Tell me about Kuwait - thinking of making a move

[KiwiKat]

DH and I have decided that we're over London and are contemplating where we might move to. It's important that 3 year old DS is somewhere where he will get an excellent education, but we also want to earn as much as we can while we're there - greedy folk that we are! We met some great people on a recent holiday who told us how much they are enjoying working in Kuwait, and I'd like to find out a bit more about it. Anyone living there at the moment, or has lived there recently? Advice gratefully accepted.

bump for advice

bumping again

No one in Kuwait?

not in Kuwait but in nearby(ish) Saudi and I know there are quite a few ladies out in Dubai and surrounding emirates. Not sure if anyone is in Kuwait though.

I can just give you general information on the ME. You will need to accept that it is a huge change in lifestyle and you will need to adapt to the local customs. I'm not sure if Kuwait is as strict as Saudi and I'm sure its much more relaxed than Dubai and Bahrain. In Saudi, women, even western women, have to cover up in public so as soon as I leave the compound I have to wear an abaya (lovely long black number) and a headscarf. You don't need to do that in Dubai or Bahrain but may need to look into that in Kuwait. In Saudi women can't drive but I think they can in Kuwait.
Pork and alchol are banned but I think in Kuwait you can get them if you have a special licence that expats can obtain.

Schools in the middle east tend to be ok, somewhere between state and private schools in the UK. A good british school can be quite expensive and often there are long waiting lists so this is something that you need to research well before you jump in head first.

On the huge plus side, the money tends to be very good and most companies offer good packages, ie my husbands company provides a free villa and houseboy (cleaner from 7am to 12pm 5 days a week), free utilities except phone, they pay a large allowance towards our boarding school fees (around £18k pa towards them which helps) and we get 4 x business class flights home every 6 months. Also, DH doesn't pay tax which is rather nice.

I've heard people talking about expatwoman.com and apparently there is a section for the Middle East but I've not been on their myself but it would probably be worth a look.

Hope someone who lives in Kuwait comes along and gives you some proper advice.

Thank you Mumoverseas, that is so helpful. It doesn't have to be Kuwait, just somewhere different from London. I'll check out expatwoman.com. Thanks again.

I have visted Kuwait but know nothing of living there. From my visit I am sure that I would never want to live there. I found it totally souless. It is a sand desert with lots of large, tastless, modern houses plonked in the middle. There is nothing worth seeing and it is HOT, HOT, HOT (was too hot to sit outside or even go in a pool). Everyone seems to spend their lives inside their air-conditioned homes or in the air-conditioned cars going to air-conditioned shopping centres.

Good to hear your feedback, Artichokes.

Sorry I was rather blunt . Just read my post back and I did not mean to sound so unrelentingly negative!

I was thinking 'direct' rather than blunt, which is refreshing.

You migth find this interesting and upto date.
www.expatwoman.com/forum/messages.aspx?TopicID=71832

There are bad points of Kuwait, but lots of good too. It is a fairly easy life once you get settled and used to the culture. I enjoy it here although driving is an absolute nightmare - verrry scary! Just have to remember it is somewhere different and not 'home-from-home'. The good times and good friends don't just arrive on a plate, you have to stick your neck out and go find them.