Kuwait: more than oil and sand.

Kuwait Towers, (foreground) and the Hamra Tower (background), tallest tower in Kuwait, all located in Kuwait City.

When I first stepped out of the plane, onto the Kuwait sands, my first thought was, ‘Gosh it’s hot!’. And hot it was. It was approximately 45 degrees Celsius, and the sun was burning down on the Kuwaiti landscape.

As we drove out of the airport, the major thing that stood out was the sand. Heaps and heaps of sand. A nice friendly sign was outside the airport, welcoming after a long flight. أهلن واسهلن , which means; Welcome!

Another thing that stood out was the roads. So many roads, crisscrossing into each other, and so many cars. I was quite expecting to see camels — a caravan of camels with its brightly coloured decorations to cross the road, but it didn’t happen. I definitely was not expecting to see so many cars, so many towers, bridges, and malls.

In short, Kuwait wasn’t what I was expecting. I was looking forward to seeing Bedouins, their black tents pitched on the hot sands of Kuwait, their herds wandering around, open air marketplaces with vendors yelling out their produce, caravans of camels and donkeys, and lots of traditional food.

But all my expectations were dashed, as I was informed that this wasn’t Kuwait, a country stuck in the past, a conservative country, where locals only spoke Arabic and frowned upon those who didn’t. This was Kuwait in the 21st century, and it had worked valiantly to come and stay in the 21st century.

As the sand, and the palm trees and heat rushed past me, I had an important question that needed answering. Besides oil and sand, what else had Kuwait to offer me?

I would get that answer over the next 2 months, and as I got off the car and looked at the apartment that I was to stay in for the next part of my journey, I wanted the answers. And soon.

I was awake at 3, the next morning and astonishingly, I wasn’t tired. I finished unpacking, and was ready, by 6, to start exploring this historic, clashing terribly with a modern infrastructure, arid country.

The first place I visited was the AS Cultural Centre, in Kuwait City. It was a spectacular place, and I for one was stunned to know it was the biggest museum complex in the world, but hidden from the world.

Over the next few weeks and eventually month, I visited many places, the ones standing out for me, and eventually answering my questions, listed below:

Kuwait Towers

The Avenues Mall

Souq Mubarakiya

Grand Mosque of Kuwait

KSC

Freej Swaileh (This was the best restaurant in Kuwait for me)

360 Mall

As I visited these places, I mulled over them. I had seen so many different landmarks, malls, museums, all the history, the legacy that Kuwait was upholding, all the people, from the Kuwaitis themselves, to expatriates, from Iran, Oman, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, the culture, tradition, food coming with them and embroiling itself in the Kuwaiti cultures, and even getting a peak at the Kuwait Royal Palace, I considered myself lucky.

Who knows, maybe in the next 10–15 years even the small amount of culture and tradition left could be finished. It could have changed drastically, to a world of cars, hi-tech buildings, robots even.

After all, Kuwait has the highest currency in the world, and from what I saw and experienced, I highly believe it could be the next Japan.

As I boarded my flight on my last day in this wealthy and oily country, my trip flashed in front of me. As I took my last glance of Kuwait for this trip, I grinned.

I had definitely not seen camels, or Bedouins, or their tents, good grief, I hadn’t even seen an oil mine, but I had seen sand, gold jewellery, palm trees, long and sandy beaches, I had eaten some traditional food, and I had learnt about Kuwait’s culture and tradition, and seen the modern world, being gradually incorporated to historical Kuwait.

Sitting in my seat, peering out of the window, as my plane took off, I knew I had made some wonderful memories, seen some spectacular places, and seen quite a different world — one in which it seemed like the past and present were living together, I pondered about this small, a blend of traditional and modern fashion, leading it be known as the Hollywood of the Gulf, this small country in which I’d spent two months in.

The last glimpses of Kuwait got hazy as we flew into the clouds, and I wondered if I’d ever be back, and if I was, would it be the same Kuwait I was leaving, or might it have taken another giant leap into the future world.

For the answer of that last question, I knew I’d need to go back. Someday I’d be back for the answer.