Search: “ur”

If you haven’t been following the news recently, I’ll quickly summarize what’s been going on in regards to the World Cup. Qatar is meant to host the World Cup in 2022 and FIFA is considering expanding the tournament from 32 teams to 48. For that to happen, FIFA calculated it could be done if at least one additional Gulf country was used to co-host the World Cup with Qatar. Since Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have severed ties with Qatar, the only two countries left are Oman and Kuwait. Oman already said they aren’t capable of hosting the World Cup so FIFA is urging Kuwait to become a co-host.

Countries spend millions on campaigns to try and win the right to host the World Cup, it’s HUGE. And yet because of a bunch of unusual circumstances, Kuwait is now in the position where they are basically being begged by FIFA to accept the role of co-hosting. That’s just crazy.

I don’t know why people aren’t more excited about this, Kuwait could potentially be hosting the World Cup here in 3 years! And the best part is, the whole thing just fell into our laps without us even getting off the couch!

I was asking a few friends why Kuwait is playing so hard to get, I mean you’d think we’d be all over this massive opportunity. One theory is we don’t want to embarrass ourselves because we aren’t capable to host the event. I don’t think that’s really an issue because I’m sure we can throw money at this problem by hiring the right people to help us out and by fixing whatever needs to be fixed so we look good on TV. Another theory to why we’re hesitant is that there would have to be some major changes that would have to happen very quickly with the two biggest changes being to the visa system and the legalization of alcohol. This I can understand but it’s also one of the reasons I want the World Cup to happen, I want to see how much positive change it will bring to Kuwait.

Whatever happens, we host or not, I feel we really need to appreciate this position we’re in right now where we actually have a pretty large chance of getting the World Cup. This is a moment that will most likely never come again.

A couple of weeks back a friend of mine had a dead car battery so I went to help her out. When I got to her car I spotted what I thought was an undercover cop talking to her. The guy had an old Mercedes with flashing lights, and he was wearing a yellow reflective vest. After talking to him I found out he was part of a volunteer rescue team called Dar Subhan who are always on the lookout for people needing help.

I was meaning to post about them but completely forgot until yesterday while riding my bicycle on the Gulf Road I spotted a rescue team helping a car out. There was a Nissan Patrol that had gotten stuck on the beach trying to pull in his boat and the rescue team were helping him. I thought it was the same rescue team that I had run into a couple weeks ago but this one was called Kuwait Support and Rescue Team (KSRT).

KSRT have been active for around a year now while Dar Subhan have only been around since March. I’m not sure how many other volunteer teams there are but if you ever have any car trouble or are stuck out in the desert, it could be worth giving these guys a call instead of the emergency services. Here are their contacts including links to their instagram account:

Dar Subhan Rescue Team
97732441 / 91111584

Kuwait Support and Rescue Team
97865006 / 94147001 / 67651169

Update: Here is another

Kuwait Rescue Team
66665488 / 98809058

The chart above hit the front page of Reddit a couple of days ago. It excludes islands or else Bahrain would also have been on the list right behind Kuwait. If you’re wondering the reason for the high emissions, it’s because the oil and gas industries generate a lot of CO2. Here is the source of the data.

The pop-up restaurant which uses a crane to raise diners up into the air got shut down by the municipality. According to Arab Times, the pop-up was shut down for violation of safety conditions and because they had not obtained the necessary license from the authorities.

I just checked the Dinner in the Sky instagram account and they don’t mention anything about being shut down. In fact, as of last night, they were still open and serving dinner according to their story.

A barcade called Joystixx is currently under construction in the basement of Symphony Mall in Salmiya. A barcade is basically and arcade with a bar. I’ve been to a few outside Kuwait, and the ones that I’ve been to usually have old classic arcade games and are really fun places because you can just get drunk and play fun old video games with friends.

The one opening in Kuwait obviously won’t have alcohol, but from what I understood it’s going to be a similar concept, except more of a cafe instead of a bar, so I guess a cafecade? Not sure that’s a real word. They’re hoping to open it sometime during Ramadan. Fun.

There really wasn’t anything going on in Kuwait last weekend, but this weekend makes up for it. Lots to do and see but as usual, if I missed anything, let me know in the comments:

Thursday
Exhibition: Sami Mohammad
Kuwait International Agro Food Exposition
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Excellence of Italian Vehicles & Motorbikes
The SIK Open Mic Night
Live Jazz Classics of Jazz Legends

Friday
Exhibition: Sami Mohammad
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Excellence of Italian Vehicles & Motorbikes
France eMotion – The Animated Journey
Yalla Move Kuwait

Saturday
Exhibition: Sami Mohammad
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Excellence of Italian Vehicles & Motorbikes
France eMotion – The Animated Journey
Island Vibes – A Jivamukti Yoga Day retreat
Guided Tour: Grand Mosque
KBA Night Run
Movies At The Park: Peter Pan
Vinyl Destination

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.

