Alcohol in Kuwait
Alcohol and pork are illegal in Kuwait. No restaurants, hotels or any other places are allowed to sell or serve pork. Import of pork and alcohol are prohibited as well. All entry ports of Kuwait has mechanisms implemented to detect the import of alcohol or pork. Being illegal alcohol consumption, keeping the custody or production are prohibited and punishable by law.
Driving under the influence of alcohol is punishable to the extend of 500 KD and up to one year imprisonment
You should avoid bringing or using alcohol in Kuwait
American university in Kuwait
The American University of Kuwait is a private liberal arts institution based on the American model of higher education in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Although established in 2003, the University opened to students, faculty and the general public in September 2004. It is sister colleges with Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire. Dr. Winfred Thompson currently serves the office of the President.
The AUK campus is located at the intersection of Salem Al Mubarak Street and Amr Ibn Al ‘As Street, a major intersection in the upscale shopping and residential district of Salmiya. It is located near several major malls, including the famous Marina World and Al Fanar Mall, as well as bordered by the Hotel Mission in Kuwait and Olympic Council of Asia Headquarters.
Formerly a public high school, the campus was completely rehabilitated, renovated and rebuilt. New buildings and facilities were added in order to bring the university up to standards for its September 2004 opening. In 2006, a five-story building for the Liberal Arts was opened.
The design of the university campus is open, with a large square garden enclosed by buildings, housing offices, and classrooms for the Intensive English Program. There is a building that houses the Library and Administrative facilities, a four-story building for the Sciences section, and a five-story building dedicated to the Liberal Arts. A Kuwaiti-style tent located near the main gate on Salem Al Mubarak Street, known as The Hangout, offers students HD televisions, pool tables, and PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles as a place to interact and relax, as well as a high-speed internet connection which can be hired accordingly. Also available is an American-style diner and Starbucks Coffee. Athletic facilities include tennis, basketball and volleyball courts, as well as a soccer field and fitness center. There are also respective prayer rooms for men and women located near The Hangout.
They provide the following courses:
- B.B.A. in Accounting, Marketing, Finance and Management
- B.A. in Communication and Media Studies
- B.A. Economics
- B.A. in English Language and English Literature
- B.A. in Graphic Design
- B.A. in International Studies
- B.A. in Social and Behavioural Sciences with a concentration in Anthropology
- B.S. in Computer Science and Information Systems
- B.E. in Computer Engineering
Kuwait Dust Storm
Kuwait had a very bad dust storm today
Museums in Kuwait
Kuwait has various Museums across the country. Some of them are Islamic Museums and others are history Museums related to the country.
Dar al Islamiya
The Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah, (House of Islamic Antiquities), is located inside the Kuwait National Museum complex. This is one of the most comprehensive collections of Islamic art in the world – covering all geographic regions and historic periods from the eighth to the eighteenth century. This extraordinary collection was formed by Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah and his wife, Sheikha Hussa Al-Sabah who started collecting Islamic art in order to bring objects back ‘home’ – near to where they had originally been made. When the Dar Al-Athar Al-Islmaiyyah first exhibited, the collection was comprised of 1,200 objects – but now numbers over 20,000. It also contains a specialised library of several thousand books in different languages on Islamic history and heritage. The collection is a tribute to the patient endeavours of Sheikh Nasser and Sheikha Hussa who have created one of the most spectacular collections of Islamic art in existence. The British Museum has previously staged a major exhibition of Islamic art with a very significant number of works from the Dar Al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah collection.
Educational Science Museum
Located downtown Kuwait City near the Liberation Tower, the Educational Science Museum was Kuwait’s first museum, and it contains displays about the history of the petroleum industry in Kuwait, natural history, electronics, space and aviation, and zoology subjects, as well as a planetarium. It also boasts an 18 meter whale skeleton. Tel – 2421268/2466973. Open from 9am to 12am and 4:30-7:30 Saturday to Wednesday.
