Kuwait: When Our Only Tourist Attraction is a Shopping Mall

Kuwaiti bloggers are angry that the foreign delegations visiting their country are treated to a visit to a shopping mall. Is this all that Kuwait has to boast? Is this all the country has to offer?

Q over at kuwaitism
is angered that the government has no where to take official foreign visitors but to a shopping mall.

Is it just me or does this news item make you sad?
Is the Avenues Mall all we have to show off nowadays??
It’s nice and new, but its a mall …. just a shopping center with lots of Starbucks Cafes and clothing stores!! Why would government officials invite a visiting delegation, and our Prime Minister taking Bahrain’s Prime Minister to see how great our country is advancing by building another mall!!

Qias shows us an example of another place to visit.

We all complain that Kuwait is empty and no real good places to visit, but check out this place, I went twice and still love going. It's Tarik Rajab Museum, a place where Islamic art comes to life.

Forzaq8 , meanwhile, is losing his faith in newspapers in Kuwait.

It may sound as a small thing but if a newspaper can’t check (the facts in) their reporting who will?

k thekuwaiti follows with the sad news about the closure of Virgin store in Kuwait.

The MOI (Ministry of Information) has finally caught up with the business masterminds behind Virgin-Kuwait. Some of the reasons listed; distribution and publishing of illegal materials and the renting of store location without licensing, among other cryptic rules.

Athbee, over at moodless, shares one of his oldies about Kuwait.

اثناء مروري مع صديق لي بأحد المجمعات التجارية، استغربت ابتساماته المتعددة يمينا وشمالا وهو شخص قليلا ما اراه يبتسم، وكأنه ادمن الابتسام ما ان وطئت رجليه ارض المجمع، وازداد الامر وزاد معه استغرابي مع تحية الى بعض الاشخاص في هذا المقهى، او رد تحية احد المارة حتى خيّل لي انه سيرشح نفسه للانتخابات!
بعد سؤالي اتضح ان هذا الصديق زبون مواظب في هذا المجمع حاله كحال بقية من حياهم او حيوه، وجدوا ان هوايتهم (او مهنتهم) مشتركة، مهنتهم هي التواجد المستمر في هذا المجمع متسلحين بالبلوتوث وابتسامه وربما غترة منشية او جينز خشبي (حسب التوقيت) وشوية حب شمسي لزوم الانتظار الطويل

While passing by one of the shopping centers with a friend, I was amazed by his beaming smiles left and right because I know him as a person who doesn't smile much. It is like has become addicted to smiling since he set foot in the shopping center.
My amazement grew when he began to greet people in a cafe or saying hello to a passers by and it looked to me as if he was running for elections!
After I asked him, I found out that this friend is a regular visitor to this shopping center – just like the rest of the people he greeted. They all share a similar hobby (or commitment). Their obligation is to always be at this shopping center armed with their bluetooth, smile and maybe Ghutra or jeans (depending on the time) and some sunflower seeds for the long wait.

From one mall we move to another, as The Stallion takes us on a tour of the Kuwait Boat Show.

Yesterday, I drove down to Al-Kout Mall to attend the Kuwait Boat Show International 2007 event! I arrive at about 4:30PM and they informed me that the opening was delayed from 3:30 to 6:30! I was actually quite pleased to hear that since I got to check out the main exhibition stands without having it being very crowded and busy!

More bad news from Amer over at HILALIYA.

According to the World Economic Forum's “network readiness index” Kuwait dropped eight places from number 46 to 54.

Ateej Al Souf, over at Jibla, brings us a video of an old concert performed by the Kuwait TV band at the United Nations Headquarters, in New York, US.

حفل غنائي تراثي..أقامته فرقة التلفزيون الكويتية التراثية…التي أبدعت في إخراج عمل وطني موسيقي راقي .. في قاعة الأمم المتحدة بمناسبة الأحتفال السنوي بيوم الأمم المتحدة..في نيويورك

A traditional concert performed by the Kuwait TV band, which excelled in showing off a national musical work of an exceptional standart at the United Nations's annual UN Day celebration in New York.

intlxpatr talks about something all of us felt and tells us about a new activity in Kuwait.

I hate it when I read in the newspaper about an event – the day after! Usually it is something really cool I would have liked to do. That is why I am sharing this with you.

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