ASK Housing Policy 

Setting up your apartment

*What's Already There*

• Furniture 

• Living: Sofa, curtains, coffee table, and TV stand.

• Dining: Table and chairs.

• Bedroom: Bed, nightstand, wardrobes, dresser, and curtains.

• Family Housing: 150/180cm x 200cm

• Children's Beds: Varying between twin and full size.

• Singles Housing: 150cm x 200cm

• Appliances 

• Gas oven/stove, refrigerator, and washing machine.

• Other small household items 

The following items are considered disposable (you don‘t have to return them when you leave). These items vary from year to year. The list below is only an approximation.

• Sheet and blanket/comforter.

• Bath towel and washcloth (one per person).

• Cooking pot, skillet and tea kettle.

• Two place settings of flatware, dishes, and glasses per person.

• Knife, spatula and cooking spoon.

*What to Bring from Home* 

• Personal Decorations

• Clothing

• Professional: Please be sure to read Inside ASK regarding professional dress and be prepared for the first weeks of school. 

• Summer: Clothes made of cotton or other "cool" fabrics are recommended. You will likely wear light clothing through October and again in March. Temperatures can surpass 104 F or 40 C.

• Winter: Warmer clothing is necessary from November through March. Temperatures can reach as low as 37 F or 3 C. If planning winter travel to colder destinations, a heavy coat will be well worth it. 

• Modesty: For women, shorts or short skirts and tops that reveal shoulders or midriff are not acceptable in public. For men, it is acceptable to wear shorts in public. Open toed shoes are acceptable footwear for both sexes. There is no need to cover the body completely for either sex. Kuwaiti women and men in public dress in a mix of Western and traditional dress. The most important thing to consider in respect to local customs is the code of conduct observed among Arab men and women. 

• Sports/Recreation: Western beachwear, even bikinis or Speedos, are fine to wear on the beaches of the Western resorts. If you choose to use public beaches though, long shorts and t- shirts or cover-ups are recommended. 

• Holiday/Costume: You will likely find occasions to wear Halloween costumes, Christmas sweaters, or other fun items during various school celebrations or at social gatherings. 

• Formal Wear: Various formal events are held each year. You may want to have one nice dress and or suit ready to go. 

• Special Sizes: Clothing can be difficult to find for tall or plus-sized individuals, although custom tailoring may meet your needs in Kuwait. 

• Computer/Phone

• Cooking

• Bring specialty items such as your favorite recipes, cookbooks, or gourmet gadgets. A wide range of cookware is available to purchase here. A world of spices is available; however, if you prefer something specific, bring it with you. 

• Medicine

• Pharmacies are well stocked, but if you have specific needs, please check online before you arrive. If you bring what you normally use, a pharmacist here can usually help you find the appropriate medication to refill your prescription. You probably won‘t find NyQuil, Excedrin, Advil, Tylenol, Midol, Tums, or Rolaids. So if you know you need these, bring them with you. They do have equivalents to many of these, so please ask for specifics. 

• Kids’ Stuff 

• Favorite children's books, toys, etc. If you have a baby or toddler, bring swim diapers as they can be difficult to find here. 

• Seasonal/Holiday

• Decorations for holidays can be hard to find or they come into the stores a little late. Consider bringing some things for home/classroom Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine, and Easter décor. 

• Sports equipment

• Teaching materials 

• It is recommended that you discuss with a current teacher in your department regarding your plans for bringing teaching materials to ensure that you do not include items already available in Kuwait. Posters and bulletin board borders for your classroom are more likely to be lacking than true instructional materials.

• Toiletries 

• A wide variety of familiar male and female hygienic products are available in Kuwait, but you may wish to bring a supply of your favorite cosmetics and toiletries. Feminine hygiene products are difficult to get if you prefer tampons or menstrual cups. 

*What to Get Here*

Kuwait features many modern supermarkets, shopping plazas and malls, and thousands of small independent shops which stock a wide variety of local, American, European, and other major countries’ household products. 

• Bathroom 

• Shower curtains, bath mats, and rugs. 

• Cosmetics 

• Estee Lauder, Revlon, Clinique, MAC, European make-up, nail polish as well as cologne and perfume are abundant and comparable to stateside prices. 

• Electronics/Small Appliances 

• We recommend buying all your small appliances here, as you can find fairly good quality for reasonable prices. There are many electronic stores such as Sony, Phillips, Panasonic, and the major local franchise of Xcite.

• Kitchen

• Pots, pans, all utensils, Tupperware, 240v appliances. You can find affordable plastic ware, ovenware and dishes at souks (markets). Most pans are aluminum or Teflon coated. 

• Linens and Bedding

• Sheets and blankets are available in multiple stores. You may want to purchase a mattress pad or foam topper for your bed once you arrive.