Abhishek Bachchan in Kuwait for Omega

Huge event with hundreds of people trying to catch a glimpse of Abhishek Bachchan.

Red carpet all the way

Peaceful time before the arrival 

Paparazzi lined up 

Some of their watches and gold that remind me of the Cartier collection 

Of course it never fails that someone from these several 'Kuwait' pages on FB takes my posts and doesn't give me credit, this time my IG post. 

And the other page using my post

Besides the stampede and constant pushing it was a nice event.

Sheikh Ahmad the new FIFA President?

When FIFA president Sepp Blatter addresses delegates at the 26th Asian Football Confederation congress on Thursday at least four men watching him are likely to be imagining themselves standing in his shoes in the future.

Three of them are campaigning now to end Blatter's 17-year-reign as the head of world soccer in next month's presidential elections, but the fourth, biding his time, is increasingly being seen as the man mostly likely to actually succeed him.The three candidates standing for election at the FIFA Congress on May 29 are Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan, Michael van Praag, the president of the Dutch FA, and former World Player of the Year Luis Figo of Portugal.

The chances of any of them actually beating Blatter when FIFA's 209 members cast their votes in four weeks time are slim.All three have the backing of UEFA president Michel Platini who decided not to stand last August and may or may not do so at some time in the future.But the man being identified as the one to eventually take Blatter's crown is the highly influential political kingmaker Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait, who will, almost certainly be elected to FIFA's executive committee on Thursday.

Sheikh Ahmad, known in sporting political circles as "The Sheikh", is a former head of the oil cartel OPEC and is effectively the "go-to" man as the head of the Association of National Committees (ANOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Solidarity Commission of the International Olympic Committee.Now, with the backing of AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, Sheikh Ahmad, the honorary president of the Kuwait FA, is set to win one of the three Asian seats on the FIFA executive committee.

He is one of the seven candidates and is likely to succeed along with current incumbents Worawi Makudi of Thailand and Zhang Jilong of China."Sheikh Ahmad is already one of the most important people in world sport, and with the focus switching to Asia with the Qatar World Cup on the horizon, Asia is moving," a close observer of the Asian political scene told Reuters.

"Assuming Sepp Blatter, who is now 79, wins the election in May, he will be 83 in 2019 and not even he can go on for ever. Others might fancy their chances then like Jeffrey Webb, the president of CONCACAF or Platini."But if Sheikh Ahmad is on the FIFA executive committee then, there is a very good chance he will become FIFA president in four years time."

One of the losers in all of this is likely to be Prince Ali.The Jordanian reformer, who has sat on the FIFA executive committee for the last four years as the Asian vice-president, will leave the executive unless he wins the presidential election.His FIFA seat will be taken by AFC president Salman following a realignment of Asia's policies, and he is not standing for election as one of the three Asian FIFA executive committee members.

Kuwait brings resort to England

Kuwaiti-owned London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) has released new images, details and a scale model of the $3.6 billion theme park it is developing in Kent, in Southern England, and which is due to open in 2020.

London Paramount Entertainment Resort, which was launched in October 2012 and will be located on an 872-acre brownfield site on Kent’s Swanscombe peninsula, just 17 minutes on the train from Central London, is due to start construction in autumn 2016.

Kuwaiti European Holding (KEH) Group bought LRCH two years ago and has been financing the plans ever since.

The project was designated as ‘Nationally Significant’ in May 2014 by the UK's Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Ahead of submitting for planning permission in winter 2016, LRCH is currently planning a fourth round of consultations with local residents and interest groups.
As part of this ongoing interaction with the public, a new set of images and a large scale model (pictured below) of the theme resort were unveiled this week. The project is expected to attract around 15 million people a year, or around 50,000 a day, when it is up and running. It will include multiple zones, including Adventure Isle, Land of Legends, Cartoon Circus, Starfleet Command, Action Square, Port Paramount and Entertainment City.link

Isn't that so nice of the Kuwaiti company to bring a huge park to England which includes 'Entertainment City' yet we have nothing here and our own local Entertainment City is reported to be closed down. Do we get a discount? We don't have anything like that to look forward to in Kuwait so why not leave and go to England for it.

Tourism in Kuwait- *crickets*

S'N'B wash off nail Polish

There are millions of women that can benefit of our Wash-off line which can be easily removed and re-applied. Each one for their own reason - whether it is religion, pregnancy, eco-consciousness or occupation. 