Kuwait House of National Memorial Museum
There is an entry fee of KD1. Once you go inside you get a personal guide. The museum is divided into various sections, the first section talks about Kuwait’s origins and how they discovered oil and how Kuwait gained its independence. Then they show you images from the last meeting on August 1st 1990 in Jeddah with Saddam Hussain who says that everything is cool and they won’t invade Kuwait, then you move to the next section. The second section is where they talk about the invasion of Kuwait, all done using models and special effects. They have a huge model of Kuwait City and the streets are littered with model tanks, other vehicles and soldiers. This section is a long dark corridor with displays on both sides of the room all in the dark. Then as the story is being narrated through speakers in the room, the different sets light up to show the story. These sets with the models have strategically located lights and smoke machines, very cool stuff plus there were a lot of sound effects of machine gun fire, people shouting and things exploding. They open in the morning and in the evenings. With the KD1 entrance you get a guided tour, 2 movies you watch about the war, and souvenirs which involve posters, a cool brochure with nice pictures, and another brochure on the museum. To find out where exactly they are located and when they are open you can call 4845335 or 4846336. It is located in Shuwaikh near the Arab Fund Building and the Kuwait Red Crescent Society.
Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Display
The Kuwait Oil Company has an ultra-modern audio-visual museum of Kuwait’s oil industry, past and present. This is a museum devoted to the history of oil, from geological formation through exploration, drilling, and recovery. It was destroyed in the Iraqi invasion in 1990, but has been reconstructed with additional exhibits. These include notably how the Iraqi occupation forces set fire to most of Kuwait’s oil wells, and the subsequent well-capping and fire-fighting operations. In Ahmadi area, it is open by appointment, tel 398 2393 / 398 9111 / 398 1678. KOC can also arrange for groups to tour the oil fields themselves.
Al-Hashemi Maritime Museum
Located at the SAS Hotel, the Al-Hashemi Maritime Museum is housed in the Al Hashemi II, which is the world’s largest wooden Arabic dhow (It’s in the Guinness Book of World Records!). The museum showcases traditional shipbuilding and seafaring in Kuwait and features large models of different traditional dhows, sea tools and accessories highlighting Kuwait’s long maritime and trading traditions. The large dhow also has a Grand Ball Room and several other reception areas that are used for weddings, conferences, dinners, etc. The museum is free.
The National Museum
The National Museum (Tel : 2451195/4) is located on the Gulf Road just south of the Parliament / National Assembly downtown. It was opened in December 1957. Looted and burned by the former Iraqi regime during the invasion, the museum is now restored and has been re-opened to the public – with many, but not all, artifacts having been returned from Iraq. In 1997, Muhallab II, the replacement for (and replica of) the magnificent trading dhow from the 1930s that graced the front yard of the museum before it was burned by the former Iraqi regime, was constructed on site and is now open to visitors.
Qurain Martyr’s House
This destroyed private house (tel 543 0343) was the site of the bloody battle between the Messilah Resistance Group and the Iraqi occupiers. A solemn monument to the martyrs of Kuwait (In Qurain area, on road 208 between Fahaheel and Magreb Expressways – there should be signs).
The Taraq Rajab Museum
(Tel : 5317358) is a private museum located in Jabriya. The museum specializes in Islamic Arts and Crafts and is open daily from 9.00am – 12.00, 4.00pm – 8.00pm, closed Friday afternoons. Open to the public since 1980, the museum houses a host of Islamic art and artefacts, ranging from pottery and glass work, to musical instruments and jewellery. Entrance to the museum is free. It is located in Jabriya (Area 12, Street 5 – down the street from the Iranian School and near the New English School and the Hadi Clinic).
Modern Art Museum (Sharqeya School)
This is a lovely new museum of modern painting and sculpture by Kuwaiti and Arab artists. Originally opened as a boys’ school in 1935, then a girls’ school in 1938, the National Council for Culture Arts and Letters reopened it as a museum in 2003. It is located directly across the Gulf Road from Souq Sharq near a large dhow. It is free and open Saturday to Wednesday 0900-1300 and 1700-2100. Very informed and friendly tour guides who speak English are available. 2468348 / 2468354 / 2468401 ex 105 or 115.
Bedbugs everywhere, in Kuwait too…
Recently, I was told by a friend of mine about the bed bugs he found in his new home. Some other day BBC news talked about the spike in the Bed Bugs in Newyork. It seems the bed bugs are on increase everywhere. In a recent seminar in one of the popular hotels in Kuwait City, I found a bed bug on my table, we had to leave the table immediately.
It will become an epidemic in Kuwait as well just like in Newyork. A recent survey and the recent reports from Newyork has found that there are thousands of bed bugs roaming around the city and that they are invading many types of premise, it is not just limited to residential areas. The pop singer Lauren Hildebrandt is out with word she’s been attacked by the tiny bloodsuckers and it’s no fun.
