2007

Although we did not know it at the time 2007 was to be our busiest year to date, during 2006 many camera crews came over to the village to use it for various adverts, films and serials, also for many news programmes.....we became quite famous. The time had therefore come for more expansion and more infrastructure....work had started on the Oasis Complex in the last quarter of 2006 and opened for National and Liberation Days at the end of February in 2007.Construction of Qa'at Al Khair started in October 2007 and was completed in time for Eid Al Fitr.

THE OASIS COMPLEX

As mentioned in the previous paragraph work started on the Oasis Complex towards the end of 2006; it would consist of the Failaka Restaurant with 120 seats serving buffet breakfast, luncheon and a la carte dinners. The design was the Failaka Restaurant with the main kitchen and six additional buildings, seven outlets in all:

• Failaka Restaurant
• Baskin Robbins Ice Cream
• La Notre and Bake n'Cake Bakery Outlet
• A Small (20 seats) Conference/Board Room
• Arabian Coffee Shop
• Two Private Dining Rooms Seating twenty guests in Each.

The whole area was landscaped and facing the sea; the plan is shown below

Failaka Restaurant

Luncheon Buffet in Failaka Restaurant

Work started on Qa'at Al Khair at the end of October 2007 and the planned opening was for Eid Al Fitr towards the end of the year. Qa'at Al Khair was urgently needed for large functions, previously we had used the courtyard of the Palace of Sheikh 'Abdullah, but had extremes of weather problems; we erected a large canvas tent to fill the gap for the summer of 2007 to cover our 100% increase in business, upon completion of Qa'at Al Khair this was removed. Qa'at Al Khair is 650 square meters and can seat 350 guests, many more in theatre mode. The metal structure was prepared first with our welders and then we poured the concrete base. The top and sides consisted of three layers....waterproof layer, heatproof layer and a canvas layer, to finish it off we used double glazed windows and doors.

The decoration, once, again completed by the village staff, was to use a silk type material draped from the ceiling to give a tent effect and the cladding of all walls with the outer cuttings of varnished pine. Mohamed Dashti provided old photographs for the walls and models of old building in Kuwait, many of which are now demolished, and a large model dhow.....Qa'at Al Khair thus also became a museum as well as a banqueting hall.

We also built in a dedicated DJ area and our Chief Engineer, Rahimi gave us an excellent lighting system.......finally it was carpeted and air-conditioned. Qa'at Al Khair opened on schedule for Eid Al Fitr.

Qa'at Al Khair on completion

Qa'at Al Khair ready for the first function

Waiting for the first guests

The front view of Qa'at Al Khair

Also in 2007 Denise and I had the honour of being invited to visit Prince Charles and Camilla at the British Embassy in Kuwait. We actually had time to chat with Prince Charles about the village and present him with a chest made in the village by our artisans....Denise and Camilla of course chatted about horses. We also decided to take our vacation during Ramadan when the village was very quiet leaving in September and returning for the work on Qa'at Al Khair in October.

Denise and myself presenting the chest to Prince Charles

Denise chatting with Camilla......horse talk!