Kuwait is a civilized country and everything essential to modern comfortable living is available. Healthy food in plenty of variety, clothing of latest design and fashion, house hold items from furniture to electric accessories, cars, motor boats, toys, sports goods, in short practically anything and everything from all over the world is imported into Kuwait. The prices are also reasonable because the import duties are very low.

Setting up a home in Kuwait is quite easy. Practically everything that you may need for the home is available and shopping is quite convenient. English is spoken in all the larger shops and communicating is not a problem.

Food

Most food is imported and subject to stringent testing by the Ministry of Public Health. Shops are inspected regularly by the Ministry and, provided normal domestic precautions are taken, the food in Kuwait is quite safe to eat.

Most of the food shops sell a mixture of chilled or frozen produce, canned and preserved foods. Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and meat however is available.

Water and Electricity

Most areas of Kuwait have mains water supply, though in a few places water is still delivered by truck to tanks on the roof. All residential areas have an electricity supply. The cost of water and electricity may or may not be included in the rent.

AC power in Kuwait is 220-240 volts, 50 cycles per second. 100-110-volt appliances will burn out. Transformers are available.

Tap water is drinkable, though most people and establishments filter out impurities or use bottled mineral water, which is available in all shops.

Clothing and Decorum

There is a wide variety of cloth and dress material available. Readymade clothing in Kuwait ranges form cheap quality items to very expensive designer couture. Styles reflect the multinational nature of Kuwait's population.

Tailors and dressmakers abound. Materials are plentiful and reasonably priced. Laundry and dry-cleaning services are fairly plentiful.

Though Kuwaitis are by and large liberal and broad-minded, Islamic traditions dictate clothing decorum. Beachwear, worn by either sex, is strictly for the beach or home and will cause offence in the suqs and on the street. Even without the traditional black aba (cloak), the fashionable clothes worn by Kuwaiti ladies will not reveal shoulders and upper arms and usually stretch down to mid-calf at least. Formality of dress at work varies among different companies and occupations in Kuwait, but styles are always modest.

Furniture

The range of furniture available is vast and caters for all tastes and price ambitions. New furniture, either fully-built or self-assembly, is available in Shuwaikh and in the other main shopping areas. Credit terms can be arranged. Furniture can also be rented.

With a constant turnover of expatriates there is plenty of second-hand furniture around for sale. This is usually advertised by word-of-mouth or in the daily newspapers. Used furniture can also be bought at the Friday open air markets, and during the week at the second-hand market near the nurseries at Al-Rai on the 4th Ring Road.

A wide range of TV's, videos, stereos, refrigerators, micro-waves and other consumer durables are available from all the main Japanese, Korean, American and European manufacturers at reasonable prices.

Kuwait's TV system is on the PAL standard but most of the TVs sold in the country are 'multi system'.

Communications

Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code: 965. Outgoing international code: 00.

Mobile telephone: GSM 900 and 1800 networks. Network operators include Mobile Telecoms Co (website: www.mtc.com.kw) and National Mobile Telecommunications Co (website: www.wataniya.com).

Internet: Internet cafes throughout Kuwait provide public access to e-mail and Internet services. ISPs include Gulfnet International (website: www.kems.net) and Global Net Kuwait (website: www.globalnet-center.com) and QualityNet (website: www.qualitynet.net).

Telegram: 24-hour telegram services are available at the Ministry of Post and Telegraph Offices, Abdullah Al Salem Square, Kuwait City, but must be handed to the post office (opening hours: Sat-Wed 0700-1400; Thurs 0700-1200).

Post: Airmail to Western Europe takes about five days.

Churches 

Almost all of the population of Kuwait are Muslims, half being Sunni Muslims and a third Shi'ite Muslim. There are small Hindu and Parsi communities, as well as other Muslim groups.

A number of Christian churches with English-language services are organized in Kuwait: the National Evangelical Church, Church of England, St. Paul’s Church, The Catholic Church, Church of Our Lady of Arabia, The Seventh Day Adventists, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, cater for the expatriate communities.

Shopping

Kuwait's shopping malls range from the most exclusive (in price) to the ordinary. The more exclusive contain many boutiques selling international brand names. The choice is phenomenal.

Most areas in Kuwait have a large supermarket run by the Cooperative Society. These jam'eeyahs (co-ops) usually open early until quite late at night and stock a vast range of foods and other household items. The prices of some food items are controlled. There are also many private supermarkets. A few are open 24 hours a day. The larger ones also sell non-food and household items, such as toys, furniture, car accessories and perfumes.

In areas where expatriates from the third world live or work, there are many small 'ethnic' supermarkets, such as Indian, Filipino, Thai, Sri Lankan, etc, which sell all sorts of foods and personal items imported from these countries.

Baqalas are the convenience stores found in every street. They sell everything from cigarettes to biscuits and 'fresh' vegetables. Prices are a bit higher than the supermarkets and coops.