Her main concern is that she is blonde with blue eyes and wondered if she should color her hair brown. I would have to say NO! There are tons of blue-eyed blonde's in Kuwait (like me) and it's not a big deal at all. If you are beautiful / sexy it doesn't matter what your hair / eye color is...you are going to get a lot of attention anywhere in the world. (Not just in Kuwait). I will touch on this subject matter later.
There are many American women in Kuwait married to Kuwaitis that they met while studying at university in the US. If you move here with your Kuwaiti husband you will find that Kuwait is a pretty nice place to live and raise a family. Several of these women have successful businesses in Kuwait and live quite well.
Working in Kuwait
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*** Update (most recent) ~ July 2011
After 5 months ITT K-BOSSS has APO mail privileges again for it's US Employees. Congratulations! Can I use your APO address to mail my stuff? Just kidding! ;)
*** Update ~ April 2011
A lot has changed since I first wrote this post in May 2010. There is a lot less $$$ to be made in Kuwait if you work for US companies. FALA (Foreign Area Living Allowance) is going away and wages are going down. If you work for ITT then you no longer have APO mail privileges! That is really unfair since all US contractors support the US Military and are under General Order # 1. This is serious if you are on medication and cannot receive prescriptions in the mail. No more internet shopping! Don't kid yourself that it will save you money because guess what? You will pay over twice the price in Kuwait city for the same item that you could have ordered on Amazon.com with free shipping to your APO address.
What really gets me is ITT KBOSSS employees work in the US Post Office but can't use it. My sources at ITT say they are working on developing a mail system for their employees. Yes, but at what cost and when? They say it's the US Army’s decision to revoke the privilege and not theirs. My Post Office sources say that this privilege costs the US Government thousands of dollars every month and that they asked ITT to cover some of the costs but were denied. The bottom line: Both parties need to work together to ensure that US Contractors supporting the US Military in the Middle East have APO privileges if they are under General Order # 1. I would NOT work for an American company that doesn't offer APO privileges. When I used to work for ITT we did have APO rights, FALA and OT. You can kiss that goodbye now.
Most companies provide bus transportation to and from work instead of shared cars. Housing allowances are a joke now and unfortunately the rent here has increased by more than 30%. The US companies here are to thank for that ridiculous price increase in the Ghettos of Fahaheel, Mangaf, Mahaboula and Fintas. There are also a lot less jobs available for US Citizens as Foreign Nationals (India) are more cost effective. Keep this in mind as you read my post below that was written back in the good old days. ;) There are still jobs and $$$ to be made but not as much as before.
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When I first came to Kuwait I briefly worked on a big American contract. You usually work 48 hours a week with two days off. The salary is considerably low compared to other US companies here but the quality of life is high. I really enjoyed working for this company and it's a great place to start if you're young and need to get your foot in the door. My salary was around $4,000 per month which included a foreign area living allowance (FALA), shared car and apartment. You will get four weeks paid vacation with ten days of paid holidays. This is the standard.
I'm currently working for another big US contract but this is my last week. We work 72 hours a week with one day off. The one thing I can say about working with them is that you are here for the money. My starting salary was around $6,700 per month and within a year it went over $8,000. Not bad if you are young, single and without dependants. You get basically the same benefit package as my first company here but they bus you instead of giving you a shared car. The first thing I did was lease my own car so I wouldn't be stuck on a dorky bus. My biggest issue with this company is that you can't travel on the weekends to exotic destinations like you can at my first company. I can get along with anyone but believe me your patience will be tested here. A funny nick name for them is: International Thieves and Thugs. Loool! Almost everyone (including me) is leaving this company. I'm about to get a much needed vacation before I start my new job.
My current contract will not be renewed because of significant downsizing. This is a good thing since they just cut off our FALA and uplift. Thanks to a referral from a close friend, I just landed a terrific new job here in Kuwait. Let’s just say it's sweet and my dream job! The new company will pay almost the same as what I make now but you only work 60 hours and five days a week. That means weekend travel is back on the menu for me. :D I can't wait to start and my new boss rocks!
***Did I mention that in most cases your earnings are tax free up to $91,400?
Safety
Kuwait is generally a safe place to live. Crime is increasing like everywhere else in the world. I used to feel safer here compared to the US but after some scary attackes on Western girls I do not feel that way anymore. For more information hit on the link below: (Or go to my "crime" label on my blog.)
Arab Times
Finances
As you already know, gas is dirt cheap. Bottled water is more expensive than gas for your car. The average exchange rate isn’t good for us Americans here in Kuwait but the US $ is pitiful almost anywhere you go in the world. If you are a Western Expat working for a US company or DOD your living expenses are generally part of your benefits package. One Kuwaiti dinar is the equivalent to around $3.50 dollars. Ouch!
