New to kuwait

Failaka Island in Kuwait

2011-01-27T05:06:00.000-08:00

Failaka Island in Kuwait is the most visited tourist destination in the country. This island is situated in the northern part of the Persian Gulf and lies 20 kilometers away from the Kuwait city. It is situated at the opposite of to the Failaka Bay that is 50 kilometers away from the southernmost tip of Iraq. The area of the island covers an area of about twenty-four square kilometers and it is regarded as the most important islands of Kuwait. Apart from the small hill of thirty feet in the western part, this triangular island is basically flat. Failaka Island in Kuwait, one of the major Tourist Attractions in Kuwait is connected to Kuwait City through a submarine pipeline that supplies sweet water to the inhabitants of Failaka. Three more submarine power cables are connected by in a parallel line that supplies electricity to the nativeplace. Though the Failaka Island in Kuwait has its own source of water, but it was not adequate as its population grew enormously during the years of prior Iraqi attackgrew enormously through the years.

Kuwait Tourism gains much of its popularity due to the prominence of Failaka Island in Kuwait. Failaka Island is one of the most magnificent islands that combines the ancient history of Kuwaitwhere the ancestry of Kuwait has blended seamlessly with gleaming modernity, and add to it, the scenic splendor of the place.

However the real claim to fame of the Failaka Island at Kuwait rests on its antiquity. The history of Failaka Island in Kuwait Previously, the island was the home for over two thousand residents. However, during the Iraqi invasion many dwellers left that place. There are lot of mines in this island which are now being used by the military.

can be traced back to the early years of the Stone Age. The island also houses interesting and intriguing specimens from the Dilmun Civilization of the Bronze Age.

The Failaka Island in Kuwait has also seen numerous races step foot on its soil throughout the ages: the Greeks landed in the island and even set up localities herein. Archeological remnants of this past, in the form of a temple, several coins and seals can still be found now. Quite a treasure trove for the history buffs.

Throughout the ages, the Failaka Island in Kuwait has also served as a pivotal trading destination of this region, maintaining links with Persia, the Meditarranean region, India, Africa and Iraq.

If you want to travel to the Failaka Island in Kuwait then you must have obtain a special pass to reach there. Failaka island is best visited in the springtime. The springtime in this city is characterized by gentle breezes, budding flowersvibrant flora and changing temperaturepleasant weather conditions in general. Some Failakawans Failaka locals have their own boats and they engage let out these boats in tourismfor hire. You can roam about in this island by these boats and experience a superb journeycan go languorous boat rides in the nearby waters. The Government of Kuwait is planning some various schemes to connect this island through the bridges from the main city of Kuwait.

So, get ready to visit this tranquil islandthe tranquil Failaka Island of Kuwaitwith your loved ones and make your journey a memorable one.

Sightseeing in Kuwait

2011-01-27T05:04:00.001-08:00

Kuwait Travel Guide portrays that Kuwait has become a well-developed country after the numerous transformation during the Iraqi invasions in 1991. It has now become one of the most visited tourist destinations in world. Kuwait Tourism is being enhanced by the attractive places of sightseeing in Kuwait.

Are you planning to head to Kuwait this season? Do not miss a chance of visiting various spots of sightseeing in Kuwait! While you are sightseeing in Kuwait, take a trip to the historical towers first. The famous towers are Liberation Tower in Kuwait and Kuwait Towers in Kuwait. Liberation Tower represents the Kuwaiti liberation from the Iraqi invasion. It is the tallest tower in the world. Kuwait Towers consist of three separate towers and it is the famous landmark of the city.

The mosques and cathedrals are some famous places of sightseeing at Kuwait. The decoration of these mosques and churches display a blend of traditional and contemporary architecture. The famous religious sites are Grand Mosque in Kuwait, Our Lady of Arabia Church in Kuwait and Holy Family Cathedral in Kuwait.

On your visit to the places of sightseeing at Kuwait, you should not miss the chance of visiting the islands and the famous beaches. These are the Green Island in Kuwait, Failaka Island in Kuwait and Messila Beach in Kuwait. The old buildings in Kuwait are equally alluring to the tourists. They are Bayt Al-Bader in Kuwait and Sadu House in Kuwait. These antique buildings are now used as the exhibition centers of Kuwait. Tourists would like to visit the popular museums as sightseeing in Kuwait. Some famous museums are Saif Marzooq Al-Shamlan Museum in Kuwait, Tareq Rajab Museum in Kuwait and Kuwait National Museum. Other than these tourist attractions in Kuwait, you can also visit the amusements parks as a part of your tour of sightseeing of Kuwait. Some popular amusement parks are Entertainment City in Kuwait, Al-Sha'ab leisure park in Kuwait and Zoological Garden of Kuwait.

