Kuwait City, Kuwait Report of what it's like to live there - 07/30/08
Personal Experiences from Kuwait City, Kuwait
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
Yes.
2. How long have you lived here?
22 months; departed Jan 2008.
3. Travel time and best routes to this city from Europe or the US:
Direct flight from Washington DC around 13 hours.
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Worked at the U.S. Embassy.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
On compound - homes for families, apartments for singles. They are very convenient to work but everyone knows what everyone else is doing. Off-compound housing is villas or apartments. Commute time could be anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. Housing is large and grand. Apartments are located in popular area of town with shopping, restaurants, groceries. This causes a lot of traffic jams, however.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
You can get most anything for a price. I almost bought a carton of Florida's Natural Orange Juice until I realized it was US$15!
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Nothing really, everything is available, although expensive. There seemed to be more and more available as time went on, I imagine it's the same now.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Tons of fast food, almost all of the major chain restaurants (Applebees, TGIFridays, Ruby Tuesday, Chilis, Johnny Rockets, Hard Rock Cafe, Krispy Kreme, Dunkin Donuts), and some of the hotels have amazing sushi, steakhouses, and Italian. You won't go hungry, but you might go broke eating out!
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
We have APO.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Plenty of help available, many Embassy folks employ maids who are always looking for new clients, so ask around. I think I was paying about $7 an hour and my maid came for about 10 hours a week.
3. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
I used them pretty much anywhere that had walls (meaning, not in the souks/markets or from street vendors).Never had a problem.
4. What English-language religious services are available locally?
I hear there are many kinds available, although I never attended myself.
5. English-language newspapers and TV available? Cost?
Cable TV has some English programing but it's not great (mostly B-list sitcoms from the USA on the minor networks) but Embassy staff can get AFN in their homes, providing much better English language (American) TV.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You don't need to know any Arabic, most everyone speaks English fairly well. It is always nice to know greetings, thank you, etc. as a gesture of good will.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
It's not great, lots of holes in the sidewalk, etc. I have seen only a few people in wheelchairs.
Transportation:
1. Do you drive on the right hand side of the road or the left?
Right hand.
2. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
No trains. I wouldn't take a bus, too nasty and dirty, and I have no idea if they are safe or not. Taxis were a decent option, fairly affordable.
3. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
Big and safe, for when you get into the accident you will eventually get in. Gas is very inexpensive so gas guzzlers aren't as much of an issue, and will protect you much better than my little Ford Focus did me.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
It's available, semi-reliable, not overly expensive. It came free with my housing but I hear others were paying $600 a year.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
You can get one in Kuwait easily, not overly expensive.
3. What is the best way to make phone calls back home?
I used Skype.
Pets:
1. Quality pet care available (vets & kennels)?
It seemed sketchy to me. I fostered two kittens for one of the animal shelters and when the kitties got sick, I took them to a vet at the open market/souk. It didn't seem clean, was fairly unorganized, the people seemed to wait for a long time to get their pets seen, and the meds my kitties were given caused very bad reactions. But I do hear there is an International Pet Clinic that is fairly decent. The shelter made me take my kitties to the sketchy place so I don't have first hand experience with the International Clinic but I hear good things about it.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
At work it's business attire. In public, modest dress, make sure your shoulders are covered and your shorts and skirts are not too sort. You will likely feel out of place in hot-pants or a tank top.
Health & Safety:
1. Pollution index (Good, Moderate, Unhealthy, or Very Unhealthy)?
Moderate, lots of dust storms though.
2. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
No serious concerns.
3. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Thankfully, I never had to use the medical care, so I don't know how good it is, but I don't recall hearing great things about it. Not a lot of health concerns, maybe the occasional food poisoning, or cold/flu. Dust storms can be pretty bad and make the air really dirty. Traffic accidents are the big danger here.
4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
HOT in the summer, upwards of 130F and more, but dry. Winter, while short, can get cold, in the 40's. There is a rainy season and it really dumps rain. We had hailstorms in April.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Very large, more expats than Kuwaitis.
2. Morale among expats:
Medium. It's not the hardest place to live but it's not what I would call
3. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Getting together with other Embassy people. Embassy happy hours and activities.
4. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Great for families as there are many other families at post. Not much for singles to do, being a single female is even worse as there are few options for dating. Couples do alright here.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
It's all hush-hush but there is plenty of gay activity if you know where to look. Publicly, not so great.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Difficult as a female to deal with males, who feel females are lesser beings.
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Jetski, shopping, eating, parties with friends, souks/markets, camel racing club, visit the beach, travel outside of Kuwait. There are not many options for fun here. Embassy people tend to enjoy the happy hour and Embassy activities.
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Carpets, gold, wooden boats, hookahs.
9. Can you save money?
If you don't eat out and don't travel, you could.
Words of Wisdom:
1. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Probably not. It wasn't an awful experience but I didn't really enjoy it either. I wouldn't go back for vacation either.
2. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Driving ability, love of nightlife, and expectation of timely resolution of most situations.
3. But don't forget your:
Sunscreen, patience.
