Kuwait: Some Interesting Facts

Public Holidays

Date 2005 Occasion
January 1 New Year's Day
January 21 Eid al Adha
February 10 Islamic New Year
February 25 National Day
February 26 Liberation Day
April 21 Prophet's Birthday
September 1 Ascension of Mohammad
Novemeber 3 - 5 Eid al Fitr

Weekend- Friday

Customs & Duties

Alcohol is illegal in Kuwait. Duty free allowance for tobacco is 500 cigarettes or 50 cigars or ½ kg loose tobacco.

Electricity

220 V Ac, 50 Hz is available – if your gadgets run on any other specifications, carry an adaptor.

Post & Communications

Post Boxes are rarely seen in Kuwait so you have to wait patiently in long queues at the post office. There is no Post Restante service in Kuwait, though large hotels do often hold mail for their guests.

Kuwait has an excellent telephone system and you can call any place in the world. The Country code is 965. There is no area or city code in Kuwait State. Fax, Telex and Telegraph facilities are available in Government communication centres, where long queues wait patiently.

Tipping

Tip only in fancy restaurants as the service charge added to the bill goes to the management and not to those who serve you. Bargaining is not the practice though hotels and shops selling electronic goods do give you discounts.

Weights and Measures

The Metric System is followed in Kuwait.

English Language Media

Arab Times and Kuwait Times are the two English language papers in Kuwait. As they are mostly reprints from the British newspapers and international wire services they provide sufficient foreign news coverage.