the most significant pages and turned them into a 44MB PDF. You can download it here.

A couple of days ago I got to visit the studios of Beyond Dreams, the entertainment company behind the local Netflix show, The Exchange. I was asked not to reveal the location of the studio but I can describe the location. It’s an old abandoned school that was repurposed as a studio (think Warner Bros or Universal Studios). A large part of the outdoor area of the school was turned into an old Kuwaiti village (used for a different show), while the classrooms around the school were turned into various sets for different shows. I was only given permission to shoot the sets of The Exchange, but I’m going to try and get permission to take pictures of the village set for another post since it looked very realistic and I think would surprise a lot of people that a film set like that exists in Kuwait.

After getting a tour of the studio grounds, we started visiting the different sets of The Exchange. I wasn’t aware they had shot all the home scenes in a studio so I was a bit surprised when I walked into the first set. All the home shots in The Exchange were filmed at this studio location where they built everything down to the very minute details. I was walking around the rooms checking out all the different items on the shelves since there were so many props from the 80s all laid out, many of which wouldn’t be even noticeable on TV but were still there for realism.

I also visited the set of the “Bank of Tomorrow” offices including the conference room where some key parts of the show took place in. I couldn’t visit the set of Hungry Bunny since it was being repurposed for another show, but the main thing I wanted to see anyway was the stock exchange.

I had heard that a stock exchange was built for the show, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. I thought they might have built various small parts of the exchange but not all of it. You should have seen my face when I walked into the hall and realized they had actually built the whole thing including an upper floor. The stock exchange set was HUGE! I tried to capture how big it was with my video so I hope I managed to get the size of it across.

Netflix hasn’t announced a second season of the show but hopefully, it’s going to get another season because it was actually really good. If you haven’t watched the show, it’s currently streaming on Netflix.

Below is the annual list of Ramadan buffets in Kuwait. This year I tried to cover a broader spectrum of prices and cuisines, so you’ll see options that aren’t just Arabic food and prices that start at KD1.950 all the way up to KD28 per person. The KD1.950 buffet which is the most affordable on the list belongs to IKEA, while the most expensive KD28 buffet is at the St Regis. As usual, I’ve also highlighted the price variation from the previous year if applicable. You’ll find the variation in brackets after the price.

Below is the full list divided into two parts, hotels and restaurants. If I missed a place let me know in the comments.

HOTELS

Al Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort – Taima’a Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD9.9 (-2.100)
Telephone: 24590000

Courtyard by Marriott – Atrium
Buffet Price: KD15
Telephone: 22997000

Crowne Plaza – Al Ahmadi Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD18 (+2.000)
Telephone: 1848111

Crowne Plaza – Al Noukhaza Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD19 (+3.000)
Telephone: 1848111

Four Seasons – Jawaher Tent
Buffet Price: KD25 (+1.000)
Telephone: 22006000

Grand Hyatt – Stambul
Buffet Price: KD15
Telephone: 22007698

Hilton Garden Inn – The Avenues
Buffet Price: KD20
Telephone: 22262000

Hilton Resort – Teatro Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD19.9 (+0.900)
Telephone: 22256222

Inn & GO Hotel – Al Dallah Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD6.5 (+0.500)
Telephone: 22436686

Jumeirah Messilah Beach – Badria Tent
Buffet Price: KD21 (-3.000)
Telephone: 22269600

Marina Hotel
Buffet Price: KD16
Telephone: 22230030

Millennium Hotel – Lamar International Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD15 (+1.000)
Telephone: 22050505

Movenpick – Free Zone – Bays Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD12 (-0.500)
Telephone: 24610033

Movenpick – Al Bida’a – Breeze Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD15
Telephone: 22253100

Radisson Blu – Al Bustan Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD18.5 (+2.500)
Telephone: 25673000

Safir Hotel – Fintas
Buffet Price: KD12.9 (-2.000)
Telephone: 25455555

St Regis – Diamond Ballroom Tent
Buffet Price: KD28 (+3.000)
Telephone: 22422055

Symphony Style Hotel
Buffet Price: KD14
Telephone: 25770000

The Regency Kuwait – Silk Road Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD23 (+1.000)
Telephone: 25766666