Travel
Kuwait is an excellent base for those with wanderlust. Europe, Asia, other countries in the Middle East (UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, etc.) is just a short flight away. My love of travel is what keeps me happy living and working in Kuwait.
Driving
I won't lie to you...driving is a scary business in Kuwait. It doesn't take you long to get the hang of it and your seat belt is your best friend.
Bars and Clubs
Yep, it's true...there are no "legal bars or nightclubs" in Kuwait. Drinking alcohol is illegal. There are lots of parties during the weekends. You can get alcohol here but I advise you not to take the risk. If you have to get your drink on, Dubai and Bahrain are just 50 minutes away by plane.
Heat / Dust
There is no better way to say it...Kuwait is hot as hell! The good thing is that everywhere has A/C so if I can stand it you can.
Dust storms suck! You can't avoid them. Hopefully this summer will not be as bad as last year. The dust storms are a pain so hiring a good cleaning lady is a must for your apartment. You can also have your apartment building Haras wash your car daily to keep it clean. These services are very reasonable in Kuwait compared to the US. And you will be far too busy working and enjoying your new life to clean yourself.
What to wear
You can basically get away with wearing anything in Kuwait. Keep in mind that you are in a Middle Eastern country and you should be respectful and dress more on the conservative side. Yesterday at work on Camp Arifjan my girlfriends and I saw this “Plus sized Diva” wearing skin tight jeans that couldn’t contain all the junk in her trunk. They were in danger of ripping at any moment and I think the blouse buttons were about to pop off and hit me in the eye. She literally tripped in her 4’ heals that looked like they were from Payless. I wouldn’t recommend that look on or off base but nowadays you just about see anything and everything. You are pretty much free to dress as you please. It depends if you want to look classy or trashy.
Shopping
Shopping is considered a sport and a form of entertainment in Kuwait. There are malls everywhere with all of your designer favorites. The souks are also a great place to shop. If you live in Kuwait you will enjoy spending some of your free time and money at the malls.
Food
Yummy Yum Yum! Almost every place delivers to your front door. There is a wide variety of restaurants for every taste bud. Including many American chains. You will never go hungry living in Kuwait.
Harassment
Any women from 6 - 60 will experience some sort of unwanted or wanted attention in Kuwait. This is especially true if you drive alone. Most of this is harmless flirtation but it can sometimes get a little scary. One morning I was driving to work alone and a Kuwaiti male tried to run me off the road. I didn't even see his car until he almost hit mine. At the next stoplight he jumped out of his car and tried to get into mine. He seemed to be high on alcohol or drugs and wouldn't give up. It was very scary and thank goodness someone came to my rescue.
Always lock your doors and travel with a cell phone. Try to look ahead and ignore any unwanted attention. Usually ignoring does the trick but it's not always effective. If you are young and beautiful like the self-described American lady that sent me the comment this AM - all the ignoring in the world doesn't work. Trust me!!! You probably get a lot of attention in the US as well. You just might get a little more here in Kuwait. If the constant attention bothers you, try sunshades on the windows of your car, wearing a manly baseball cap with your hair tucked in or traveling with another person.
Now for some humor: Are you just cute, average, a plain Jane, 300 pounds or pushing 80? You might not get that much attention in the US but in Kuwait you are one hot mama! Looooooooooooool! If you smile, laugh or give any indication that you are approachable this will translate as you wanting them to chase you. If you don't want them to chase you then ignoring them will work for you. But ladies...why not enjoy yourself a little while in Kuwait and experience the culture? Hey, Big Girls need love too! Just teasing! ;-) I hear about and even see some of these women enjoying all the attention they never had before. I say good for them. :) I know one American lady who is close to 60 and she recently told me she is constantly approached my young Kuwaiti men. She shared some hilarious stories of how they propose marriage, blow her kisses and follow her everywhere she goes. Like I said, it's mostly harmless flirtation but you should remain cautious and aware of your surroundings.
Dating
Well, dating in Kuwait is complicated. According to my Kuwaiti friends it's not really allowed but almost everyone is dating anyway. Go out, enjoy life, have a little fun! Experience a new exotic culture. Life is too short to just work all day without any play. If you can't get a date in Kuwait then you need to unlock the closet and jump out. But safety first and be smart! Kuwaiti men are just like any other men in the world. Some are good and some are bad. If you’re a target in the US for being used and abused then you will be a target anywhere in the world. It's really up to you and your standards.
Cultural activities
There is plenty to do during your time off so go out and explore your new surroundings. I highly recommend purchasing a good GPS.
World Travel Guide on the Middle East
Kuwait Activities
Kuwait Places of Interest
Please feel free to comment and ask me any questions you might have about living in Kuwait.
(I will do my very best to answer you quickly but please understand with my current work schedule it could take up to a week. BUT I will respond. You can also check out my 'friendly fire' links to other great blogs on Kuwait that I highly recommend. )
