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Last year around this time I posted about the then-newly opened Gourmet Grocers, a premium grocery boutique at the Nasco building in Shuwaikh. Since then they’ve brought in even more brands and have become a go-to spot for anyone looking for premium essentials and interesting finds you don’t usually come across elsewhere.

Gourmet Grocers recently expanded their lineup with new gourmet brands like Ortiz, Greenomic, and Bornibus, while still carrying popular favorites such as Bjorg, Lune de Miel, Nicolas Alziari, and Nina’s Marie-Antoinette. It’s a mix of everyday essentials and those rare items you end up buying the moment you see them. Ortiz, by the way, is my favorite canned tuna brand, and if you’ve never tried it, you really should.

Gourmet Grocers also puts together seasonal collections throughout the year for occasions like Ramadan, Valentine’s Day, and other key events. For the holidays they’ve brought in Panettone, Panforte, festive sweets, and a new range of Gift Hampers and Gift Boxes. They regularly share curated hamper ideas on Instagram, or you can build your own by picking items directly from the store. Everything is packaged really nicely with a lot of attention to detail, so the gifts end up feeling thoughtful and premium.

They offer online ordering as well with complimentary delivery anywhere in Kuwait, and if you place your order before 2 p.m. you get same-day delivery through gourmet-grocers.com.

If you prefer passing by in person, the boutique is located in Shuwaikh (Google Maps). For updates and product highlights, check out @gourmetgrocers on Instagram or browse their website.

A new building mural has popped up in the city by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters as part of their “Al Fenn Al Thalith Murals Project” (roughly translated as “The Third Art Murals Project”). The mural was created in collaboration with the Canadian Embassy in Kuwait and is a collab between Canadian artist Bryan Beyung and Kuwaiti artist Yousef Saleh. Implemented with the assistance of artist Laila Naseeb.

According to the artists, the mural explores water as a connective force between cultures, drawing inspiration from the Kuwaiti film Bas Ya Bahar and the world of the pearl diver. Scenes like a father and daughter ice fishing, shared marine species, and symbolic elements such as stamps, seashells, and Kuwait’s Arfaj flower highlight themes of home, memory, and exchange, while flowing calligraphy ties everything together and emphasizes movement, resilience, and the way water carries stories across places and time.

This is the third mural in the Cultural Exchange Program, the first being a collaboration with the British Embassy and the second with the Australian Embassy.

If you want to check out the mural it’s located in Sharq, near the police station roundabout. When I passed by earlier they were adding some final touches before the official reveal. Here is the location on Google Maps.

Yesterday I passed by the Kuwait Book Fair and it was pretty packed in the morning, filled with buses and kids from different schools around Kuwait.

The book fair is divided into three halls, 5, 6 and 7. The English book stalls are all located in a corner of hall 6. Compared to the Arabic books the English stalls make up a very small part of the fair but even if you’re there just for the English books I’d walk around the rest of the fair since there were a few Arabic book sellers that also had some English books for sale. The main English stalls though were the following:

Al Sadu House
Austin Macauley Publishers
Awtar Publishing
Brijbasi Art Press
Harvard Press
Hachette
KISR
Macmillan
National Geographic
Oxford University Press
Qatar Press
Samarkand
Scholastic
Thames & Hudson
The English Bookshop
USBORNE
US Embassy in Kuwait
WH Smith

From the list above all the stalls are in hall 6 except for three, the US Embassy, KISR and Al Sadu House, those stalls were located in hall 7. I’m not sure if I’m just imagining it or not but the English books section seemed smaller than the previous years. Still worth checking out though.

If you’re into Kuwait’s past, there is a great book called ‘Screen & Memories Since 1954’ that documents Kuwait’s movie theater history. I picked it up last year and it’s really nicely put together and bilingual. You can find it at the Maraya Publishing booth in Hall 6, Stall A26.

And if you’re planning to pass by the fair, just take into account that it’s open at different timings on Friday and Saturday compared to the rest of the week.

Mornings 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Afternoons 4:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Friday 3:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM

Aseer Time, the largest juice shop franchise in Kuwait, made headlines a few months ago after opening their first store in China. Now they’re back in the news again after becoming an official sponsor of Spanish football team Sevilla FC.