They are specifically designed for expectant mums who wish to match pregnancy radiance with all the pampering and lustre of painted nails while avoiding any harmful chemicals or toxins. 

This unique formula also makes the nail polish very convenient for Muslim women as they pray several times during the day. Another category of women is those whose occupations require them in having to remove their nail polish on a daily basis. For instance nurses, models, food factory employees etc.

The company will be presenting their product for the first time in the Middle East in May at  Beautyworld Middle East in Dubai.

It washed off with a wet tissue or soap and water

You can find more information on their website and IG @safenbeautiful

Engineering for Kids

Traffic in Ku'wait'

I realize now why the word 'WAIT' is in the country name of Kuwait. That's all you do here now is wait. What used to be a 20 minute trip has become an hour and a half or more and no end to this problem in sight. It's sad that in a country that seems to have it all there isn't any public transportation except for the city bus. From what I've seen on the outside I don't think buses are at a high standard.

I've watched kids throw huge bricks at them, pull off the window while one was stopped at a light (I reported it to the police and told them where the kids lived but he blew me off) and chaos that goes on inside. I visited Dubai in the summer and walked to the bank in the scorching heat when I found an air conditioned bus stop and thought 'wow, this is great' while being cooled off. Kuwait well, any place is a bus stop, even on the highway!

Now with technology it's even worse as drivers have their heads inside their phones, they sit there when the light turns green and pay 0 attention to what's going on around them. Now we have to pay attention to other people to avoid accidents and it gets worse everyday.

No matter what time of day it is there is traffic!

Only in Kuwait will I have to buy a new horn for my car because mine is slowly dying from being used so much!

I feel like a prisoner because most of the time I stay home to avoid this mess. When I first came here I was out all the time and we knew not to go on the highway at 1 pm because there would be traffic and when summer came the country was empty. Someone, anyone, look into the problem and provide adequate options for the people of Kuwait before violence breaks out from angry people stuck in traffic.

KTAA 16th annual Textile Art Exhibition

Proposal to increase Fees

KUWAIT CITY, April 25: Assistant Undersecretary for Citizenship and Residency Affairs at the Ministry of Interior Major General Sheikh Mazen Al-Jarrah has unveiled a plan to increase fees for all services provided to expatriates; including commercial and tourist visa, temporary residency, self sponsorship and dependent visas for the expatriates’ children, parents or siblings, reports Al-Rai daily.

According to Al-Jarrah, some of the fees may reach KD 100 and more than double for others, adding that there will no longer be free services while KD 20 dinars will be paid for the residency for each person. He cited as examples the one-month commercial visit visa which used to be free will now be charged KD 30, three-months tourist visa that was also free will now cost KD 90, dependent visa for children will increase from KD 100 to KD 150, while the same visa for siblings and parents will increase from KD 200 to KD 400.

He affirmed this decision excludes non-Kuwaiti women married to Kuwaitis or the children of Kuwaiti women married to non- Kuwaitis as the current fees applicable to them shall be the same. He clarified the current fees have been the same for decades, not to mention the manipulation of operations as some people exploit the low fees to achieve certain goals such as access to free government treatment and medication worth tens of thousands of dinars; thereby, putting pressure on the State budget and the Ministry of Health services.

He asserted the decision is final and on the verge of being approved, reiterating this is an urgent proposal aimed at stopping unscrupulous people from manipulating laws. He added that despite the increase, Kuwait’s fees are still considered the lowest compared to other GCC countries. In a related development, Al-Jarrah revealed a vital and important project is being discussed in a bid to punish those harboring or employing offenders (residency or labor law violators).

He said the penalties include fine ranging from KD 400 to KD 500 to be paid immediately for the owner of the establishment which harbors or employs offenders. He disclosed the proposal will be submitted soon to the Interior Minister’s Office for approval, indicating he expects quick implementation.