Waldorf Astoria – Al Kubbar
Buffet Price: KD26
Telephone: 24774414

RESTAURANTS

Assaha Lebanese Restaurant
Buffet Price: KD13 (+1.000)
Telephone: 22533377

Dar Hamad
Buffet Price: KD18 (+2.000)
Telephone: 22275555

Em Sherif
Set Menu Buffet Price: KD25
Telephone: 90977997

Gulf Royal Chinese
Buffet Price: KD8.5
Telephone: 22622770

IKEA
Buffet Price: KD1.95 (-1.000)
Telephone: 1840408

Jihan Khanah
Buffet Price: KD10
Telephone: 1819991

Joori Min Beirut
Buffet Price: KD14 (+2.000)
Telephone: 22062068

Kuwait Towers
Buffet Price: KD14 (+1.000)
Telephone: 24965500

Mughal Mahal – Hawally
Buffet Price: KD7.45
Telephone: 22626782

Naranj
Buffet Price: KD12 (+1.050)
Telephone: 22268666

Palm Palace
Buffet Price: KD11
Telephone: 67009575

Saraya Palace
Buffet Price: KD9.5 (+2.500)
Telephone: 25711101

Villa Fayrouz
Buffet Price: KD12
Telephone: 22650052

Wok and Grill
Buffet Price: KD3.5
Telephone: 64440089

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

Prebook (Releasing April 22):
John Wick: Chapter 4 (8.7)

Now Showing:
65 (5.7)
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (6.7)
Avatar: The Way of Water (7.8)
Creed III (7.4)
Guardians of Time (3.5)
Missing (7.3)
Moonbound (4.8)
Mummies (6.2)
Plane (6.9)
Play Dead (5.1)
Savage Salvation (4.6)
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (7.1)

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

Kuwait’s obsession with padel reached meme-worthy levels, with courts popping up everywhere – even replacing car lots in the city despite there being a scarcity of parking. But, I noticed most of the courts are usually empty when I drive by them and just yesterday I saw one being taken down.

As someone who doesn’t care about padel, I get the impression the padel craze has died down and so a lot more courts will be closing down. I know one court closing doesn’t represent the padel scene as a whole, but I can’t imagine all these courts being profitable, there are just too many of them. Is padel finally dead?

A new 1950s themed hotel is opening up in Khiran:

The Kuwaiti people have a nostalgic view of the 1950s and the associated era of timeless cinematic classics. 1954 hotel provides a glimpse into this era by bringing back common elements from this period and linking them to more current trends. The drive-in cinema and food truck park both promote a more casual environment with direct links to the 1950s. The hotel provides architectural references in both form and detailing, while still being a modern example of hospitality.

No opening date was shared but the mall the hotel is connected to is expected to open in May. More info and renders here.

Thanks lovelykuwait & ChaoticTranquility

Give is a local non-profit organization that aims to improve the process of donating to charities. Their online platform connects people with registered Kuwaiti charities in order to make it easier to discover what projects are available and to donate to them all from one place.

The Give website lists different projects in various countries you could donate to not just Kuwait, so if you want to donate to a certain cause that’s not local, you can also do that. As of this post, they have 47 different Kuwait-based projects listed ranging from snacks for low-income workers to sponsoring an orphan child. Navigating the various projects and finding one that is of interest to you is very easy, the whole experience actually is very simple and I really like it.

The process of donating once you find a cause is really fast and you don’t even need to create an account or give them your name or email address. It took me less than a minute from the moment I found a project I wanted to donate to till I checked out and finished paying.

It’s a really impressive project and with Ramadan coming up, I felt it was important to repost about them so download their Apple or Android apps or check out their website give.org.kw

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

Thursday, March 16
Step Afrika!
Drag Race – Round 4
Tafaseel Design Exhibition
The Last Laugh Comedy Night
Ramadan Food Expo
Padel Tournament 2023
Rebel Kickboxing & Fitness Challenge
Ice Hockey: Stars vs Kakasok
Bugsha Market
Musical Performance by BSK
Cooking Class with Chef Rashid Alsaif
Puppet Show
Souk El Tayeb

Friday, March 17
Spiritual Healing Kashta
Step Afrika!
Drag Race – Round 4
965 Superbike Championship
Tafaseel Design Exhibition
Murouj Market
Ramadan Food Expo
Al-Farsi Kite Show
Bugsha Market
Francophone Bazar
Souk El Tayeb
Let’s Go Hiking

Saturday, March 18
Arab Organization Guided Tour
West Asia Flying Start Triathlon
Discover Kuwait Car Tour
Step Afrika!
Drag Race – Round 4
Murouj Market
Ramadan Food Expo
Bugsha Market
An Insight into Kuwaiti Films
Trashtag Beach Cleanup
Trash Hero Beach Cleanup
Kids Treasure Hunt
Special DAI Family Day Program
Pizza Party Workshop
Souk El Tayeb
OPTIM Being
BLS Clothing Swap & Shop

Exhibitions
A&F Fashion Exhibition
Alexander The Great in Kuwait

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

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

New This Weekend:
Guardians of Time (3.5)
Mavka: The Forest Song (8.5)
Pinkfong Sing-Along Movie 2: Wonderstar Concert (4.4)
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (7.1)

Other Movies Showing:
65 (5.7)
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (6.7)
Avatar: The Way of Water (7.8)
Chebi: My Fluffy Friend (5.8)
Creed III (7.4)
Missing (7.3)
Moonbound (4.8)
Mummies (6.2)
Plane (6.9)
Play Dead (5.1)
Savage Salvation (4.6)
The Accursed (4.2)

The classic films below are currently showing at the 1954 Film House:
Cinderella – 1950 (7.3)
The Sound of Music – 1965 (8.1)

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

The last camel races of the season are going to be held this coming Friday and Saturday. The races usually only take place on Saturday but this weekend there will also be races on Friday which should be good news to anyone that couldn’t watch them on Saturdays.

