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City spotlight: Kuwait City, Kuwait
Teachers looking for a new international experience will find Kuwait City a sophisticated city filled with modern history on the Arabian Gulf.
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City Spotlight: Kuwait City, Kuwait
Kuwait City, centrally located in the small country of Kuwait, is a distinct Middle Eastern locale with lots to offer its international teachers in the way of sights and sounds (and beaches!). With a world-class aquarium, notable museums, the Grand Mosque, a huge coastline, and many architectural wonders, it’s plain to see why Kuwait City is a top destination in the Arabian Gulf.
A bold metropolis with plenty of urban excitement, Kuwait City is full of skyscrapers, lush inner-city gardens and parks, and the famous three Kuwait Towers. With a modern exterior, Kuwait City also has an interesting history bubbling just below the surface of everyday life. Nightlife lovers might be surprised to find a storied underground movement, even if alcohol is prohibited.
Aside from things to see, there’s many things to do to keep new teachers busy while teaching here. For a great view of both the city and the sea, plan a dinner in the Kuwait Towers, with 5 restaurant and cafe options. But if you’re looking for more local and low-key eats, there are many great restaurants in and around the city serving Iranian, Arab, and Lebanese cuisine, as well as more international cuisine for those craving a taste of home.
The Scientific Center, a gift to the Kuwaiti people from Amir Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, is a great afternoon activity or source for lesson plan material. The center includes a large educational space as well as an outdoor entertainment center and an IMAX theater.
Because Kuwait is such a small country (about the size of the state of New Jersey), it’s easy to get around and explore more than just the urban city center. For teachers looking to escape the hustle and bustle for an afternoon, the zoological gardens near the Kuwait airport offer a great escape. Kuwait Bay is also a nice day trip away from the busy city and a good chance to see 40% of the country’s shoreline in one trip. Take a snack and tour the beaches, home to lots of great diving and watersports.
The Bay might be one of your favorite escapes during the summer months when the heat is at an all-time high. Summers in Kuwait City are long and temperatures can reach 42 °C (107.6 °F). The extreme heat dies off by October, though, and a more mild winter sets in, with temperatures around 10 – 17 °C (50 – 63 °F). That’s a great time to wander the well-kept sidewalks and parks downtown Kuwait City.
Aside from things to do outside of the classroom, teachers will take great pride in working in Kuwait as education is especially prized in this Middle Eastern country. In fact, Kuwait is currently undergoing an educational reform — one of the top reforms of the Arab world according to the World Bank. In 2013, the World Bank partnered with the Kuwaiti government to launch a pilot project in 48 schools countrywide to revamp public curriculum.
Once dubbed “the Marseilles of the Gulf,” Kuwait City has a lot of culture mixed with modernity show for teachers looking to experience some Arabic culture while teaching overseas.
