World-record kite flying in Bnaider every Friday with Al-Farsi Kite Team

Abdurahman Al-Farsi with the Al-Farsi Kite Flying team during a recent Friday in Bnaider. - Photos by Yasser Al Zayyat

Every Friday’s the skies in Bnaider are treated to a colorful, soaring spectacle with roaring dragons, flying fishes and all the colors of the rainbow. This fluttering festival is the creation of Abdurahman Al-Farsi, president of the Al-Farsi Kite Flying Team. Al-Farsi is also the owner of the world’s largest kite, a giant manta ray. The team has been flying kites since the 1990s and organizes kite flying activities every Friday during the winter months as well as an annual kite flying festival.

Kuwait Times spoke with Al-Farsi to learn more about the world of kite flying in Kuwait.

“It all started in 1995, when a small kite was dedicated to my son Faris Al Farsi from AbdulRazaq Al Khames, and that’s when Faris began admiring this hobby or should I say I’m the one who became obsessed with its breathtaking beauty,” explains Al-Farsi. He added that the love of this hobby started to grow in him and he began thinking of owning another kite, but bigger, and he now owns more than 100 large kites and countless of small ones.

Al-Farsi reveals that it took him years to learn from experts the fundamentals of flying large kites, lifting and stability,  adjusting to improve flight or fix problems,  safety, anchoring larger kites, line art,  and the most difficult challenge: tangled lines.

“We change the way that we fly to make the best of the weather,” he explains.

Farsi attends many kites festivals around the world. Through such  festivals he met Peter Lynn (Kites’ Maestro) and bought some of his unique kites then he decided to cooperate with Lynn to break the World Record with the creation of a giant kite which was created successfully and was launched in Britain’s sky.

Al-Farsi also holds the Guinness World Record for the ‘largest kite ever flown’. The largest kite ever flown, has a total lifting area of 950 m². When laid flat, it has a total area of 1019 m². The kite measured 25.475 meters long and 40 meters wide. The kite was flown at the Kuwait Hala Festival in Flag Square, Kuwait City, on 15 February 2005.

“We honored to lift our beloved Kuwait’s flag,” he said.

Al-Farsi team includes many youth volunteers and dedicated kite enthusiasts.

“My team and I fly together, share together and make friends. We communicate about the kites, share experiences and flying techniques,” he said. “This year soon, we will break our own world record by the biggest kite about environment signed by our Kuwaiti print,” Al-Farsi revealed.

Al-Farsi invites the public to enjoy the kites every Friday (weather permitting) from Noon to 4pm at Bnaider off Road 258 and have their lunch with a beautiful view. “It is an opportunity to fill the sky with color, and people can join us and bring their friends and family to barbeque.”

He added that they also participate in February festival along with many countries that fly their kites France, Italy, US and more than one team from Southeast Asia.

By Faten Omar