Salmiya or Salwa?

@Jaiomi Roberts

Hi and welcome soon, I can say all are good to stay .

I wish you all the best.

@Jaiomi Roberts Salwa area is located in the Hawalli Governorate of Kuwait, and it houses a lot of expats including Asians, Westerners, British etc.

@Abdur Rahim kw thank you ☺️

@Diver that's lovely thank you

Salwa is more residential area. Salmyia and sabah el-salem are more commercial area

@Jaiomi Roberts

hi

i would recommend living close to where you are working so able to get some sort of transport given the driving here. The driving is completely bonkers and if you imagine being in the cast of “Mad Max” you will be somewhere near!! If you are a confident driver and like to stick your elbows out then fine do it!! It is crazy here, I arrived in October last here and 4 bumps in 2 months!! They just cut across with no indication, think they own the road and incredibly arrogant & then there are the men lol 😂. Be careful if you drive.

ian

Or walk but be careful doing that!!

@Jaiomi Roberts Hi Jaiomi,

welcome to Kuwait, here are the things to keep in mind:

1. will you be driving? walking to work is a good thing, and proximity is key, but you're coming in the cooler months, and temperatures shoot up fast. So, start driving. that in itself is another post.
2. Salmiya is nice, very active, very crowded, very busy. its also big, if memory serves, the EPG location is close to AUK, that is a nice residential spot, with furnished apartments available, you're also close to Carrefour supermarket, relatively speaking.
3. Salwa used to be quiet, but not so much anymore. It's murder to find parking, and you're not as close to amenities like restaurants and supermarkets as Salmiya. Salmiya is geared for maximum occupancy, Salwa is still villas with apartments rented out, and sometimes those come with their own list of requirements, like noise restrictions etc.
4. Sabah Salem is relatively a new area being populated now, its opposite Mishref, many restaurants, many gyms, but also slightly unsafe because it has alot of open, empty areas.

Since rent will be the biggest expense, find the place with the best apartment and decide based on that.

If you have any questions about Kuwait, please do let me know. I've since left the country (Last November) but I still know a thing or two about the place, having spent my entire life (till November 2022) there

@legacy thank you for such a detailed response ☺️

@ibennie I don't plan on driving over there it seems too risky. I think the school I'll be working for provide transport. Thank you for your reply

@ibennie the women by far the worst drivers here having lived in QAR/UAE/Oman and now Q8. We can thank the Wasta licensing process for that

I have just moved to a great new flat in Shaab which is great. Not as mad as Salmiya & generally quieter. There are lots of great flats around (furnished or unfurnished) and believe them all to be safe. There is a lady called SIMI who works for Hilite Homes & she has a great flat coming up at the end of Feb. It is near the Souk in Salmiya & has a swimming pool & looks very smart, think they have 1 bed apartments. Her number is *** & she uses WhatsApp. Worth sending her a message to see if this suits you.

Ian

@rickmideast

Completely mad yes!!!

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Expat.com team

@Cheryl Sorry Cheryl - I was passing on a business number not a personal one!

Ian 

Usually when you go through an agent they charge you a fee, or they have negotiated with the apartment to add a monthly margin for themselves atop your rent. Best bet to find an apartment in Kuwait is to drive around the area you wish to live, look around and visit on foot.

@Jaiomi Roberts  Hi, I am also working for EPG atm. I love visiting Salmiya and we are all living in Fnaitees wishing we were in Salmiya. It seems more lively with more things to do, but not sure what the accommodation there is like. Good luck.

@Jaiomi Roberts I can confirm that EPG buses will drive you to school and other places (on request). We have all taken local buses as well to get around.

@Jaiomi Roberts Salwa

@ibennie my school will be providing accommodation for me. They have branches in Salmiya and Salwa so I just wanted to see which place is better. Thank you though.

@portiagriffey Oh really? Which school are you at if you don't mind me asking? I haven't been told which one I'll be at yet.

@portiagriffey that's good news

@Jaiomi Roberts

Sabah Alsalem for sure

@Jaiomi Roberts i found a nice studio in Salwa with pool and gym in the building. Let me know if you are still looking I could ask if they have anything else available.