Sightseeing in Kuwait

Kuwait Popular Destination

2011-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Kuwait Travel Guide is an apt reminder of how Kuwait has picked up the pieces and marched forward after the horrors of the Gulf War. It has now become one of the most visited tourist destinations in world. Kuwait Tourism gains much of its popularity by dint of the several Kuwait Popular Destinations.

Green Island in Kuwait is one of the top Kuwait Popular Destinations for the tourists who want to relax. There are a 35 meters high tower, water tank at the top of the tower, Kids castle and 50000 colored shrubs, seedlings and many more other attractions. Failaka Island in Kuwait is another serene and calm island that is regarded as one of the Kuwait Popular Destinations. This island attracts many tourists from all over the world with its sylvan surrounds. Messila Beach in Kuwait is another popular attraction to the tourists. While you are traveling to the Kuwait Popular Destinations, do take a trip to the historical towers like Liberation Tower in Kuwait and Kuwait Towers in Kuwait. Liberation Tower symbolizes the Kuwaiti liberation from the Iraqi attack. Kuwait Tower is the main landmark of the city.

For the history buffs, Kuwait Popular Destinations have in store a plethora of historical edifices. These old buildings are now used by the museums to arrange exhibitions and trade fairs. Some important buildings are Bayt Al-Bader in Kuwait and Sadu House in Kuwait. Some museums like Tareq Rajab Museum in Kuwait, Saif Marzooq Al-Shamlan Museum in Kuwait, and Kuwait National Museum are the famous Tourist Attractions in Kuwait.

Kuwait Popular Destinations give you a plenty of options to make your visit a memorable one. Take a visit to these places during your visit to Kuwait:

Al Ahmadi in Kuwait

Doha Village in Kuwait

Bayt Lothan in Kuwait

Dhows in Kuwait

Oil Display Centre in Kuwait

On your visit to Kuwait, do not miss a chance to travel to the religious Popular Destinations in Kuwait. Some popular mosques and cathedrals are Grand

Mosque in Kuwait, Our Lady of Arabia Church in Kuwait and Holy Family

Cathedral in Kuwait. Some other Popular Tourist Destinations of Kuwait are its amusement parks and the entertainment cities. They are Entertainment

City in Kuwait, Al-Sha'ab Leisure Park in Kuwait and Zoological Garden of

Kuwait.

The Kuwait Popular Destinations are your passport to the history of an ancient land and an exciting encounter with the heady transformation of this land.

Tabtabaei Challenge For Expat Bonus Finds Support

2011-01-27T04:43:00.001-08:00

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 23: A number of MPs have expressed their support for MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei’s suggestion that private sector companies should grant all non-Kuwaitis under their employment a one-month’s salary bonus, even though they were not aware he had made the statement.

The parliament on Thursday was fuelled by preparations for the up-coming session on Tuesday, with many committees meeting to put in order pending proposals, legislation and laws for discussion with the government on Jan 25. Nevertheless, when asked by the Arab Times, members of parliament praised the expatriate workforce in both the government and private sectors.

MP Saleh Ashour said that the government should find in its heart to grant a bonus to their non-Kuwaiti employees as His Highness the Amir has granted a gift to all Kuwaitis. However, MP Yousef Al-Zalzalah said that not all private sector companies are profitable.

“A large percentage of them are experiencing losses, so forcing them to give a one-month salary bonus is unfair. However, most profit-making companies already give their deserving employees bonuses. Al-Tabtabaei has made a good suggestion to encourage companies to give bonuses to their employees,” he said.

MP Khaled Al-Tahous said that the expatriate workforce deserved a bonus and that, if it was a proposal, members of parliament would vote for it.

For the occasion of the national and liberation day anniversaries, Islamist MP Waleed Al-Tabtabaei had requested private sector companies last Wednesday to grant all non-Kuwaitis under their employment a bonus amounting to one month’s salary. He said that the bonus should coincide with His Highness the Amir’s grant of KD 1,000 to all Kuwaiti nationals.

Meanwhile, the government will attempt to identify Kuwaitis with dual nationalities who return to the country to receive the Amiri grant. A committee within the Ministry of Interior will allegedly question Kuwaitis who have been living abroad for more than five years.

The Amiri grant is said to increase the prices of basic commodities, but officials at the Ministry Commerce and Industry have reportedly stated that they will curb any further hikes in prices requested by cooperative societies.

Meanwhile, Chairperson of Human Rights Society, Dr Adel Al-Damkhi, has urged the Kuwaiti government to grant each expatriate family KD 200 and exempt them from paying the health insurance for two years to reduce their burdens.

He proposed a suitable mechanism be set to distribute the grant, wherein the charitable institutions will contribute by raising funds for the initiative. He believes the initiative will reflect positively on the society.

