Information; life for female expats in Kuwait

One word... ''SUCKY''

I just got here recently and I'm leaving next week..Peronally, I couldnt Stand it. I got another job in Beirut. At least they have Gay Clubs there and Many things to do!  I do NOT reccommend gulf countries  whatsoever (Except for Dubai).

Good luck..

Nashar sweety...I don't mean to be rude, but its ''What GOES around, COMES around.'' Although I don't know what this has to do with anything lol

yea I forgot to mention about dress code.. You can wear anything you want, but why put up with stares! If your job is really interesting, I think you should give it a try. Who knows, u might cope!! If not, you can consider working in more open middle eastern countries like Dubai, Lebanon, Turkey, etc.

@libano
Sorry to say but don't misguide others. Your first post is fully biased about kuwait. There are no gay clubs here doesn't mean this country is not worth living to work.

@abdeleg
I have been working here for almost 8 years now and being in an IT company, I visited many client companies here and I found no problem at all for working women in any company. Work environment here for working women is good in my opinion.

For the entertainment, well, everyone has his/her own criteria for that. For some being with friends and going out is entertainment and for others it's something else. it depends on person to person.

And here in kuwait, there is a lot for the entertainment, you just need to look around.

Note: You asked specifically for ladies opinion and I'm sorry to jump in this thread but it's because someone portraid kuwait as a bad place which is a wrong info.
I hope some ladies here will also give their own opinions about kuwait.

ahmadkwt
I was simply answering her question on how life is like for FEMALES here.. And lets face it, its not exactly a Pro-women country. And the only places to socialize are malls and cafes. Doesnt this sound boring for a daily routine??? Seriously!!?? I did NOT portray kuwait as a bad place. I simply referred to the life for Females as ''SUCKY.'' Don't get me wrong, Kuwait is LOVELY actually, but I just couldnt cope without nightclubs, alcohol, etc. because thats usually where I went in my country to have fun and meet people..
And I'm sorry if I offended anyone

libano wrote:

ahmadkwt
I was simply answering her question on how life is like for FEMALES here.. And lets face it, its not exactly a Pro-women country. And the only places to socialize are malls and cafes. Doesnt this sound boring for a daily routine??? Seriously!!?? I did NOT portray kuwait as a bad place. I simply referred to the life for Females as ''SUCKY.'' Don't get me wrong, Kuwait is LOVELY actually, but I just couldnt cope without nightclubs, alcohol, etc. because thats usually where I went in my country to have fun and meet people..
And I'm sorry if I offended anyone

libano!!

come on!!  what's wrong over here?

it's just an opinion & everybody has his/her own 

Ahmad was right in sense of women security point of view in kuwait, there's nothing Weird in kuwait if it's related 2 women's nature,custom or life style 

anyhow,


kuwait is a very beautiful country where u find security & entertainment.....


i agree with Ahmad, that it depends on what type of friends u have to determine your life style & activities not  just in Kuwait but anywhere 

Ciao...

And by entertainment u mean what...??? I'd love to know what people do here for fun

@Libano,

Scope divin, huntin,campin…..etc!

tell me if u need 2 knpow more     

Ciao...

Hunting and Camping in kuwait??? hahahahaha GOD u r just sooo friggin hilARIOUS!!!  OMG!! Camping in a scorching desert filled with sheep droppings and insects or hunting in the urban area? The only thing you'll be hunting are birds (poor birdies) Cuz I don't recall seeing a 'Welcome to Africa' sign when I got out of my plane.

@care for me
Thanks for making my point clear and affirming what I said.

@libano
You said in your reply what you felt in kuwait for a short period of time and I said what I observed here from many years. No offense though.

For the entertainment part, as explained before, different people have it in their own way. A get together was organised last friday from this forum and many people joined. It was an entertainment for them.

For me spending time at work and with my good friends and going out sometimes or talking on politics or playing some game online is an entertainment...

For one of my friends, talking to his fiance back in pakistan is the biggest entertainment...

For "care for me", Scope divin, huntin,campin…..etc is an entertainmtn...

And ask anyone here, he/she will have one or another sort of entertainment....

Now for you I don't know may be you're not getting guys to befriend and because of that may be you are disappointed here...

