36 Hours in Kuwait

I chose the public transport option to get to Heathrow during rush-hour, and I have to say, Bully was right about the overground Heathrow Express from Paddington. Clean and efficient – even the Germans would applaud.

It was an overnight flight to Kuwait, and the airport was pleasingly absent of passengers which made it highly acceptable. It was like the Covid days when I had the place to myself. The lounge was equally devoid of pre-flight drinkers, and as my flight was one of the last to leave, it became more like a ghost town with every Sav Blanc I polished off.

The flight was full with lots of young Kuwaiti men taking up the business class seats. I was in premium next to a Kuwaiti couple who couldn’t keep their hands off one another. I probably got about two hours sleep.

At the airport I had to get a visa which wasn’t an easy process to navigate, but it mattered little because the bags took an age to arrive. Once fully laden I found a taxi driver who could have been an extra in Lawrence of Arabia.

I was hoping for an early check-in, but 8 am may have been pushing it. I was staying at the Adam’s Hotel which was located in a semi-wasteland, however it wasn’t far from civilisation so I went walking. The receptionist from Tunisia gave me some tips and I headed to a park. From there I went up the tallest tower in Kuwait City, the Al Hamra. The Sky Lobby on the 55th floor had some relatively passable views, but it was free, so I wasn’t complaining.

I did manage to check in at 11 am and arrange a late check out the following day at 3pm. That’s 28 hours of hotel time when it’s normally around 20. It felt like a win.

After a nap I went to the highlight of Kuwait City, the Kuwaiti Towers which were completed in 1979. I timed my visit with sunset for some great views of the city. Well worth ten bucks.

The hotel didn’t have a lot going on. The restaurant was closed, the sauna was cool, and the gym was a complete mess with equipment strewn all over the place. The two Ferraris parked outside gave it a bit more credibility, but not much.

A restaurant was nearby so I treated myself to a Caesar Salad, Kuwaiti style. Not only does Kuwait have a dry climate, but there’s no alcohol either so I was forced into an evening of sobriety. Alcohol was banned in 1964 after a series of drunk driving fatalities. Alcohol is banned in 13 countries and I’m going to 4 of them this year.

Some Kuwait facts for those interested. Kuwait has two land border neighbours- Iraq and Saudi Arabia. In terms of oil reserves, Kuwait ranks 6th in the world, which for a small country with a population of only 4.3 million, makes them pretty wealthy per capita. Ex-pats make up 70% of the population. Kuwait has the most valuable currency in the world with one Kuwaiti Dinar equivalent to 3.24 US dollars.

By 2030, Kuwait will boast the tallest building in the world at 1,001 metres, eclipsing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai which is only 828 metres. For my readers from Liberia, Myanmar, and the US, who have, thus far, failed to adopt the metric system, that’s 3,284 feet versus 2,717 feet.

The majority of Kuwaiti’s are either overweight or obese. The figure is around 70%, and there are no rivers and no railways. I don’t think these facts are related.

The following morning the sun rose at 110 degrees at 6:38 – I look these things up. Anal, I know. Kuwait is almost guaranteed to have blue skies and sunshine. My plan to witness the sunrise was thwarted by oversleeping. After being woken by the first call to prayer at 5:19, I drifted off again and rescued some cats from quicksand.

Once traipsing began I headed for the souk to look for my usual purchases. It wasn’t the most pedestrian friendly city, but I was pleased my habit of jaywalking seemed to be in keeping with Kuwaiti acceptability.

It was a rather well appointed souk with tiled floors and covered walkways. What surprised me the most was the complete absence of aggressive salesmen. I was able to wander around without being harassed. I only found one fellow selling magnets, but no one at all selling shorts or speedos. Even Kuwaiti men cover their legs.

After the souk I headed towards the coast looking for the Sharq fish market. Sharq means “east in Arabic”. My route took me past hundreds of large, similar looking fishing boats. My nostrils were the first indicator I was nearing the fish market. As I drew closer the smell of raw sewage joined in and my nostrils were under full assault. The most foul smell ever. I could have passed out. It had just turned midday and the second call to prayer had the Muslims dropping like flies. Maybe praying, maybe the stench had got the better of them. Let’s just say that Chanel won’t be using the scent as an olfactory lure anytime soon.

I popped inside the market to see what the fisherman had caught. This was a fish market on an industrial scale. Kuwaitis must love their fish.

That was it for Kuwait. Back to the hotel then off to the airport. I enjoyed my 36 hours in Kuwait and would recommend it to anyone looking for a Middle East stopover.

My taxi driver was from Bangladesh and he was most informative. The largest banknote is 20 dirams – roughly $75. A diram is divided into fils and there are 1000 to a diram. A five fils coin is worth slightly less than a pebble lying on the ground.

I also learnt about the call to prayer which occurs five times a day. These times change every day according to the sun and details can be found on an app. Today the first one was at 5:19 am and the last one about 6:30. In the summer months the first one is at 2:30 am and the last one about 8:30 at night. For Muslims living in northern Scandinavia the five calls in the winter are quite close together, and in the summer are hours apart.

Ramadan starts on March 1st this year and lasts for 30 days. Each year it goes back 10 days so next year it will be around February 18th. Once again, depending on where you are in the world, the fasting during daylight could either be a couple of hours or over 20 hours.

The airport experience was slick, however there wasn’t much in the way of felicities once airside. And no bars selling wine. My second day of forced sobriety. I was flying to Delhi on Kuwait Airways and they have no alcohol on any flights. But by all accounts, they will provide you a nice hot cup of Arabic coffee.

Plenty of room on the plane as I boarded last and found a row of three and took temporary possession. Three hours to Delhi.