Screenshot from Dragged Across Concrete

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

New This Weekend:
After (6.3)
Captive State (5.9)
Dragged Across Concrete (7.3)
Hellboy (6.2)
Little (5.2)
The Aftermath (6.2)
Last Prince of Atlantis (6.0)
The Wind (5.8)

Other Movies Showing Now:
Captain Marvel (6.0)
Dumbo (7.1)
Five Feet Apart (7.2)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (7.9)
Pet Sematary (6.9)
Shazam! (8.1)
The Hole in the Ground (5.8)
The Professor and the Madman (7.9)
Us (7.3)
Wonder Park (7.1)

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

Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Fly Me to the Moon (4.5)
Galapagos 3D (8.6)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Penguins (6.7)

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

The Belgian based novelty pop-up restaurant which uses a crane to raise its diners and chefs up into the air is now in Kuwait. The set up is located at Marina Crescent and they’re offering a bunch of different packages which I’ve listed here:

Tea Break: KD30
Lunch/dinner: KD50
Lunch/dinner with live music: KD60
Coffee Time (Ramadan): KD40

Their booking page only lets you book till the end of June so I’m assuming that’s how long they’ll be here for, but it’s already getting pretty hot so I highly doubt it’s gonna last that long. Plus the timing is a bit weird since Ramadan is around the corner and people generally don’t eat out the first two weeks.

If you want to find out more or even book a lunch or dinner, visit their website dinnerinthesky.com.kw

Thanks Waleed

According to the blog Life in Kuwait, the Ahmadi drive-in theater got demolished last week. I guess this isn’t a surprise since it hadn’t been used in decades, but it’s always sad to see another part of Kuwait’s past go.

Next up I hear the ice skating rink is going to get demolished. I’ve been trying to confirm and get more details from TEC but whoever is running their instagram account doesn’t respond to comments or DM’s. So don’t take my word for it.

Anyway, here are some photos of the Ahmadi drive-in:
Ahmadi drive-in when it was being constructed
Ahmadi drive-in from a few years ago

According to OAG, the air travel intelligence company, the Dubai to Kuwait City route is the 10th busiest international air travel route in the world with 14,581 flights between March 2018 to February 2019. That’s pretty crazy considering how small the population of Kuwait is.

The #1 spot on the other hand went to the Kuala Lumpur to Singapore route with 30,187 flights during the same period.

1 Kuala Lumpur – Singapore 30,187
2 Hong Kong – Taipei 28,447
3 Jakarta – Singapore 27,046
4 Hong Kong – Shanghai 20,678
5 Jakarta – Kuala Lumpur 19,741
6 Seoul – Osaka 19,711
7 New York City – Toronto 17,038
8 Hong Kong – Seoul 15,770
9 Bangkok – Singapore 14,698
10 Dubai – Kuwait City 14,581

For more details and the full lists, visit the OAG Website.

Screenshot from Shazam!

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

New This Weekend:
Pet Sematary (6.9)
Shazam! (8.1)

Other Movies Showing Now:
Alita: Battle Angel (7.6)
Captain Marvel (6.0)
Dumbo (7.1)
Escape Room (6.4)
Five Feet Apart (7.2)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (7.9)
The Hole in the Ground (5.8)
The Professor and the Madman (7.9)
The Upside (6.4)
Us (7.3)
We Die Young (5.7)
Wonder Park (7.1)

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

Amazon Adventure 3D (6.6)
Fly Me to the Moon (4.5)
Galapagos 3D (8.6)
Oceans: Our Blue Planet (7.4)
Penguins (6.7)

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

The new 2019 G-Class might look like every G-Class built since the 70s, but the 2019 model is a completely new car with some obvious and not so obvious differences. I borrowed this car from a friend of mine who was traveling and got to spend a few days with it. Just like the previous generation G-Class, the new 2019 model has its quirks, but they’re minor stuff and this is a car I’d really love to own.

The changes on the exterior of the car are not dramatic, they’re minor and most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between the previous and current generation models. The new model is slightly curvier which some diehards hate, but I think it works. Where the biggest changes are visible though is on the inside.

The new G-Class has one of the nicest interiors of any car and that mostly has to do with the new digital dash and large infotainment screen. Mercedes have found a way to seamlessly integrate both screens into the interior by laying them down side by side on the dashboard under one sheet of glass. This gives the impression that it’s one long screen stretching from the driver’s door all the way to the end of the center console. I really love it and I think it gives the interior a very futuristic look. The infotainment system software is also nicely designed, I’m not sure how Lexus is fine with their 90s looking infotainment system when their biggest competitor has something so good looking in their cars. Other than the car’s default infotainment system you also have the option to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The only issue I have with the infotainment system is that it doesn’t have a touch screen. I’m used to using CarPlay with a touch screen and being forced to use a dial or touchpad to move around CarPlay felt like a bit of a mess. That’s really my biggest quibble with the car.

The interior was also very comfortable, while with the previous generation I struggled to fight a comfortable seating position this time around it was really easy. The interior also felt more spacious and it was generally a great place to be. The ride is comfortable, the soundproofing is extremely good and the car felt very solid and could take abuse.

