Blogs from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Middle East - page 7

"On your left, you see a popular mall. On your right, there's another one people like to visit...also there's a mall attached to your hotel. It has a great sushi place." In the twenty-minute ride from the airport, I counted no less than eight megamalls in Riyadh. In a place where there's no public cinema and few music/cultural event venues, where restaurants are divided into men's and family sections, where few people walk outside (especially in the summer when temperatures can be over 140 degrees F), what is a young Saudi to do? Go to the mall! Hey, they are air-conditioned and allow for flirtatious glances at passing members of the opposite sex (even if the women are often covered head to foot). In our progression through Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, the capital, was fittingly our last ... read more

Well, I've been here now in Saudi Arabia for just over six weeks. It feels like such a short time ago that Jamara and I stepped off the plane here in Riyadh only to be dropped off at an empty villa at 10.30pm with no one to direct our questions to and no idea of where we were to go the following day or how we were to get there. Over the last six weeks we've managed to take a trip into the desert to look at the beautiful red sands and amazing landscape that surrounds it. We've attended parties within the Australian and American Embassies. We've done LOADS of shopping in countless shopping malls over here. We've gotten into trouble off the Muttawa (religious police) for having our hair uncovered. We've gone desert diamond hunting, ... read more

We arrived at our accommodation about 21:30 (Riyadh time) and have been settling in today. The flight was 6 hours of absolute comfort (no! Not business class), the plane was only half full so we could sit together and spread ourselves out. The food was excellent (included ice cream and a salad) and the crew were always coming round with hotcold drinks (soft and otherwise).... I met Pauline and Eileen at the airport and they're a good pair. Pauline and I have been paired to share a flat! The flat - where shall I start!!! 2 double bedrooms with walk-in closets, we flipped a coin for the end room as that has a full-sized en-suite (Pauline got it) but I'm not missing out. The rooms are the same size and I have a bathroom accross the ... read more