No offense dear....I'm just in chilling mood....

regards

Sure, theres entertainment everywhere. I get your point
Yea, people have their entertainment in their own way.
But just to be clear, entertainment there is LIMITED. Of course, you can have fun with friends and enjoy your time, but won't it be FUNNER to have more entertainment like nightclubs, museums (REAL ONES), Leisure parks (NOT DIRTY BROKEN ONES), CONCERTS (THE ONES WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY DANCE). 
You can go there and find out yourself... Its not as bad as it sounds btw, but there are better places

Thats not my business because I don't live there anymore. Just wanted to give you some advice and what me and some of the people who lived there thinks. You don't have to listen to anyone, just go there and try it yourself. But Good luck and hope you make the right choice

libano wrote:

Hunting and Camping in kuwait??? hahahahaha GOD u r just sooo friggin hilARIOUS!!!  OMG!! Camping in a scorching desert filled with sheep droppings and insects or hunting in the urban area? The only thing you'll be hunting are birds (poor birdies) Cuz I don't recall seeing a 'Welcome to Africa' sign when I got out of my plane.

I am really surprised!

U've said before that u r just new 2 Kuwait not only new but fresh as far as I remember!!  and now u r  Mr. or Miss. IKNOW ALL!!! 

HUNTIN IS NUNTI!!  No matter what kind of animals u target !!  birds, lions or dogs even!!      what type of animals u prefer 4 huntin sweetie? Poor elephants or maybe poor gazelles!!  At the end the name is huntin.

What?!! is it allowed to kill poor birds in Africa?!!  Really I am amazed  Woooow 

Welcome 2 Kuwait darling 


Ciao...

Do I NOT have to be fresh/new to know that Kuwait is not a jungle? Which DOESNT have wild animals to hunt? And you mentioned yourself that for ENTERTAINMENT u can HUNT. This is really barbaric. How would you like it if a racoon with a gun came after u for fun huh?? People hunt to fill zoos or study (science). You wanna hunt and kill for fun??

libano wrote:

Do I NOT have to be fresh/new to know that Kuwait is not a jungle? Which DOESNT have wild animals to hunt? And you mentioned yourself that for ENTERTAINMENT u can HUNT. This is really barbaric. How would you like it if a racoon with a gun came after u for fun huh?? People hunt to fill zoos or study (science). You wanna hunt and kill for fun??

hahahahahaha!  what happened ma dear?!  i think that u r losin your temper 

How would you like it if a racoon with a gun came after u for fun huh??

i would tell him ''  catch me if u can''       

dear.. this is the life ( we eat 2 live )!!


if u r against this ideology just go & try 2 close mC,kfc,burger King,SubWay,Pizza Hut   and more and more... 


Oh!  Don't forget to slaughter a tomato for tomorrow's lunch   LOoOoOoOL..

Ciao..

YOU SAID FOR YOURSELF THAT U WANNA GO HUNTING FOR FUN, NOT FOR FOOOD!!?? U actually want me to believe that youre gonna shoot a bird here and turn it into a meal?? Really??

Im not losing my temper!!! This is just a stupid debate

no worries dear... u  know also dat i like ya 2  ...


My primo meal dish  today is gana be Grilled onion with some barbequed cucumber & my secondo is gana be …….  choose 4 me sweetie!



Ciao….

simply ... kuwait is good and safe for women .. and it's not good for gays and simply because we are muslems country .. so being gay is un-normal thing ... so gays would be disturb by teenagers and stupid guys easly .. cause it is un-excepted thing here .. and they wouldn't find any sicurity for themselves but themselves

so .. gays .. i'm sorry cause u can't live safe here
women .. come in .. you'll enjoy it ^_^


ciao

choco-muchacha wrote:

simply ... kuwait is good and safe for women .. and it's not good for gays and simply because we are muslem country .. so being gay is un-normal thing ... so gays would be disturb by teenagers and stupid guy easly .. cause it is un exepted thing here .. and they wouldn't find any sicurity for them self but them self

so .. gay .. i'm sorry cause u can't live fase here
women .. come in .. you'll enjoy it ^_^


ciao

You explained it all...lolz

[moderated: this kind of messages are not allowed here]

moderated: insults

Libano, really i am disappointed 2 hear u sayin all of this bad phrases which i've never expected 2 c any more of it in this nice site!!!

this is not the way of dealin with things!!  i f anybody is goin 2 comment on what u have already said above they would have taken a very bad impression about ya!!!!!..... u should be a person of morality whenever somebody is criticizin ya

by the way!!  the right form of writin sweety is (  sweetie ) 


Ciao...

TYPICAL GAY ANSWER

Hello Nashar

Could you please drop the Caps lock?

Thanks

Please ignore that person.... he was probably kicked out of the country.. or never even lived in Kuwait in the first place and is just trying to make trouble....

To answer your question:

Well being a single female and having spent a large amount of years in the GCC, it really is ok. I thought I could share my experience with you.  I first arrived in the middle-east in my early 20s and trust me it was hard.