Wikipedia says “Although bedbugs can live for a year without feeding, they normally try to feed every five to ten days. In cold weather, bedbugs can live for about a year; at temperatures more conducive to activity and feeding, about 5 months”
Bed bugs are being reported in many parts of Kuwait by many people. Does these advertised pest controllers can actually eradicate bed bugs at least from individual houses?
Kuwait City photos
INFORMATION ON NAME CHANGE IN PASSPORT AND VISA TRANSFERS + DEPENDANT PP & VISA NAME RECTIFIED.
Dear Friends,
I had questions about the above mentioned procedures earlier, I questioned in this site as well as arab times and did not get any satisfactory result, arab times suggested me not to go for it,since it is a long and complicated process,and it is better to go out by cancelling visa and come on new visa with new named passport have they any idea how much a new visa cost and what expenditure to exit with me and my dependant?
But inspite of that I took it a challenge and completed the process, took two months for me and my dependant (It took altogether me and my dependant procedure along with transport charges around 80 KD. fom which more cost was on transportation if u have a car better for you) and now I would like to share this with all my fellow Indians ,so that any one who wants to know this shall have a proper information.nothing is too dificult if you are ready to take little hardships.
List of Universities in Kuwait
Kuwait offers a lot of options for higher education. There are many universities in Kuwait mostly with western base. The universities in Kuwait offers various streams of education such as the arts and sciences, business and engineering.
Kuwait University
Kuwait University is the oldest higher education university in Kuwait. Established in 1966, Kuwait University is the most known university in Kuwait. There are about 14 affiliated colleges to this university with wide variety of streams of education offers graduate and under-graduate courses to students. Programs offered include studies within the colleges of medicine, law, engineering, education, Islamic studies, the sciences, pharmacy, the arts, business, dentistry and allied health sciences.
Contact Information
Kuwait University
P.O. Box 5969
Safat — 13060, Kuwait
Ph: 965-2498-5205
http://www.kuniv.edu.kw
Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST)
Gulf University for Science and Technology was established in 2002 as a private university with the intentions to make it as a supplement to Kuwait University. As the website say, it started of with the assistance/participation of 47 Kuwait University faculty members. A strategic partnership was established with the University of Missouri at St. Louis (UMSL). The university primarily offers two streams of education: Arts and Science as well as business administration
Contact Information
Gulf University for Science and Technology
P.O. Box 7207
Hawally 32093, Kuwait
Ph: 965-2530-7000
http://www.gust.edu.kw/
American University of Kuwait
AUK is a recent entrant into the Kuwait higher education system is modeled around the American educational mode. They offer education in three primary divisions:
1. business and economics
2. humanities and the arts, and
3. the sciences and engineering
Contact Information
American University of Kuwait
P.O. Box 3323
Safat 13034, Kuwait
Ph: 965-2224-8399
http://www.auk.edu.kw/index.jsp
Arab Open University
Arab Open University is a private university that was founded in Kuwait in 2002. The university has several campus locations across Middle East, which include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Oman. The offer three streams of study: language studies, information technology, and computing and business.
Contact Information
Arab Open University
Al-Khaitan – Block 2
Sharhabeel St. 395
Hawalli P.O Box 32004 Al-Jabria, Kuwait
Ph: 965-2476-7291
http://www.aou.edu.kw/
If I have missed any of the colleges or universities, do let me know thru comments so that I will update this post.
RETIREMENT AGE LIMIT
During my working tenure in kuwait I have been noticing to what happens with the working person nearly reaching to fifties,If ones job is government he can be assured to complete his full working tenure until the retirement age that's sixty.
But for those who are working under the private companies have a tuff time in surviving with the pressure they have to face through job insucurity, specially if one is in middle management or lower. quiet earlier than their term of retirement is approaching, inspite of active and healthy, the management don't fail to strike them, either to pressure them to reisgn or terminate.
And imagine, what it is like to have a termination at his fifties, to find a job will be so difficult because of the age weighed all around into the companies while hiring the staff.hence even a well experienced person who would be active shall be called to work for quaterly from his earlier monthly income.
Kuwait Sunset
Reflection of the sunset on my right side mirror. The weather in Kuwait is changing and it becomes really winter. Today's temprature is around 20 degrees in the morning.