Sevilla FC, founded in 1890, is based in Seville and known for its passionate fans and strong European record. They’ve won the UEFA Europa League a record seven times, making them one of Europe’s most successful clubs in that competition.

Aseer Time isn’t just a sponsor, they’re also the team’s official juice for this season.

If you’re interested in learning more about the partnership or owning an Aseer Time franchise, you can contact them on WhatsApp at +96567090966.

The Environment Public Authority is reopening the Jahra Nature Reserve for the winter season. The reserve will open on Sunday, November 9 and remain open until February 17, 2026.

The reserve is considered Kuwait’s first eco-tourism project, created to promote environmental awareness and appreciation of the natural landscape.

Since it’s a protected reserve, visits are guided and limited to specific areas, so you won’t be able to wander off on your own. There are three observation outposts to choose from when booking, and each visit is limited to an hour and a half.

The entry fee is KD 10 for groups of up to five people, with higher rates for larger groups. If you’re interested in visiting, you can book through the Sahel App or via the link on the EPA’s website.

Nobu Hospitality just announced that they’ll be opening Nobu Residences and Restaurant at Hessah Plaza, inside the Hessah District Project.

Nobu is a global luxury brand known for its restaurants, hotels, and residences around the world. It was founded back in 1994 by chef Nobu Matsuhisa along with actor Robert De Niro and film producer Meir Teper.

No opening date was mentioned in the press release. Source

Thanks Khalid!

Go Greek Yogurt, the popular LA-based brand known for its authentic Greek yogurt, opened in Kuwait earlier this year. They’re a favorite among celebrities in LA, and you’ve probably seen paparazzi shots of your favorite stars holding a cup of Go Greek Yogurt.

They recently launched a new product called the Greek Essentials Box. It’s basically a gathering box that includes nine frozen yogurt cups with eighteen toppings on the side.

Because of the richness of Greek yogurt, they can’t use dry ice to keep everything cold since it ruins the taste and texture. So they had to find a better way to insulate the yogurt while keeping things also eco-friendly (so no styrofoam either). Eventually, they came up with an insulated cardboard box that uses bags of ice to keep the yogurt frozen and fresh during delivery. The inside of the box is lined with a reflective material that helps slow how quickly the ice and yogurt melts by reflecting heat away and keeping the temperature inside stable.

Go Greek Yogurt has a physical location on the ground floor of Arraya Complex, but if you want to order delivery, head to gogreekyogurtkw.com or check out their instagram @gogreekyogurt.kw

Two people contacted me asking me if it’s true the Cake Picnic Tour is coming to Kuwait. There is a website and account promoting the event for November but it seems to be based off Dubai Cake Picnic, which is different from the official Cake Picnic Tour (@cakepicnictour).

According to the official Cake Picnic Tour website, Dubai is a potential future stop, but there are zero details at the moment, no dates, times or locations. Kuwait isn’t even listed as a potential future stop.

If you want to stay updated on Cake Picnic Tour’s future stops, here is the link to their website. cakepicnictour.com

If you’ve been thinking about eating healthier or losing weight in a realistic way, then this post might be of interest to you. Eman AlAwadhi is a licensed dietitian here in Kuwait who specializes in weight management. She holds a Master’s in Applied Sport and Exercise Science and runs the instagram account @health_talk where she focuses on simplifying healthy eating and weight loss.

Eman’s goal is to make weight loss less complicated and more achievable, while helping people build habits they can actually stick to. A lot of diets start off strong but quickly feel impossible to maintain, which is why her tips and approach are designed to be practical and sustainable.

It’s also common for people who want to start eating better or losing weight not to know where to begin. That’s why Eman offers customized meal plans as a practical way to understand healthy eating, what to eat, what to avoid, and how much of it. Her plans are tailored to fit your lifestyle, start at KD 40, and come with the following benefits:

• Full nutrition assessment (dietary, lifestyle, medical)

• Customized meal plan based on your goals and desired outcomes

• Daily exercise program based on your goals and desired outcomes

• Educational print out for food portion size

• Healthy recipes based on your needs

If you’re looking for diet tips or want to sign up for her plans, you can find Eman on Instagram @health_talk check her website healthtalkdiets.com

I’m a fan of Jimmy’s smashburgers, but I was never into their old location. It reminded me too much of Supernova’s interior in London and it was also tiny. Their new spot, on the other hand, is hot.