I will be honest when I say it was very hard for me in the beginning, I had never lived away from my family, only while at uni, but that isn't really living away because I would go home every weekend. 

As soon as I landed in the Middle East... I panicked… never in my live had I seen women completely covered from head to toe… it was rather scary, I am of Iranian decent myself but being born and raised in London and not really having any connection with my fathers homeland, I have always considered myself to only be English.

In the beginning I was returning back to London to see my family in tears (they thought I was homesick) over the choice I had made, and was kept awake at night by the decision I had made to enter the Middle-east, what was I thinking? How could I tell my parents I wanted to come home, I was meant to be an adult in the making....so different from my life in west London., but I think this was more to do with the fact that I was not educated on life and society of this part of the world then anything else.

Over the years I have learnt and adapted myself and some of you may think this is a form of selling out… you are completely mistaken.

Believe me when I say I consider my time in the middle east as being my foundation... not only did I develop in my profession, but also in mind, I can see different view points and appreciate them, yet have my own opinions.

For me my time here was a once in a life time experience that has made me the person I am today.


To gain the fullest experience it is vital to have an open mind and heart in some case.

There are many expat females in Kuwait as well as the Middle East;
I am currently based more in Saudi Arabia, where I have to don the entire abaya and sometimes the complete face and head cover, this for me has been a journey of great emotions good and bad.

Kuwait is a lot more relaxed and easy going, there are a lot of expats and I can honestly say you have nothing to worry about. I have many Expat Male and female friends who will be happy to explain in more detail what Kuwait is really like, they are a mix of single females as well as male friends who are living in Kuwait with their wife's.

I know you only asked a view simple question's ... but I think it is good to share, because when I first made the move there was no one around to ask... and this would have made life a lot easier and less tears would have been involved.

You can private message me and I will pass their details onto you. 

I recommend you come and check it out, if you don't like it you can always return home!!!!!

For me my time here was a once in a life time experience that has made me the person I am today.

that's it people .. if you afraid of facing everything how can you build your personality and your life in tough circumstances !!

thanks persian

I moved to Kuwait as a single American female with kids. It started off a little rough until I got used to the way Kuwait is. Anyone who is offered a job in a new country should give it a try as contracts usually last a year and anyone can handle Kuwait for a year. Most expats spend their time working and on their days off they enjoy malls, restaurants and many other things. Yes Kuwait is a lags in clubs and gay activities but it is after all a Muslim country. As far as dressing modestly well that has changed since I first arrived people now wear just about anything. As far as the gay Lebanese chick of course Kuwait wouldn't be the place for you as you are used to clubs, alcohol and dressing like a street walker. That's the one thing I could never figure out when I worked at a Kuwaiti company run by Lebanese people, why do Lebanese women dress like street walkers at work? I don't think wearing 6 inch heels with tight pants and low cut tops are professional but I guess they can't use their brains so they use their body to get ahead. It's better you returned to your country we have enough of your type in Kuwait already. But back to the topic I would recommend giving Kuwait a try as it's a new experience. Check out my blog for some activities and info.

Ma ladiez, May God Bless Ya All   


Ciao..

Sheetul wrote:

Hello Nashar

Could you please drop the Caps lock?

Thanks

OK LOOL

Choco-muchacha... you're welcome

AS I feel women life in kuwait is very safe and secure...women would be hear more than men and women is being highly respected and prefered in jobs,behavior,treatment, attention than men. women can find easily home with female roomate its not so difficult....all advantage above for just the women should be respect herselve 1st.....

to all you peeps who think livin in kuwait is hard for a woman, please, by all means, try livin in saudi.

then come and cry here about how bad it is.

lets see, if a lady is being harrassed at a mall, all she needs to do is go to security and bada-boom, dude either runs away, or gets into trouble, if shes being pestered outside a mall, she can call the cops, and thats a 1,000KD fine and a nice trip to the police barbers who shave an X into your head.

like i always keep saying, it depends on what you do in your life. if u just want to sit down, drink coffee, and meet someone. chances are that will happen, but they might not be all they seem to be.

and as to what can be done in kuwait, i believe libano was not on the guest list for the numerous parties here. theres ice-skating, shooting, archery, scuba diving, rugby, dance classes, cycling, photography, etc etc.

open your eyes, and u will see wonder in kuwait. all you need is the right group of people to introduce u to similar minded individuals.

and if all else fails, google is the holy grail! look up any activity that interests you and they will have  a local kuwait chapter.

for the love of food, we have justine bieber fans and lady gaga monsters :S

would like to know more about your job and will explain you the situations here.

you can reach me thru [email protected]

regards
sanal

Hi my dear,

As in any country and anywhere in this world it always depends on yourself, your experience and what you want to get out of it.

