Your experience of culture shock in Kuwait

"I spent six years teaching art in Kuwait. When I first arrived there, I assumed I was more privileged than Kuwaiti women who “I lumped into the stereotype of ‘oppressed and forced to wear a veil’. But, I soon learned that many Kuwaiti women enjoy one of the highest rates of disposable income in the world and the associated luxuries. A Kuwaiti woman’s freedoms are largely dependent on her male relatives and tribal affiliations, and I found many were given much greater latitude than women in other Mideastern countries.”

Kuwait is a welfare society and every national is guaranteed an education and government support from cradle to grave. However, I discovered the government courtesies and protections did not apply to visiting workers. “While my students and I were subjected to the same kind of intimidation over our artwork, they had the entitlement of a being a citizen and in many cases they had family support behind them. I had neither.”

***** is a book I wrote about my experiences in Kuwait. It's a slice of life in the Mideast you rarely experience through popular media. “It is my story of living and working in a country where the basic rights and privileges I took for granted in the States were subject to the whims of a not so whimsical system and culture.”

Yvonne Wakefield

i think the lady is asking for "free" experiences i.e. you post HERE, and not a link to your book on Amazon...

Yeah,
I think that Yvonne's "comment" is still promotional - in that she makes specific reference to the title of the book she wrote.
In my opinion her entire "comment" should be removed.

Hi slpeplow > we moderated part of her post. If you see any inappropriate content, can you please report us by using the report button?

[sorry for the off topic]
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I invite other members to share their experiences on the subject.

Thank you

After years working in Saudi Arabia I thought in terms of openness Kuwait would be a step forward... I was wrong Kuwait for all its wealth is actually more repressive than Saudi with crazy rules related to driving I mean come on expats need a degree to drive or is it just a system open to corruption or should I say designed for corruption and processing a visa for a family means multiple trips to backward centres to process it.

amen rabdcd; a few people profit from it apparently, therefore they make it increasingly more difficult year-by-year. i believe their outward hope is that this somehow will resolve the traffic problem.

Continuous culture shocks in Kuwait is the absurd rules that government comes up to resolve demographic imbalance and traffic issues. They are sadly funny !

Ajnabi2308 wrote:

Continuous culture shocks in Kuwait is the absurd rules that government comes up to resolve demographic imbalance and traffic issues. They are sadly funny !

For someone about to move there: can you give some examples, please?

Peab00dy wrote:

For someone about to move there: can you give some examples, please?

Hi Peabody

Nothing much to worry, my comment was more out of humor .. frankly, kuwait is fine .. specially if you are professionally and systematically employed. I assume that in your case,  that is you are sponsored a work visa from your employer.

some rules are funny such as .. one must have a bachelor degree to obtain a driving license, female professional cannot sponsor dependent visa for their husband ! etc.

Some proposals that are silly, which mostly or usually gets discarded at the cabinet or parliament discussion.

Thanks, Ajnabi

I wouldn't touch that type of country again

Some Kuwaits are good people and try to pretend that they are like western people but fact is when it comes to deal with them they are same as other stock. It is not fault of them because it is a culture and society and religious practices which educate the society. My british passport confiscated by sponsor for few days and returned back after realising that he took wrong passport.
If you are white European or even black that is ok but if you are british Albakistani as soon as you arrive on the airport they asks you your mums name and  fathers name. On one instance Ismail Azmi or ajmi went one step further asked me my grand father and grand mothers name. I gave him an answer but I asked him first would you like to hear the truth? Although it  wasn't a personel answer. As soon as he heard my answer he became red and said now I wouldn't let you enter Kuwait by saying "inta majnoon". That time he couldn't stop me to enter the country because immigration staff on the airport have no powers to refuse entry to british passport holders. They needs special permission  from the ministry. He took copy of my passport went to ministry put ban on my next entry without any reason

Ostrich, your story doesnt make any sense. can you please add more details?

I made reference to my book because it covers the pitfalls and high points of living and dealing with this society.  I wish such a book had been available when I was living in Kuwait