My brief stay in Kuwait is almost over. I screwed up and accidentally booked a flight to Cairo at 11:00 pm not am, so I’m here for 12 hours more than I had planned.
There isn’t a whole lot to see in Kuwait. It is a small country, it’s mostly desert, and there isn’t a lot in the way of ancient history here. That being said, Kuwait is probably the most livable country in the Gulf. I’d describe Kuwait as an American suburb that was populated by Arabs. You can find almost every chain restaurant you can think of in Kuwait and much of the layout of streets and houses have a similar American feel to it.
Kuwait is also probably the most liberal of the countries in the Gulf. I’ve seen some Arab men and women dressed in western clothing. Much of that has to do with the area I’m staying in, but it does exist. The internet here is censored, but the quality of the connection seems better than anything else I’ve had in the Gulf.
Kuwait is also expensive. 1 Kuwait Dinar is US$3.42. It is about US$5 for a McDonald’s value meal. There are lots of westerners here for business, but it doesn’t have anything like the vibe that Dubai does. Kuwait is building and growing as needed, not trying to create its own demand.
I had the pleasure of exploring around Kuwait City with Bader, a Kuwaiti blogger, who I met via Twitter. He took me out to for a Kuwaiti lunch, to see the Kuwait towers and a drive around Kuwait City. I was nice to meet an actual Kuwaiti who knew the region as well as someone who had spent significant time in the US (he went to college in Seattle).
With that, my time in the Persian Gulf is over. I’ll have more to say, but as for now, it is on to Egypt!