He pointed out the proposal is similar to what is currently applied in other member-nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). He explained this has become a necessity due to the remarkable increase in the number of offenders – now estimated at tens of thousands; hence, the need to strictly apply the law. He went on to say a comprehensive plan for domestic workers and domestic labor recruitment offices has been presented for discussion. He confirmed the plan will take into account the loopholes in existing laws, indicating the most important stipulations include prohibiting dealing with domestic laborers who refuse to work for their sponsors or rejected by sponsors, deportation of a worker who does not want to work, immediate closure of erring domestic labor offices after the first warning, and deducting the corresponding amount from the bank guarantee of the office in case it does not buy a ticket for the worker who has been proven to have violated the law.

He then stressed the need to enact a domestic labor law to stop the violations and human trafficking which tarnish the image of Kuwait in international forums. He also announced the closure of more than 17 domestic labor offices found to have violated the law, adding that the ministry will continue tracking down those who do no respect the laws of the country.

Other news:

Cabinet freezes Expat numbers

KUWAIT: At its meeting last week, the Cabinet decided to stop the flow of any more expats into Kuwait and maintain the current numbers without any increase, allowing newcomers to only replace those leaving, said government sources. The sources added that the Cabinet discussed several scenarios to solve the demographic composition to help fix ‘imbalances’ that have been studied and discussed since 1989.

The sources said some Cabinet members touted a report noting that “Kuwaitis have become a minority in their own home country”, and stressed that in order to reach a percentage of 40 percent of the population within 15 years, the best suggestion made so far was to immediately freeze current expat numbers and not allow any more into the country unless to replace those leaving for good.

The sources added that according to recent studies, only 17 percent of the workforce is Kuwaiti, while expats number 2,008,885. The study also showed that 514,000 citizens below 15 and above 65 were excluded from the workforce, while expats excluded from the force number 439,000. In addition, the sources explained that 855,854 expats do not hold any qualifications or degrees and that the total number of domestic workers is 564,803. — Al-Qabas

Palestinian Cultural Exhibition

Outlandish coming to Kuwait

May. 22, 2015 At 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM Located at GUST campus

Outlandish Live (brought here by ALGAS Events) is a musical event headlined by the internationally recognized band Outlandish. The event will take place on the 22nd of May at the Roman Amphitheater at GUST where we are expecting 2000 fans to attend and enjoy this profound experience. This will be Outlandish’s first appearance in Kuwait, and the second in the Middle East. In an effort to support and encourage local talents, local musicians will take part in the musical performances sharing the stage with Outlandish. This international musical event will definitely raise the bar and set new standards for the entertainment scene and industry in Kuwait.Ticket link

Gold 30KD and Silver 25KD

For those who don't know who Outlandish is.

Side Note: Maybe these guys will pass the inspection Akon failed to?

Sea View restaurant mall/complex Abu Halaifa

Introducing the latest addition to the restaurant boom in the area. Sea View is between the 'Light' mall/complex and Dome mall in Abu Halaifa, adding to the list of burger joints in the area.

 Edo, Skillet Bistro and Costa Coffee

 Pizza Milano, Alison Nelson's Chocolate Bar (?), The Burger Joint and Container 75

There are still more spaces, I just hope they don't add more burger joints. There is basement parking which leads out right onto the main street close to the traffic light meaning there will most likely be a traffic pile up trying to get out.

The Night of The Spider

Lindsay Lohan Arabic #fail

Lindsay Lohan just can't catch a break with her Instagram posts.

On Monday, the 28-year-old actress shared a mistranslated Arabic message on her social media page that was meant to say 'you're beautiful' but was actually translated as 'you're a donkey.'
The Mean Girls star has since deleted the inspirational quote gone wrong from her account. This latest picture follows her numerous close up snaps she allegedly altered and was ridiculed for. Story Link

January Arabic #fail

Lindsay stick to English please.

Ruby Tuesday Special

Mubarakiya School Museum

On December 22, 1911 the School of Mubarakiya was opened. It all started when Sheikh AlQanai'e led the move to ask people to donate and make a collective effort to establish and construct the first formal school in Kuwait, leading to the opening of the School of Mubarakiya named after the ruler at the time Sheikh Mubarak Al Sabah. The school was built for around 80,000 rupees collected from various donors and citizens. It was built in a short span of 10 months, the first batch of included 254 students.

Al Mubarakiya School ratified fees were based on the student's social and financila status. High Class students paid 2 rupees, middle class 1 rupee and poor students were free.

The museum is located off to the side of Mubarakiya down the narrow road that leads to main road. They are closed on Sunday and have morning/afternoon timings.