Kuwait Liberation Day

2011-01-27T03:28:00.000-08:00

Liberation Day (February 26) celebrates the liberation of Kuwait by a multi-national force from seven months of traumatic Iraqi occupation on February 26, 1991. Each year the day is marked with public gatherings and get-togethers.

However, the day is also tinged with sadness as Kuwait remembers and honours the martyrs who lost their lives fighting Iraqi oppression and the 605 Prisoners of War out of which, 236 remains have been found and the fate of 378 POWs is still not known.( As Per July 2008)

Kuwait National Day

2011-01-27T03:26:00.000-08:00

On 25th of February, Kuwait celebrates its National Day to mark the creation of Kuwait as a nation in 1961. On this day, the national celebrations include public meetings and get-togethers, firework displays and a spirit of celebration that imbues every Kuwaiti Public buildings are illuminated on the occasion and Kuwaitis, young and old, wear their national dress to participate in the festivities.

Kuwait Hotels

2011-01-27T03:21:00.001-08:00

Best Western Kuwait Plaza Hotel Tel: 2458890 / 2429211 Fax: 2412198 P.O.Box: 4450 Safat, 13045 Kuwait	Carlton Hotel Tel: 2423171 / 2423172 Fax: 2425848 P.O.Box: 3492 Safat, 13035 Kuwait
Carlton Tower Hotel Tel: 2452740 / 1 Fax: 2401624 E-Mail: crltntwr@ncc.moc.kw P.O.Box: 26950 Safat, 13130 Kuwait	Crowne Plaza Kuwait Tel: 4742000 Fax: 4732020 E-Mail: hotel@crowneplaza.com.kw P.O.Box: 18544 Farwaniya 81006 Kuwait
International Hotel Co Tel: 5745544 / 5741788 Fax: 5741799 P.O.Box: 3823 Safat, 13039 Kuwait	Kuwait Continental Hotel Tel: 2527300 Fax: 2529373 P.O.Box: 21047 Safat, 13071 Kuwait
Kuwait Hotels Co Tel: 2520600 Fax: 2520276	Kuwait Regency Palace Hotel Tel: 5728000 Fax: 5723109
Kuwait Residence Hotel Tel: 2465860 / 2467560 Fax: 2467562 P.O.Box: 20461 Safat, 13065 Kuwait	Le Meridien Kuwait Hotel Tel: 2455550 Fax: 2438391 E-Mail: bcenter@meredien.com.kw P.O.Box: 26302 Safat, 13124 Kuwait
Messilah Beach Hotel Tel: 5624111 Fax: 5629402 Email: roomresv@messilah.com.kw P.O.Box: 3522 Safat, 13036 Kuwait	New Park Hotel Tel: 5634790 / 5634762 Fax: 5634858
National Hotel Supplies Co Tel: 5710008 / 5733103 Fax: 5748168 P.O.Box: 9956 Salmiya, 22100 Kuwait	Oasis Hotel Kuwait Tel: 2465489 Fax: 2465490 P.O.Box: 26855 Safat, 13129 Kuwait
Phoenicia Hotel Co Tel: 2421051 / 2421052 Fax: 2424402 P.O.Box: 4666 Safat, 13047 Kuwait	Radisson SAS Hotel Kuwait Tel: 5656000 Fax: 5750166, E mail: ads@kwizh.com.kw P.O.Box 26199, Safat 13122 Kuwait
Safir International Hotel Tel: 2533000 Fax: 2563797 E-Mail:sik@safirhost.safirintl.com.kw	Second Home Hotel Tel: 2532100 / 2532438 Fax: 2532381 P.O.Box: 25299 Safat, 13113 Kuwait
Safari House Hotel Tel: 2443136 Fax: 2443537	Sheraton Kuwait Hotel & Towers Tel: 2422055 Fax: 2448032 E-Mail: central@dns.sheraton.com.kw P.O.Box: 5902 Safat, 13060 Kuwait
Imperial Hotel Tel: 2528766 Fax:2520144 P.O.Box: 24482 Safat, 13105 Kuwait

Kuwait Culture

2011-01-27T03:19:00.000-08:00

Kuwait was never a colony and the Kuwaitis have always been free to manage their affairs among themselves as they see fit and develop their unique cultural characteristics in their own way. The Kuwaiti of the pre-oil era survived, in the harshness of the desert or sea, through a mix of finely honed skills and highly developed social organization based on family, can and tribe, which provided the economic and political support necessary for survival. In return for this support, the individual gave unquestioning service and loyalty to his group. This gave rise to clan –based networks, which are still extremely strong and provide the basis of social relations between Kuwaitis today.

The Kuwaiti child was taught from an early age to serve and protect older family members and also, to ensure cooperation between clans, not to embarrass the family, The degree, which a young Kuwaiti was successful in learning his role was reflected in the amount of (face), he earned. The concept of face has the same meaning as respect and reputation in the west, except the face has intensity about it that is almost inconceivable to a westerner. But face accrues not only to the individual but also to the group, and a youth is considered mature once he view personal success as being synonymous with the success of the family or group.

