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Hello jo-mo,

From my experience:

1. Yes.
2. Driving is never safe. I wish I could do without it. Not sure about the chasing thing but I am not a girl. I guess it is not such a problem if you stay out of the busy areas during weekends.
3. Supposedly possible, but in my case it took 10 months.
4. I wouldn't say that it is any more difficult than elsewhere.
5. I learned long ago not to give such advices, because if they don't like it they will blame you for their mistake. Everyone needs to decide for themselves, the best I can do is share my own experience. Would I do it again if I know what I know now? Yes.

1- Yes
2- My wife is doing just that. Dropping kids to school, picking them up, shopping and taking them to other places. Not that safe since there where a few scratches here and there, but generally acceptable for a new driver like her.
3- Once you're here, it's rare that your residency take that long to be renewed. Normally it takes just a few days.
4- Not easy and too damn expensive.
5- I would definitely advice a dear friend for a good package here. I did that with my cousin and he's happy here even though I told him not to expect to have an early taste of heavens here

Many Thanks Ribosom & justfedup

with regard to the residency processing time ; i already got the NOC and should start preparing the other documents before landing in Kuwait , my question is what is the expected processing time ; i have been told that it takes up to 60 days and i cant leave the country while so.

Thanks

Mo

jo-mo wrote:

i have been told that it takes up to 60 days and i cant leave the country while so.

After 60 days you will need to leave the country regardless if your residency is done or not, and then come back with a new commercial visa which will be valid for another 60 days.

I would consider it  safe country and comfort basically for families
Driving license depends on job title and salary, it became more difficult than before
Living cost little higher than most of the countries in the region

Traffic sucks, especially when school begins and let out. No one really chases anyone anymore now that they have their heads constantly buried in the phones, they never look up and don't notice much anymore. These days driving down Gulf street is a lot easier! But you have to constantly blow the horn to wake up those people or they will sit still at a green light until they finish surfing the net. I like Mowasat private hospital, they have doctors specializing in most areas of medicine. Every year the prices increase and salaries do not increase which can be a burden on expat families.

Dear All

many thanks for your replies ; i got a bit worried reading news over different sources of media ; for someone who dosnt know would really be hesitant to come ; i never worried about not finding activities to do or being bored as i think this is all about the individual and how they adapt , my one and only concerns will be related to safety and security of my family , i cant be in a country where my wife and kids cant walk in a park or in a mall without being harassed or threatened , or cant trust a medical center to take care of normal medical conditions , if the country is not like that then its cool and everything else is manageable .

having lived in UAE for sometime now , we do have certain set of expectations if you guys got my point.

Mo

Many small things are exaggerated in the news and the roumors are even more worse.so dont only rely on the news you read in paper.

Good day Jo-mo

Coming from the UAE expect a large step down in quality of life. I used to live in Abu Dhabi before coming to Kuwait.  If your Arabic speaker better.
1)Yes your wife could go to the park with your kids and generally be safe. Though its limited.  My wife has been, "proposition" for sex while at the playground with my son once before and she saw the guy doing the same to maid another time. They tried to take picture of him but he ran. My wife do not go back there.

2) Driving is worse than UAE, at least there are miles of roads to do 140 km/hr on.

3) Visa process is a joke. Vague is the best word. UAE three weeks for me and the family. Kuwait 3 months and incomplete. My step daughter was not allowed in. Yet in Oman and UAE no problems.

4) Settling down is fair though finding quality personnel is a problem. For example carpenters.

5) Kuwait is an experience.  If there are other options consider them. Quality of services and medical here, I found less than other places in the Gulf.  If the money is really good and you have a high tolerance or have very specific need to be here then okay. Have low expectations and things would be okay.

Don't expect much, come and establish your own opinion. Every person's story and scenario are different.

in the end living in kuwait is an experience u get, your sitauation will always be different than others, so going by others experiences doesnt quite paint the full picture. come over, give it a few months, write what u feel