Welcome to Kuwait Publishing House - Amenities & Infrastructure

Kuwait has a well developed road system, but there are no trains and public transport is limited to buses and taxis.

In the near future a rapid transit system serving the coastal corridor, with direct access into Kuwait City using fixed track vehicles or automated buses, may be created. A proposed GCC-Railway may have terminals in Shuaiba and Shuwaikh. Future plans also include passenger ferries linking the City to Faylaka Island, and to mainland Subiya and Bubiyan Island, and a bridge linking Shuwaikh to Subiya.

Kuwait International Airport is in Farwaniyah, about 16.5km from the centre of Kuwait City, a fast 20-minute drive. Operated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, it is considered one of the safest airports in the world. It is the only civilian airport in the country. Aeroplane fuel (Jet A-1) is provided by Kuwait Aviation Fuelling Company (KAFCO) and aircraft catering by Kuwait Aviation Services Company (KASCO). Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) has its operational headquarters at Kuwait International Airport and hangarage for private aircraft is available through KAC.

The airport has two terminals. The old Terminal One is used for short-haul passenger flights and freight, and has nearby cargo handling and storage facilities. Just east of this terminal is Terminal Two, the main passenger terminal. All long distance flights depart from and arrive at Terminal Two, which is built in the shape of an aeroplane, its arrival and departure areas forming the wings of a long fuselage which contains the aircraft access gates. Passenger facilities reach international standards and include automatic baggage handling, TV monitors for flight information, a bank, post office, restaurant and buffets, hotel reservations and airline ticketing, shops, a mosque, a transit zone with duty free area, as well as an express courier centre and transit hotel.

A two-year $39 million project is launched in September 2000 to expand the country's only international airport to double its capacity to six million passengers a year. The project includes car park, shops, airline offices, restaurants etc. A new terminal is also in the planning which will be executed on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

Getting around Kuwait is easy and quick provided you know your way, as the whole of the Metropolitan Area is laid out in a conical grid-like pattern of main roads, feeder roads and local roads. In addition, most road signs are in English as well as Arabic, though many streets are not sign-posted.

Vehicle number plates are coloured white on private cars, blue on government vehicles, reddish orange on commercial vehicles, and a sort of dun colour on military vehicles.

There are several types of taxis: call taxis, orange cabs, and wanettes.

Call taxis are radio controlled 24-hour cabs which are booked by telephoning the company's office. Fares, based on distance, are cheap, a standard KD1 for a trip originating and ending within the same area. Fares get progressively more expensive as trips extend across area boundaries. Fares also increase substantially late at night. The actual fare for a trip is decided by the driver's controller over the radio, either when the cab is booked or at the end of the trip. Regular clients can usually negotiate a discount and credit may be given.

Orange cabs are of two types. The first type operate from ranks where they pick up several passengers going to a particular area and then follow set routes. Fares are 150fils a person inside the City, 250fils each (five sharing) from the City to Salmiya, and 500fils from the City to Fahaheel. The orange cabs also operate from outside the main hotels and the airport, where they can be hired without sharing. Fares start from about KD1/250, and are negotiable.

Wanettes (pick-up trucks) with red number plates are only authorized to transport goods and to carry passengers accompanying goods.

The Kuwait Transport Company (KTC) has a monopoly on public bus services. KTC has over 30 routes in operation and coverage of the Metropolitan Area is comprehensive.

There are two types of buses, ordinary and air-conditioned. The minimum fare on an ordinary bus is 150fils, while the cost from the City to Salmiyah is 200fils. The fare on an air-conditioned bus is 250fils but for certain short distances it is 150fils. KTC is however introducing air-conditioned buses on many routes, replacing the ordinary buses, the fares remaining same as the ordinary buses. Season tickets, which are economical for regular frequent traveller, are available from main bus stations.

KTC's buses front seats are always reserved for women. Route maps are available from the KTC terminal in Mirgab. KTC also operates international bus services to several cities in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Special Umrah tours (to Mecca) are also offered by KTC.