Face is expressed through hospitality, generosity and loyalty to family or particular group. A Kuwaiti spends his life building his personal and social face and the sense of face lies behind many social behaviors in Kuwait.

The dewaniyah or parlour has existed in Kuwait since time immemorial. The term originally referred to the section of a Bedouin tent where the menfolk and their visitors sat apart from the family. In the old city of Kuwait it was the reception area where a man resaved his business colleagues and male guests. Today the term refers both to a reception hall and the gathering held in it, and visiting or hosting a Diwaniyah is an in dispensable feature of a Kuwaiti man’s social life.

As a social event, adiwaniyah takes place in special room or annex, which is usually, separate from the rest of man’s house. Only men are present and they sit around on soft benches or cushion, conversing casually, smoking, nibbling snacks and relaxing the evening, The host’s job is to be hospitable and entertain his guests, and the reputation of a man Diwaniyah is one of the prime ways in which he achieve’s face.

There are also more formal Diwaniyah, which specialize in particular interests, such as politics or science.

Most Kuwaitis men wear a dishdasha, a floor length robe with a center robe opening which is but on over the head. Because it is so well suited to the climate, this basic garment has changed little in the last few hundred years, though the collar, front button fastening and buttoned cuffs are 20th century innovations introduction by Indian tailor . Provided he is not corpulent, the dishdasha can at time make the wearer look quit elegant.

The three-part headdress of the Kuwait male is also very functional. It provides shade during summer, it can be wrapped across the face during sandstorms, and it’s end can be twisted up like a turban if the wearer is doing manual work The gutra is a square piece of cloth which is folded into a triangle and then placed centrally on the head so that the ends hang down equally over the shoulders. It is held in place by an ogal, a double circlet of twisted black cord, which is placed firmly over the head. Often a gahfiah, a close fitting skull cap , is worn under the gutra to stop it from slipping .

The headdress can be worn in various ways, ranging from the stiffly formal to the downright rakish, depending on the wearer’s mode and the social occasion, In the most dignified style the gutra is centered on the head. And pulled down well cover the forehead so that tow pointed ends are arranged on each side of the face, the other at the back, and the ogal is set straight on the head just slightly tilted back from the forehead .The possible variation on this basic positioning are endless. The ogal can be pushed backwards towards the top of the head, pulled down over the forehead, tilted on the kildare side or pulled down over a raffish eye. And once the ogal has been exactly positioned, the gutra can be arranged in various symmetrical and asymmetrical ways. The ends can, for example, be folded neatly back over the shoulders to open the face, or one end can be left hanging forward while the other is folded up and draped back to the head to expose a handsome profile. Shebabs, young Kuwaiti studs, spend a lot of their time getting the lie of ogal and gutra just right.

Once his headgear is settled to his liking, all a Kuwaiti has to complete his dress is to slip on a pair of leather sandals as he goes out the door. In the old days he would properly have girded himself in a leather belt with shoulder strap to hold a sheathed saef (sword) and khanjar (dagger) with possibly a sakeen (dirk) up his sleeve, but today’s Kuwaiti has replaced these manly accessories with those modern necessities, a mobile and pager.Kuwaiti wears white or cream dishdash, with matching gutras, most months of the year.

During winter somber –coloured heavier cloths are used and the gutras is changed to a red and white check, For example, the onset of winter and spring is easily marked when the locals suddenly, within the space of a day or so, change the colour of their clothing. In winter, most Kuwaitis also wear a heavy bisht, a cloak made of traditional thick dun-coloured camel hair or of heavy modern wool, over their dishdash, though the shebab tend to favour thick leather wool-lined zipped jerkins.

On grand occasion, a semi-transparent bisht with zari, special gold braiding, is worn by the rich and powerful, The embossed look of the zari is created by the first hand-embroidering the bisht with gold threads and then hammering the threads so that they become fused.

Kuwaiti women dress in western clothes, Though they may choose from the more demure styles, the latest designs are worn, regardless of the climate or convenience. However their traditional clothing, such as the thob (a straight-sided long overdress), is still used for dancing on festive occasion.

When in public many local women cover their chic western clothing with an aba, a head-to-toe silky black cloak, Bedouin women may also wear a burga, a short black veil that covers the entire face.

The hijab, or Islamic headscarf, which conceals the hair while leaving the face unveiled is not a Kuwaiti garment but is of northern origin. It is worn by many expatriate Muslim women. The hijab is usually complemented by along-sleeved floor-length garment,often in pretty colours, and the overall more elegant than the voluminous aba.

most of the information from Kuwait Pocket Guide