Kuwait is definitely worth an experience and it's totally up to you what you make out of it.

Myself, I'm a female engineer/consultant working in Kuwait close to the border of Saudi. In my department there are only men but I'm totally respected. Kuwaitis are, like Arabs in general, friendly and offer good hospitality once you know them better, though it also depends on the culture/background/nationality where you are from and how you behave yourself.

I've had good and bad experiences here.. am I gonna leave or stay... time will tell! and only god knows where he want to lead us next.

Best wishes!

The simple truth about Kuwait and anywhere you would go to is that You are the only one who can make it a garden of heaven or a hole of fire.

As far as Kuwait is concerned and everyone I believe would give from his/her own personal experience. Life could be hard in the beginning mainly because of
1. No friends
2. unfamiliarity with places that you need to go to whether for basic needs or for liesure.
3. unfamiliarity with the Arabic culture and the Muslim culture

Even the work place could be operating differently from what you were used to in your country.

Other than that I personally see Kuwait in general very good and safe. You just need to be with the right people. There is the good and there is the bad.

The fact that a woman here can take a man behind bars with a single shout at the police or public I think it makes it a pro-woman society )

Hope you do well. And key to success is happiness so stay happy and positive, focus on solutions rather than problems.

Take care

Moe29

Guys there is no entertainment in kuwait remember that. Kuwait is a small and tiny country and there re just companies and no entertainment , and few malls thts it.

Hi abdeleg. First thing I'm going to say, like with anything in life, is that it will be what you make of it. You need to decide whether the job offer is worth it, the experience you will get will be worth it, the pay etc. You are actually doing a smart thing by doing your research beforehand. But don't listen to one opinion or the other. Gather the information and think hard about what you want to get out of this experience and where you see yourself in a few years. If this will help, then why not. Try it for a year or so. If not, move on to the next opportunity.

I am female who moved here almost a half a year ago. Of course the first week and month is going to be hard but that's expected. I work with mainly men and I am respected. But respect is earned. I wasn't familiar with Kuwait when I got my job offer but I was excited about it. I'm all about change and adventure so I came in with no expectations. I wasn't disappointed. It's different but in a good way.

- Dress code: I was worried about it and I can tell you that you don't have to worry. You can wear what you want. Obviously, you shouldn't be walking around in your booty shorts because that will just call attention but it's not like you have to be covered from head to toe. I dress more modestly than some of the local women.

- Convenience: Life here is in some ways easier that in North America. You can hire maids, drivers and have practically anything delivered - no need to cook or go to the store if you don't feel like it. But it can also be difficult because people will try to take advantage of the fact that you are new or may not speak Arabic. But you will learn.

- People are very friendly and willing to help if you ask. Even if you don't, some will notice your confusion and offer to help.

- If you moved anywhere, it would be hard at first because you are unfamiliar with the country and culture but I'm sure you can make friends. It's not like people here are antisocial.

- There are no clubs or alcohol allowed. You can decide whether this a priority for you or not.

- Yes, there are lots of malls and restaurants. People are always out and about socializing with their friends. I find that I am out more here than I was back home.

- It's hot in the summer but you just go from A/C to A/C.

- There is a large expat community here that is welcoming. If you make the effort, you will find people to meet and hang out with.

- It can get boring but the thing with Kuwait is that it's in a central location. You can travel and explore all these countries nearby.

- I feel safe here. Of course I'm careful. I don't go walking around late at night. No one has tried to kidnap me. Yea, you get a few honks and animals sounds. You get that in the States too. Men are men. lol.

Good luck with decision. Make the best decision for you and no one else. Feel free to message me with any other specific questions

Lol i like this sentence Men are men..........

God bless u too Woman are woman toooo lol

In kuwait, the expat women are seen along with their nationality. the reason behind is having a long history. About the entertainment, for woman - it is limited. for men as well! lol.. we have very limited entertainment. compared to other country, the options are less. i am not talking about the individual choice. the available choice itself is less.

I lived in Kuwait 5 years.  Everyone, men or women is judged based on nationality. For that reason I left Kuwait.Its a sort of discrimination you see everywhere, at work,in the malls, street, airport, governmen offices...
Let my fellows say if Im wrong. when a female walks in the street alone all the cars passing will horn. I have even seen  car accidents while trying to stop by a walking lady.
Yes, no one can tease you in public. But in private if something happens to you.... tell me your nationality and let me tell you what happens