A GCC national may drive a car in Kuwait on his home country licence. Non-GCC nationals may not drive on a GCC licence. An expatriate on a visit visa may only drive on an international driving licence for the period of validity of his visa and any extension and a licence issued in his home country is not acceptable. Foreign nationals with residence permits can only drive on a Kuwaiti licence.

There are plenty of car hire firms in Kuwait. To rent a car, foreigners on visit visas need an international licence, and foreign residents must have a Kuwaiti licence.

Hire rates, sometimes a combination of time and distance with the first 150km a day free. Charges are based on a 24-hour day and an hourly charge (excess hours) for late returns is made. Special weekend rates are available. Insurance maybe included in the hire rates. But those using an international licence must have their licence validated through a local insurance company, at a cost of KD9 a month, the minimum period.

The hire rates shown in the box are based on current models available from major companies. There are also plenty of hire firms which hire out three to four year old small cars for as little as KD3/500 a day, including insurance, or less than KD100 a month, down to as low as KD65 a month for six month periods.

Road distances in Kuwait are measured in Kilometers. As a rough ready-reckoner, to convert kilometres to miles, divide by eight and multiply by five, and to convert miles to kilometers, divide by five and multiply by eight.

Distances from Safat Square
Area	Km	Area	Km
Hawalli	7.5	Fahaheel	39
Jabriya	9	Ahmadi	42
Khaldiya	7.5	Shuaiba	44
Salmiya	12	Mina Abdulla	50
Salwa	14.5	Al-Adami	72
Messila	18.5	Mina-Alzour	93
Fanitees	23	Kheran	106
Fintas	28.5	Nowaiseeb	107
Abu-Halifa	34	Abraq Khaitan	10.5
Mangaf	36	Amriya	10
Subahiya	36

There are more than 20 hotels in Kuwait. These are officially classified as deluxe, first class, and second class.

Kuwait's top hotels compare favourably with the best internationally. Facilities include swimming pools, health clubs, tennis courts, shops, and business centres. Many have good conference and seminar facilities.

The hotels in Kuwait belong to an informal cartel and prices are expensive by international standards. Prices per day in the deluxe class range from KD50 for a single room up to KD100 for an executive suite, to as much as KD250 for the most expensive suite. Substantial discounts are usually available for stays of more than 29 days. In both deluxe and first class hotels, a 15% service charge is always added to all prices. Prices per day at the lower end of the Second Class are about KD15 for a single room and KD18 for a double. Cheaper long-term rates are negotiable and there is no service charge.

Kuwait also has a number of establishments which describe themselves as 'motels', but which are really serviced apartments. The better ones have flats with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, sitting room and fully equipped kitchens, and the prices include housekeeping and laundry services. The motels usually have swimming pools, satellite TV and international fax facilities. Cheaper than hotels but offering similar facilities of comparable quality, they are suitable for executive expatriates, on short-term contracts of six months or so, for whom renting an apartment would not be time or cost effective.

Villas and apartments can be found through friends, advertisements in the local newspapers, real estate agents, and by wandering around suitable looking buildings and apartment blocks.

Heating in winter is not really necessary. But in summer air-conditioning is essential and is of two types, wall type 'portable' units and central AC.

In some of the large Western style apartment blocks the central AC conduits are often combined with the heating system, so in winter the AC must be shut off to provide heat.

Nearly all apartments and villas are let unfurnished. Costs vary widely, depending on location and standard. A small basic flat, the sort that is usually let to groups of third world nationals, may cost just about KD100 a month. In some areas, two bedroom flats in older buildings without central AC cost KD125, three bedroom flats in slightly better buildings with central AC about KD250. Ordinary two bedroom flats in the City without central AC cost about KD200 a month.

Unfurnished single bedroom executive standard apartments with central AC in the City and down along the coastline cost about KD225 a month, while similar three bedroom apartments cost KD550 or more. An innovation in recent years is the grouping of fully furnished executive apartments in 'self-contained' compounds with excellent amenities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, restaurants, etc, but these can cost up to KD850 a month. Villas in the City suburbs begin at about KD600 a month depending on the furnishings provided. Large suburban villas may cost well in excess of KD1,000 a month, with KD2,500 being charged for the most sumptuously appointed.

