KUWAIT CITY (مدينة الكويت) – Live The Life Expeditions

After lengthy procedures at the border (see below), we arrived in the capital of Kuwait. The city lies on the southern shore of Kuwait Bay of the Persian Gulf. City was founded at the beginning of the 18th century by a group of families who migrated to the coast from the interior of the Arabian Peninsula. The old mud-walled city, only about 13 square km in area, made its livelihood by fishing, pearling, and trading with the Indian subcontinent and eastern Africa. It was long the only populated place of consequence in the country.

With the development of Kuwait’s petroleum industry after World War II, Kuwait City and the surrounding area, including the residential suburb of Ḥawallī, began to grow rapidly. The mud wall was torn down in 1957, and only three gates remain. The city rapidly became a flourishing administrative, commercial, and financial center, with modern hotels and high-rise office buildings; its banking facilities were among the largest in the Middle East. In addition, Kuwait City has many luxurious residences, parks, and gardens.

During the Persian Gulf War, Iraq invaded and occupied Kuwait (August 1990 to February 1991). Iraqi forces systematically stripped Kuwait City of its food supplies, consumer goods, equipment, and other movable assets, and many of its inhabitants fled the country. As a result, Kuwait City suffered considerable damage to buildings and infrastructure, but after the war, Kuwaitis could return to their capital, and much of the city was rebuilt.

Iraq / Kuwait Border
The exit from Iraq was relatively easy. First, we drove through the army checkpoint, then we stamped our passports, and from the customs, we got clearance for the last gate, where the K9 unit shortly walked with a dog around the truck. Then we entered Kuwait through the checkpoint, where they controlled the passports. After that, we drove to the visa and passport office and the next building, where they issued papers for our truck and motorbike. After that, customs sent us to the scanner, and then again, they searched the truck inside. All these procedures were prolonged and took around 5 hours.

Travel Tips for Kuwait City
We parked near the center of Kuwait City, just next to the large Marina Mall. There, we bought sim cards (Zain / 200 GB / 5 KWD / 30 days and Ooredoo / 100 GB / 5 KWD / 30 days). We took cheap diesel at Alfa petrol station for just 35 cents (0,117 KWD / liter). Touring around the city was much more affordable with the Careem Captain application than taxis, which usually do not want to use the meter. We also wanted to make a day excursion to Failaka Island. Still, for several days the Ikarus and KPTC did not operate any ferry (probably because of the holy month of Ramadan).

Kuwait City