I like the combination of an old school exterior with a very modern interior and I wish more cars did this. The G-Class comes loaded with modern features like brake assist, active distance assist, surround view cameras and parking assist just to name a few. Active distance assist is probably my favorite feature, it works great in traffic since it accelerates, slows down and stops the car for you without you having to do anything. So you could be on your phone watching a youtube video and the car will keep you moving in traffic without requiring your attention.

There are currently two versions of the new G-Class available, the G500 which has 422hp and the G63 which has 585hp. You do NOT need the G63, nobody needs it! I found the G500 more than capable power-wise for an SUV that’s shaped like a brick, plus the G63 is a lot more expensive. Earlier I mentioned my biggest issue with the car was the lack of touch screen, well I lied. The biggest issue I have with the G-Class is the price. The new 2019 G-Class starts at KD38,000 while the G63, on the other hand, starts at a whopping KD55,000.

38,000 is about what I feel this car is worth when fully optioned out but, the G500 actually peeks out at around 50,000 when all the options are clicked. If I’m paying 50,000 I want to feel special and I don’t think the G-Class feels that special anymore. They’re too common on the roads and that takes away from the special feel. In reality though, what luxury SUV isn’t a common sight in Kuwait? They’re all plentiful.

Do I want a G-Class? Yes, I do. I love the size, I love the interior and I love that it can take my abuse. But with all the options I’d want to fit into this car, I’m going to be wayyy past the 38,000 starting price.

If you’re interested in checking out the new G-Class, here is the instagram account of the dealer @mercedesbenzkuwait

Contemporary Kuwaiti Houses is a photo-essay on the domestic architecture of Kuwait that was written by Kuwaiti architect Huda Al-Bahar, and published back in 1985. It’s not too long an essay and worth reading, but, if you don’t feel like reading you could also just check out the photos. Here is the link to the PDF hosted on ArchNet (you need to click on download)

Our roads are finally going to get fixed starting from today. The project of repairing all of Kuwait’s roads (including residential) is expected to take three years but, for the first phase they’re starting off with the main ones.

The first road that will be repaired is the 1st Ring Road, starting from the Gulf Road and extending all the way to the Jahra roundabout. The second to be fixed is Highway 40 starting from the 1st Ring Road down to the Bayan area. Third road to be fixed is the 4th Ring Road from Amman Street all the way to the UN roundabout, then they’re going to fix the 6th Ring Road from near 360 Mall (Zahra) towards the Subiya intersection, and finally the Doha Road starting from near the Entertainment City down to the 6th Ring Road.

Repairs will take place from 6pm to 6am on weekdays, and 12am to 12pm on weekends.

I’m surprised the 5th Ring Road isn’t part of the first phase and I’m disappointed the Gulf Road isn’t also part of the first phase since that’s the road I use 80% of the time. But, I’m just glad they’re finally starting!

Update: 💃 [Link]

Whether you’re looking for a place work out or relax, the Viking Club; the health club of Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait; is the answer. The Viking Club is one of Kuwait’s most exclusive recreation clubs featuring indoor and outdoor sport and leisure facilities.

Spend your day by the pool. The main “family” pool is ideal for families where both you and your kids can have lots of fun. The pool is adjacent to the kid’s pool with a depth of 0.5m, perfectly safe for children’s entertainment. If you like to include swimming in your workout routine, then you’ll definitely appreciate the 30m lap line of the main pool.

Dip in the Azur Pool and take in the views of the Arabian Gulf. The Azur Pool is exclusively for the use of adults only and offers a heaven of relaxation with a breathtaking view of the serene gulf. Adjacent to the pool is the seafront area with direct sea access.

The gym provides top cardio machines, free weights, and circuit and stretching area for the perfect exercise routine. CrossFit Box located on the seafront area gives you a perfect opportunity to take your intense workout outside. The experienced trainers can prepare personalized training programs cut out to your needs, be it weight loss, cross fit or total body conditioning. Join the classes organized by the club throughout the week, such as aerobics, Zumba, yoga, Pilates, high-impact, cross training, etc. The club offers martial arts classes like Iado, Karate, Kendo, and Aikido, for those looking for different kinds of discipline and self-defense. Ballet and gymnastics classes for the little ones are also available.

Take your workout outside and enjoy a run or stroll by the sea with the running track, along which you can find stationary pull-up bars, two level horizontal bars, plyometric steps, horizontal ladder, and parallel bar. The seafront area features a standard beach volleyball court and half basketball court. To add some fun to your exercise, you can challenge friends to the game of squash, table tennis or beach volleyball.

To help your sore muscles or just to relax, dip in the heated indoor spa pool equipped with hydro jets or just take time to sit back in the sauna or steam room. The club will soon open brand new exercising studios, kids playroom, and outdoor playground.

To inquire about membership rates contact Viking Club directly via:
E-mail: [email protected]
T: +965 2567 3888
www: vikingclubkuwait.com