Tips for Expats Relocating to Kuwait

It takes some time for freshly relocated expatriates to comfortably settle into the surroundings of their newly chosen home country. Let’s be honest – even in some of the biggest expat hubs, such as Dubai, Shanghai or Moscow, and even after some time spent acclimatizing, foreigners are still quite easy to spot.

Therefore, to help first timers adjust to their new lives in our countries of operations, Move One’s relocation specialists produce a list of very useful tips for a different location every week.

Things newbie expats in Kuwait need to know

• Road travel into Iraq, and therefore through to the Syrian Arab Republic and Jordan, is advised against due to political instability within Iraq.

• It is important for women to dress modestly and in compliance with Islamic law.

• If you have entered Kuwait under a ‘No Objections Certificate’ (NOC), you can apply for a temporary driving license until your residency procedures are completed and you have your civil ID. Upon receiving your ID, a full license can be obtained, which takes about two months.

• Learn to drive in the centre lane at 100 km/h. Either embrace the local homicidal driving culture, or stay off the roads.

• When shopping at souks, haggle, haggle, haggle… for fun and profit.

• During Ramadan, do not eat, drink, smoke, chew gum or kiss in public. It’s a quick way to end up in jail.

• Refrain from any alcohol consumption in general. If you really need a drink, fly to Dubai for the weekend.

• Learn the word Insha’allah, (Pronounced Inshalla, means “God’s Will”). You will hear it on a daily basis…

• Kuwait is characterized by extreme weather. It is very hot in the summer and gets very cold in the winter.

• Drink plenty of water. Heat is dry in Kuwait, so it is easy to get dehydrated.

• Although not popular with expats, buses are a safe and inexpensive way to get around the city

• Agree on the taxi fare with the driver prior to take off.

• Do not stare at people. This is how most fights start in Kuwait. Conversely, don’t be surprised if the locals stare at you.

• Be a good tipper. People in service industries are usually immigrants making a fraction of what locals do, and massively less than their western counterparts. Many waiters will be working for tips alone.

• All residents in Kuwait must undergo an AIDS test, with a positive result meaning immediate expulsion.

• When attending meetings, or any social gathering, it is considered discourteous to refuse tea (chai) when offered.

• Do be patient. Appointments and requests may be delayed by cups of tea and phone calls to friends.

• Crime is quite rare and what there is tends to be fairly minor.

• The local postal system is inefficient and letters can take weeks to travel literally a few meters.

• Maid services are widely available, however, live-in maids are only allowed to be employed by families.

• Video shops are popular, although a recent clamp down on piracy has seen a marked improvement in quality and, as a result, an increase in price.

• Cricket is an expat institution in Kuwait and has been since the 1948 establishment of the Hubara Cricket Club.

• There are several English language cinemas and a few drive-in cinemas, although the latter show mostly Hindi Films.

• The quality of the produce at supermarkets is quite high.

• Under normal circumstances, you will not see anything that will poison you or attempt to eat you, however, a trip into the desert will find scorpions and camel spiders.

• Expect Arabs to sit, talk and stand closer than people in the West do. What Westerners consider an intimate distance is only social and friendly in Kuwait. Reset your personal space barriers.

• Do expect to be touched more frequently by members of the same sex. This is an expression of friendship. Kuwaitis take time during the greeting process to converse about their health, family, mutual friends and acquaintances, and other general matters of ‘interest’.

• If you are invited to a Kuwaiti home, bring a houseplant, box of imported chocolates or a small gift from your home country.

• Honored guests are often offered the most prized pieces or delicacies, such as the sheep’s head – so be prepared and eat it.

• If a man must give a gift to a woman, he should say that it is from his wife, mother, sister or some other female relative. It is also considered inappropriate to ask questions about a Kuwaiti’s wife or other female relatives. Avoid talking to or about women not in your immediate family.

• Accept as normal the occasional use of influential connections to accomplish tasks more rapidly (aka ‘endemic corruption’)

• Although over 95 percent of the population is Muslim, Kuwait is known for its religious tolerance. The three Churches are allowed to practice freely. Kuwait is the only Gulf Country to establish relations with the Vatican. Nonetheless, don’t push your luck and do not wear any overt signs of other faiths or beliefs.

Should you need assistance with your relocation process to Kuwait, please contact kuwait@moveoneinc.com