Kuwait is a country that people don’t know much about. If they’ve even heard of it or are able to point it on a map at all, their knowledge of the place is often limited and full of misconceptions. Here I have listed the most common.
Kuwait is unsafe
Despite bordering Iraq, home to one of the scariest organizations in the world (IS or Daesh), Kuwait is not unsafe. IS is really, really far away. The only suicide bombing in the last 25 years or so took place last year, and that is definitely not a daily occurrence. Simply assuming that because Kuwait is in the Middle East it is automatically unsafe is over generalizing the situation in the region. Kuwait has more in common with countries like the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar: beacons of stability in an otherwise tumultuous region.
All girls need to wear a veil in Kuwait
“Do you wear a veil when you are there?”. After I have convinced people that Kuwait is NOT unsafe, conversations seem to automatically shift to clothing in 9 out of 10 cases. So once and for all: Kuwait is NOT Saudi Arabia or Iran, the only two countries where wearing a veil is compulsory for women. When I am in Kuwait, I don’t wear a veil. After all, I’m not a Muslim. And be assured, not even all Muslim women wear veils. I know quite a few Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian women living in Kuwait who do not wear veils. And neither do the Christian or Hindu girls from South Asia, Europe or the Americas, and there’s plenty of them there as well. Seeing a girl without a veil is not such a rare sight in Kuwait really, even though many local girls do cover their hair.
Everyone is rich
Kuwait is one of the richest countries in the world, thanks to the oil. In the streets you will see the fanciest cars, and people wear the most expensive clothing. This does however not mean that everyone is rich. Within the Kuwaiti population there are marked differences: some are super rich, others are just well-off. Unlike in Oman you won’t find Kuwaiti taxi drivers, but not all have four sports cars either.
It is always hot in Kuwait
It does get awfully hot in Kuwait at times, so much is true. Temperatures reached 65 degrees Celsius this summer, an absolute record. When people in Kuwait say “the weather is getting better”, they actually mean that it’s getting colder, whereas in Western Europe we would consider warmer weather as better weather. This does however not mean that it is always hot in Kuwait. On the contrary, it gets pretty cold in winter sometimes too. Last year it snowed in Kuwait for the very first time in recorded history, and at some point it was even warmer in Germany than it was in the Gulf. Hello global warming!
Kuwait is boring
Disclaimer: everything written down here is just the opinion of the author, and no one else. Yes, those who have lived there for a substantial part of their lives often find Kuwait dull. There are no clubs, there is no alcohol, and pretty much everything that is fun is forbidden. For this reason Kuwaitis and expats alike leave the country at the earliest opportunity. Four days off is a good excuse to fly to Dubai or Bahrain, places to be for those looking for escape the strictness of Kuwait. But I don’t consider Kuwait boring. You can go to the beach, eat in many different restaurants, go to the countless malls (and not just for shopping!) and generally, live a very relaxed life. Locals say it takes about six months to get bored of the place. After my six months in Kuwait I never wanted to leave anymore.
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Great to get an insider’s perspective on a country many people don’t know much about. I didn’t know it was that dull there though! I’d be happy to go to the beaches and eat in the restaurants so might be a good fit for me!
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Thank you for the compliments! I don’t think it’s dull there though, just a matter of perspective 🙂
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As you say, Kuwait is a country people don’t know much about. Me included. I therefore found this article very interesting, especially the part about the country’s wealth and safety.
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Thank you for the compliments, and I hope you will consider visiting the Gulf!
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I’ve never been to Kuwait but I love posts like this, that shatter the “stereotypes” or myths that surround a place! Love this.
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Thank you so much for your nice words!!
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This article is great for clearing misconceptions. This was informative while keeping your cool.Kudos:) I wrote a somewhat snarky one for Dubai after years of getting lots of questions, some border line ignorant and stupid.
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Thank you, and please share your article as well, I’m sure Dubai and Kuwait have lots of things in common!
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Thank you for sharing a different point of view about Kuwait. So interesting to read about the women and clothing as well as the safety issues. It’s great that you are able to tell the “insider” story and not the media story. Sounds like you enjoyed your stay. That’s awesome!
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Thank you for the compliments! I think the main problem for Kuwait is there is no ‘media story’, it’s simply not on people’s mental map.. but I’m glad to hear you enjoyed reading it 🙂
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This was very interesting. You have certainly challenged some of my preconceptions about Kuwait.
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I’m very happy to hear that, thank you for leaving a comment 🙂
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I have visited Kuwait a few years ago and I actually really liked it. The city had some really interesting things to see and do for a visitor, and we really loved the restaurants. So I thought it was an interesting place!
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That’s wonderful to hear, I’m glad you enjoyed your time in Kuwait and learned to appreciate this tiny tiny tiny country that no one knows about!
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I will admit, I thought that a veil/scarf would be required for women in Kuwait. Always important to do research on a place before you visit, that’s for sure!
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