Usually a deposit of one month's rent is required, more for more expensive properties. Rent is normally payable at the start of the month to which it relates. Estate agents charge quite high finder's fees, often one month's rent, but their fees are negotiable.

Most apartments have a telephone line installed. Domestic supplies of water and energy are reliable.

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.

To have the power and/or water turned on, the tenant's civil ID and house rental agreement must be shown at the local office of the Ministry of Electricity & Water (MEW). A refundable deposit is needed.

Domestic gas is distributed through a network of pipes only in the Ahmadi area, and most residents in Kuwait do their cooking using cylinder gas. In each area there is a gas cylinder distribution depot near the local 'coop' supermarket.

A newcomer must buy at least one cylinder (KD8 each) and a connector (KD5). It is best to have two cylinders, so that a full one is available when the one in use runs out. Empty cylinders are exchanged for full ones at the depots for 750 fils each.

Kuwait has an extremely sophisticated and complete range of telecommuni-cation services, all of which are controlled by the Ministry of Communications (MOC). Services are provided partly by the MOC and partly by private bodies regulated by the MOC.

Kuwait's national telephone network is operated by the MOC. Transmission is mostly by fibre optic cable. The system is reliable.

Most apartments already have telephone lines installed, except in new areas such as Qurain. To have a telephone line turned on, you must submit an application form, with a copy of your civil ID and tenancy agreement attached, to your local MOC office.

The cost to a private expatriate subscriber of having a telephone line switched on (without an international dial facility) is KD65, ie, KD30 each for the switch-on cost, annual subscription and deposit, plus KD5 stamp duty. For an international dial facility, an expatriate must put down a deposit of KD500, either in cash or in the form of a bank guarantee.

Those without an international line are billed once a year for the annual service charge. Subscribers with international lines are billed monthly. If the bill is not paid soon after it is issued the line may be cut off without warning by the MOC's programmed billing control. If the MOC cuts off the line, they charge both a disconnection fee and a reconnection fee. The amount due on any telephone may be ascertained by dialling the Bills Enquiry Service on 123.

The MOC provides a range of sophisticated services for digital telephones, such as conference calling and international call barring, though most of these are available on handsets that can be purchased over the counter in Kuwait. A caller ID service is also available. This has been very successful and MOC certified units (which are the only units which work successfully in all areas of Kuwait) cost about KD25 in local stores.

Local telephone calls are free, and as most shops will allow a brief telephone call to be made without charge, there are few telephone kiosks in the streets.

International calls are fairly expensive (see table at the end of this chapter). Overseas calls can be made from ordinary telephones which do not have international dial facilities by using a special card, such as an Inter-Key Service card. The telephone must have tone (not pulse) dialling. Cards are available in units of KD3, 5 or 10 from supermarkets and stores. The cards are used by dialling the service number and following the instructions. Charges are 10% more than the MOC rate. Unused portions can be used for further calls but are not refundable. The cards are valid for one year.

Telephone kiosks are found in the Telecommunications Centre in Murgab, at main post offices and the airport, and in a few supermarkets and shopping malls.

Overseas calls can be made from kiosks in the Telecommunications Centre and the post offices using magnetic cards purchased at the counter for KD3, KD5 or KD10. The card is inserted in the telephone and the number dialled directly. The charge is the same as for an ordinary telephone with an international line. Unused portions of cards can be used for further calls but cannot be refunded.

The Telecommunications Centre provides facsimile, telex and phototelegram services. Facsimile services are also available at main post offices, and international telephone and facsimile services are available at the main hotels. The hotels however usually charge double the MOC call rate, though long-term guests may be able to negotiate a discount.

There are several courier companies in Kuwait. A few have an internal local delivery service. Charges are based on distance, and vary from KD2/500 to KD3/500 at the most for a 5kg package.

There are several international courier firms operating in Kuwait. At least three types of services are on offer, letter delivery, document packages and packaged goods. Prices, based on weight, and some firms charge a heavy premium for carrying computer diskettes.

The service to Saudi Arabia is limited to TNT International, Federal Express and DHL. For expatriates living in Kuwait whose nearest embassy is in Riyadh a 'visa bag' service is operated, whereby for an inclusive fee passports and other documents requiring processing are taken to an embassy in Riyadh and returned to Kuwait with total security.