Friday, March 17
There will be 16 races taking place and they will start at 7:30AM

Saturday, March 18
There will only be 5 races taking place and they will start at 2:00PM

There is no entrance fee and you can either watch the races from the sidelines, drive up to the starting lines and watch the start of the race or just drive around the track in your car following the races.

If you want to visit the Kuwait Camel Racing Club, here is the link to Google Maps.

Yesterday Sultan Center launched their new Adailiya store and unveiled a brand new identity with it. They dropped the word Center from their name so it’s just Sultan now which is what everyone called it anyway. But, their new icon feels too generic with one friend describing it as looking like an energy company.

The new Adailiya store is part of the company’s original plan to launch 20 new stores between 2020 and 2025, with 14 stores already launched. Their 2025 vision is to have a Sultan store within a ten-minute reach from any point in Kuwait’s inhabited areas. There are currently 46 Sultan stores in Kuwait.

So what do you think about the new logo?

So it’s been 3 or 4 months now since I started my Instagram account and things aren’t going to plan. I mean they are in one sense, the account is doing really well and my engagement level is extremely high, but it’s also what’s causing issues with the blog.

I’m now running basically two completely different platforms whose contents aren’t very interchangeable. Originally the plan was whatever I post here, I just republish there, but I quickly realized that wasn’t going to work. A lot of the content that I post over here wouldn’t work for Instagram like the one I just posted about the newsletters from the 1990 Gulf War. There is very specific content that my Instagram followers like and it’s not easy to come by, so I’m constantly thinking about what to post next on Instagram and not thinking about what to post next on the blog. It’s a total mess.

To make matters worse, Instagram is draining mentally because every post is being judged publicly. If a post gets a lot of likes, shares, interactions etc.. that’s a thumbs up. If a post doesn’t get a lot of likes or a few interactions, that’s a thumbs-down. So it feels like I’m performing at a talent show every single day in front of judges. I had one post that went viral and got over 9,000 likes, then it’s like ok how do I top that for my next post? I know how I am, I keep trying to top or match my previous post and eventually I stop posting because nothing is good enough. It’s why I no longer post photos on my personal Instagram accounts and it’s something I went through with this blog as well. So I’m trying to loosen up and not try and have every post be THE POST but it’s hard to do when I treat the number of likes as a rating.

But honestly, it has reinvigorated me. Launching the blog on a new platform and having to deal with those challenges has gotten me excited again because it’s completely changed my routine. I feel like the underdog on Instagram and I really like that. I’m just doing what I’ve been doing for the past 20 years and it’s working.

I’ve also started generating income from my Instagram account in the form of promoted posts. I didn’t have plans for it originally but I started getting DM’s from businesses wanting to advertise so I quickly had to figure out how I could make that work. As always, I’m fully transparent with which posts are paid for and so all my paid Instagram posts are marked with a “Promoted” logo and labeled as a “Paid Partnership” on Instagram.

So that’s pretty much where I am with this whole Instagramming thing right now. I’ll post another update maybe 6 months from now, maybe things will be different then.

Back during the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, the internet didn’t exist the way it does today and so it wasn’t easy to find out what was happening in Kuwait other than watching the news or talking to someone who was still living in Kuwait at that time. But there were various newsletters at that time and a good way to describe them was blogs before the internet. Two of those newsletters were “Ku-WAITing for News” which was compiled by American wives of Kuwaitis, and “Voice of Kuwait” which was compiled by the Kuwaiti Student’s Union-USA.

These newsletters were compiled by various volunteers, printed, mailed out, and then photocopied and redistributed again over and over.

One of the old school local bloggers Desert Girl who left Kuwait a few years ago and is now living in the States found copies of these newsletters in her sister’s basement and was nice enough to digitize them and share them with me as a PDF file.

There are 106 pages so I haven’t fully gone through it yet but I did skim through the newsletters reading various articles to get a feel for the kind of content they contained. I remember life before the internet and so I can imagine how important these newsletters must have been.

Pre-internet you really were isolated from the rest of the world, I remember having a pen pal in England and it felt like a big deal to me because there was this kid living in another part of the world sharing their life with me. So while going through these newsletters, understand that to many Kuwaitis living in exile in the US at that time, these newsletters were their internet and source of information about the war that didn’t make it to the mainstream news.

Click here to download the PDF, it’s around 10MB.

Click here to read Desert Girl’s post about these newsletters.