Already in Kuwait..!!

I have just moved to Kuwait from UK and have now been in the country for over 6 months. I know the below is not a qualified or comprehensive description of living in the country but its a very fair view point;

The tax free money is the biggest plus about the country. That coupled with the fact that the country is still affordable (housing, food, cars..) as compared to other gulf countries like UAE or Qatar. Family life is farily good, you can make a lot of friends because almost everyone is in the same boat as yourself. The social life revolves around family time, social parties or beach activities. You can't just go for a long drive or go out to enjoy the countryside as both are non existant.. But you can hop on a plane and go to Dubai, Bahrain, Jordan quite cheaply (Al Jazeera airlines same as Ryan or EasyJet)

Driving is the most stressful activity that you will do in a day. Even the expats very soon forget all the basic road etiquetes and soon begin to drive like the locals. Having said that, buying or leasing a 4x4 is not expensive and if you are a cautious driver then you should be ok.

Schooling standard is almost on par with the schools back in the UK. I have a 4 year old and he will be going to the English School (TES), you do have a choice when it comes to schools. I would advise going and speaking with the teachers and the principal and also try and sit through a few lesson observations to get a feel for the school.

There is restriction in the country on alchohol, but you can buy (expensive), smuggle (risky) or home brew (does'nt taste the same!) Just be careful about drinking and going out as I have heard people getting deported if caught drinking.

The public beaches are absoultely horrible! But having said you could join the Palms or SAS and enjoy the private beach, pools, gym, beach activities and not worry about what you are wearing or who is sitting next to you.

I still think that for a family Kuwait is a safe and quiet place to be in. it is not very exciting and does not offer choice but you get to spend a lot of time with your family and do things together. 6 month stint in the country and then a short trip abroad is what I will be doing with my family.

RK British Citizen in Kuwait 24 Feb 2008, 07:47 - Report