Kuwait City Hotels

The capital of Kuwait is a Lilliputian microcosm of the Arabian Peninsula’s sweeping, now decades-long transformation from a one-dimensional crude oil reserve to, well, something else. Financial services, shipping, construction and, increasingly, leisure tourism, are all blazing bold new trails in Kuwait. Of course, oil still drives the bus in the affluent, diminutive Arab state. Kuwait famously has one of the highest per capita incomes and a brazenly free, unrestrained economy that features not only the highest-valued currency in the world but a budget surplus in the tens of billions USD. Enviable stuff indeed and all a manifest product of the global demand for crude.

Kuwait City basks in the glow of all that black gold. The incomparable wealth is most palpable in Qurtoba and on Damascus street, a covey of corniche and waterfront resorts, upscale expat bars and nightclubs and, most notably, an incessant, ever-striving skyline and urban landscape.

KUWAIT CITY’S TOP 10

KUWAIT CITY LOCAL

Kuwait City barely contains 95,000 people, or less than half the population of the City of Westminster. To be fair, “metropolitan” Kuwait City exceeds 2.3 million people but, then, is practically contiguous with the entire nation of Kuwait as a whole.

The national capital is breathtakingly easy to navigate on foot, or much more wisely, via the comfort of a cab. Kuwait City’s six Ring Roads ferry congestion to and from the city, courtesy of the Maghreb Expressway, Fahaheel Expressway, Shuwaikh, Fahaheel, Jahra and all-important Gulf Street, a vital artery in the city. Arabian Gulf Street and Fahd Al Salim Street provide the bulk of coastal and commercial activity in the city and, as such, emerge as singular, pulse point thoroughfares in Kuwait.

KUWAIT CITY EAT & DRINK

A parade of gourmet restaurants in Kuwait City fall in line with the capital’s moneyed demands for arrant, flagrant luxury. While palatial décor and rare, costly ingredients are most definitely on the plate, the city has a slew of budget options as well, from casual suq stalls to convivial shawarma and curry shops.

KUWAIT CITY EVENTS

Kuwait City has a smattering of annual events beyond the usual spate of traditional religious celebrations common in the Arab and Muslim world. More arts and culture festivals will most certainly come to the capital as it looks to increase its profile in the Abu Dhabi-Dubai-Doha mold.

Hala February is Kuwait’s annual spring bash and a festive time of renewal. A wide range of cultural events take place throughout the month.

National Day celebrates the creation of the nation-state of Kuwait every February 25.

Liberation Day, the day after National Day, marks the anniversary date of the end of the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait.

The Gulf Jazz Festival in late April draws a modest lineup of acts to Kuwait City and Doha, Qatar.

Eid al Fitr marks the end of Ramadan in the Muslim world and falls sometime in August or September. All in all a merry, venerable time to be in Kuwait City.

Green Caravan Film Festival, a relatively new festival held in late October and early November, is a first in Kuwait and, indeed, the Arabian Peninsula. The festival is entirely dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues in the Persian Gulf and around the world.

WHEN TO GO

The weather in Kuwait City is dominated by the vast Arabian desert which, rather predictably, sends intense, oppressive heat and arid conditions the capital’s way. The city is particularly difficult on visitors and locals alike throughout the summer months from May to October, when average daytime highs of 113°F (45°C) are the norm. When the mercury soars above the 122°F (50°C) mark, which is not altogether uncommon, Kuwait City is absolutely brutal. Naturally, malls fill in as modern-day, climate-controlled oases.

For the desert heat averse, the best and safest time to visit Kuwait City is undoubtedly from November to March, when temperatures range from a high of 80°F (26°C) to a low of 45.5°F (7.5°C). The mild winter season even features a little rain, with about 25 days of light precipitation in all.

WHAT TO MISS

Aside from the cruel, torrid summer hot spells, visitors to Kuwait City need not be wary of too many red flags. The capital is one of the safest in the region and, indeed, Arab world as a whole.

Still, while incidents of petty and violent crime are rare, tourists should, for example, be careful on the roads. Like other urban areas across the Arabian Peninsula, lawlessness rules the roads and conditions are vastly more chaotic than back home. Very little mercy is shown to pedestrians, for instance, who seldom have the right of way.

Additionally, while recent events in the Arab and Muslim world have yet to ripple with any discernible zeal in Kuwait, a few demonstrations have taken place. Though peaceful, it pays to be vigilant when large crowds gather in the city.

Last but certainly not least, remain respectful of Islamic customs and traditions at all times.

GETTING AROUND

Kuwait City is easy to reach from a wide variety of destinations. The country’s only international airport, some 15 km south of the capital in Farwaniyah, will be able to serve as many as 20 million passengers a year by 2014. For now, visitors can reach Kuwait City from the likes of London-Heathrow, Mumbai, Frankfurt, Istanbul and Washington-Dulles.

Travellers can, alternatively, access Kuwait City by boat or ferry from Manama, Bahrain and Bushehr, Iran or by bus from Saudi Arabia. Normal visa rules and regulations apply.

Public bus transport in Kuwait City and the country as a whole is comfortable and widely available. Access from residential areas is sparse, however, and passenger congestion is notorious at peak rush hours. For these reasons, Kuwait City’s abundant, ubiquitous taxis provide the most popular means for travellers to get around. As a rule, try to call in advance to book a car as much as possible and negotiate fares beforehand.

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