Jimmy’s just opened a much larger branch in Shuwaikh and it was designed by TWENTYONE Architects. TWENTYONE gave the brand a completely new look that is an elevated take on the American diner. The heart of the space is the open bar where you can watch them smash and cook the burgers for you. Part of the reason for the open bar is also for the sounds and smells, they want the customers to hear the sound of the grill and smell the meat as part of the experience

I love the checkered flooring and the warm walnut wood, and I think the space finally matches the quality of their burgers. If you want to check out more photos of the interior, click here.

Photos were taken by Sarah Jamaan.

Yesterday Carrefour stopped operating in Kuwait. They don’t list a reason for why, but it’s assumed the boycott hurt them a lot.

A reader emailed me to let me know that some Carrefour locations are now branded Hypermax. Hypermax like Carrefour is also owned by Majid Al Futtaim and is their own brand, not a franchise.

I previously mentioned that Spinneys would be taking over the Carrefour location in The Avenues. I think the chances of that happening now are really high.

Kuwaiti visual artist Monira Al Qadiri just unveiled her latest work, a large-scale public sculpture in Central Park, New York. Standing nearly 5 meters tall, the piece is titled FIRST SUN and takes the form of a giant burgundy bust with a face concealed by a flat iridescent beetle. I’ve always found Monira’s work interesting and weird, and this sculpture, inspired by her research into ancient Egyptian history, is no different.

If you’re in New York anytime over the next year, the sculpture will be on display in Central Park from September until August 2, 2026. It’s a very cool achievement, and if you want to see more photos of this sculpture or her work, head over to @moniraism

Thanks Zaydoun!

Bas Ya Bahar (or The Cruel Sea in English) is a Kuwaiti film directed by pioneering filmmaker Khalid Al Siddiq and released in 1971. It’s considered to be the first feature-length motion picture made in Kuwait, and also one of the first from the Gulf region.

I recently got my hands on what I think are two important pieces tied to the movie, the original film poster and the international film brochure, so I figured it was the right time to do a post about it again (previous post here).

The film is set in Kuwait before the discovery of oil, when people lived in poverty, surviving on small-scale farming and fishing. Their only hope of changing fate came from the sea, where pearl divers risked everything for the chance of finding a life-changing pearl. The story follows a young man ashamed of his family’s poverty and his inability to win over the family of the girl he loves. Determined to change that, he becomes a pearl diver, returning to the same sea that left his father crippled and half-blind.

Bas Ya Bahar starred the then-young, now legendary actors Hayat Al Fahad, Mohammed Al Mansour, and Saad Al Faraj. The film was selected as the Kuwaiti entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 45th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.

I purchased the poster from a guy who watched the movie at a film festival in Algeria back in 1975. He got the poster from Khalid after the show and kept it stored away until I bought it from him. What struck me most about the poster were the colors. Everything I’d seen related to the film was always in black and white, so the neon green and pink instantly caught my attention. The Brochure is also in great quality and is in three languages, English, Arabic and French.

I took a few photos of the poster and scanned the brochure since I don’t think many copies are still around today and so I wanted to share them. I also reached out to @badshaiji to see if he had any photos in his collection, and he did. The black and white shots are from him and were taken at the film premiere at Cinema Al Andalus on 03/27/71.

Khalid Al Siddiq passed away in 2021 at the age of 76. If you want to watch the film, it’s on YouTube and I’ve embedded it below.

I’ve uploaded all the photos in their original resolution to my Flickr account, you can check them all here.

IKEA currently has a huge sale taking place, but this time they’re also doing something special.

Every weekend they’re hosting a variety of fun activities for kids, so you can shop, save, and make memories together. From balloon shows to science shows, the activities are happening at all IKEA branches:

IKEA The Avenues
IKEA The Warehouse, Sabahiya
IKEA Khiran Mall
IKEA 360 Mall
IKEA Assima Mall

Different branches have different schedules, so click the branches above to see what’s happening and when. @ikeakuwait

@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