Kuwait Favorite Tips by pangtidor Top 5 Page for this destination

Ramadhan Activities

Favorite thing: Ramadhan is a month before Eid,moslem celebration, when moslems will do fasting during daytime.It will be on lunar calendar, so it won`t be on the same time every year.It will be started on the last week of September in 2006 and will be delayed 10days for following years.YOU CAN NOT EAT AND DRINK in public on daytime during this time.Working hours will be short during daytime, and some public services will have extra hours during night time.Stores will be closed most of the day and will be opened until midnight.

Kuwait Dinar, Is it the highest currency?

Favorite thing: As far as I know, Kuwait Dinar is the highest currency in the world.1US$=0.289KD (Kuwait Dinar) so the price will be triple than US$.It won`t be practical for you to bring out KD to other countries besides GCC countries.Whenever you travel to Kuwait with some cash money with you, US $ and Euro will be fine to bring along with.You may sell your any foreign currency in money exchange complex, Mubarakia Market area.
1KD=1000fills.It is quite odd when we compare with other currencies which have 100 for smaller conversion.Kuwait Dinar notes will be available from 0.250KD (250fills), 0.500KD (500fills), 1KD, 5KD, 10KD, and 20KD.All the KD notes will have both English and Arabic prints on them.The coins will be available for 1fills,5fills,10fills,20fills,50fills,and 100fills.They will be in gold and silver color.The problem with coins are the numbers showed in Arabic only.Anyway,it is really easy to remember the basic arabic numbers.Zero OF ARABIC = A DOT, One = LIKE NUMBER ONE IN LATIN, FIVE OF ARABIC= ZERO, TWO OF ARABIC= SEVEN WITH THE HEAD END ON THE RIGHT INSTEAD OF LEFT.Though the way they write from the back to the front or from the right to the left, WRITING NUMBERS OR DATES IN ARABIC WILL BE LIKE ENGLISH SYSTEM.It will be usefull for you to carry some 100fills or 50fills with you as all the vending machines and parking fees will be using these coins.

Working Days and National Holidays

Favorite thing: The weekend in Kuwait will be on FRIDAY AND SATURDAY (from September 2007). It was on thursday and friday before. The ministry offices will be opened from Sunday to thursday,from 0800AM to 0100PM.Some offices will be opened few hours in the afternoon.BANKS CLOSE ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, and will be opened at MORNING TO EVENING FROM SUNDAY TO THURSDAY with 3-4hours breaking time in between. February 25-26 will be national holidays for Kuwait independent day and national day.BE AWARE WITH RAMADAN MONTH.In 2006,Ramadan month started on september 23.During that ramadan month, the offices and stores opening hours will be different, opened an hour later and closed an hour earlier. All the restaurants will be closed during the day time in Ramadhan month. Ramadan month won`t be the same time every year as it uses the lunar calendar.Anyway, the starting date usually will be 10 days ahead from the previous year`s.There will be some moslem holidays in a year like Eid Fitri, Eid Adha, Prophet Mohamed Birthday (Maulid), Hijri New Year, and Isra Miraj; the date will not be the same each year.When the holiday will be coming on Friday or saturday, they will have an other holiday day on the following workdays to replace their weekend holiday.:-)).
Kuwait is a moslem country so you cannt expect christmas and easter time will be public holidays here, The New Year January 1st will be the holiday though. Whenever The King (=Ameer) or Prime Minister died, 3-4 days public holiday will be there as the mourning days.

INSYAALAH formalities

Favorite thing: Are you going to do any paper work in any ministries in Kuwait? INSYAALAH, they will do it as their wish.:-))You have to call all the saints and Lords to give you as much patience as they could.After waiting for a long time in your home country (takes one year in many cases for working visa), you will still spend your first one-two months in Kuwait to process your residency, salary account, higher education, etc. Everytime you will follow up your paper in the Ministry, the word INSYAALAH is being misused to cover their laziness.:-)).INSYAALAH means `in God will`.Frankly speaking it will be let us hope God will remind me to do my work.:-))Do not come on the early morning for your paper work, the boss will come 1-2hours late and all the workers will spend their first 1-2hours at work on tea or coffee.Stand on the line will be useless when any Kuwaities will just go straight with their ridiculous `wasta` thing.Wasta doesn`t mean as a bribe money to quicken your paper, but ` a powerful name who is known in that ministry`.When they are not in the mood to work, they will just INSYAALAH and you will see your paper will be laying on the desk and they will even ask you to come tomorrow.INSYAALAH BUKRA.It means let us hope God will remind me to do my work tomorrow.;-)) Well, INSYAALAH you will be patient.:-))

Al-Boom, Kuwaity sailing ship for souvenir

Favorite thing: It will be a great souvenir for your loved ones back at home. Al Boom has been honored as a part of Kuwait history. You can see it in The State of Kuwait `s National Sign. The price depends on the material. See my antique shop in shopping tip.

The Drinking Water Fountain

Favorite thing: The water supply of Kuwait comes from the sea with a good distillation and standardized supervision. You may see the water counter or fountain all around the country. The water is safe and potable there. You could find that it is interesting to see many kinds and shapes of the water fountain in Kuwait.

The Christian

Favorite thing: Kuwait is a Moslem country but the Christians are free to worship in the churches here. The biggest complex of the Christian church will be located at the Kuwait City, nearby the Arabic Gulf Street and Supreme Court building. The complex divided into 2 big sections: one for the Catholic and the other one for the Protestant. The churches offer services in many languages and the English language services will be always available on Friday and Sunday.