The General Post Office is in Fahd al-Salem street in downtown Kuwait City. There are main post offices in Safat, Salmiya, Hawalli, Jahra and Fahaheel. Some years ago a form of postal delivery was started using private contractors but the reliability and extent of the service is in doubt. Most mail is delivered to post office boxes, where it has to be picked up by the recipient.

All international mail is by air. Registered and express delivery (which gives priority in sorting and delivery only in the country of destination) are available. Ordinary mail to non-Arab countries is 150fils for upto 20 grams. Registration and express delivery fees are 200fils a letter. Express delivery cannot be registered. The enquiry fee for registered items is also 200fils, as is the acknowledgement fee for a registered letter. To ensure delivery overseas it is best to send letters by express delivery or registered post.

Parcels can be sent from main post offices. The weight limit is 20 kilograms, and the size limit is 42 inches in length or 72 inches in length and width combined. Insured packages must be sealed but may not be registered. The package must have a customs declaration attached.

When a parcel arrives from overseas, the recipient is notified by a green post card. To claim the parcel, the recipient must take the green card with their civil ID or passport to the parcels office in Kaifan. A parcel is always thoroughly inspected before it can be taken away.

Mumtaz Post is part of the worldwide EMS network, and mail sent by mumtaz has priority both in Kuwait and in the country of delivery. The service is available, from the general Post Office and main post office, to over 90 countries. Special mumtaz envelopes must be used. The maximum weight is 15 kilograms. The first half kilogram costs KD5 to Arabic countries and KD6 to all other countries. Each extra half kilogram coasts KD2 to any country.

Most residents use the PO box in their place of work. Some however prefer to have their own. A person can only rent a PO box in the area in which he or she lives, so applications are made at the nearest main post office. The charge in the first year is KD7, which includes KD3 for a new lock and key to the box, and KD4 a year after that . The application form must have a photocopy of the applicant's civil ID attached to show that he or she actually lives in the area. If there is a vacant box, it will be granted straight away.

Kuwait has two operations providing pager and mobile telephone services, the Mobile Telecommunications Company (MTC tel 4842000) and the National Mobile Tele-communications Company (NMTC tel 2435500). At present, the pager service costs KD20 per year, in addition to the purchase price of the unit. Mobile telephones cost upwards of KD25 to buy. Line costs MTC KD20 NMTC KD 8-10. Call charges for mobiles MTC 20 fils (calculated on pulse bases) and NMTC 40 fils a minute on both incoming and out going calls. However, incoming calls between the two (MTC & NMTC) are not charged. The competition has intensified and incentives are pushing prices down.

Short-term visitors can hire pagers and mobiles from companies who advertise in the daily newspapers at a cost of KD1 per day for the unit and line and 40fils a call.

Kuwait is linked to the internet and there are several service providers. Monthly subscriptions range from a high of KD70 for companies to a low of KD25 for individuals. Some service providers allow unlimited access while others charge a small time-based usage fee. Time-based pre-paid internet cards are also available for KD 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 which allow internet use for 2 to 100 hours. Kuwait also has quite a few 'internet cafes' which charge 250 to 500 fils per hour for access.

While DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) offered by Internet suppliers gives the advantage of connecting to internet without engaging your phone line, the new concept 'Teleweb' introduced by Global Direct Television and Shownet Internet Solutions which provides all computer capabilities in the set-top box (Tel: 807007). Though this system engages your telephone line, the download speed is 10-20 times faster than conventional Internet access and saves the cost of a computer.

Gulf Telecom offers internet through satellite with faster downloads at affordable price (Tel: 2468111/222).
Quality Net (Q-net) offers DSL connection which allows users to talk on the phone while using internet (Tel: 804444).

The Ministry of Communications (MOC) is also studying the possibility of providing direct Internet access to subscribers at lower rates. MOC is providing the existing Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with needed lines and bandwidth.

Fast Telecommunication Company (FTC), launched in August 2002, specializes in providing turnkey internet and data communications solutions. It is the first TSP covering the entire state of Kuwait with high speed optical fibre and has its own Satellite Earth Station.