Category: Saudi Arabia (Page 3 of 8)

So as my time in Saudi is coming to an end I’m trying to check things off my Saudi Arabia bucket list. Some of these things are historical or cultural things, but a large percentage of them fall under the fun/jackassery category, of which I am very fond. Earlier this week I had big plans for myself and 3 friends. The outside temperature was a melting 45C/115F so I thought it was a good idea to have a little childhood fun. Ice skating Saudi style anyone? Yep, you read that right…..we went ice skating. I had read an old blog post that there was ice skating here in Riyadh for women. As is often the case here a lot of activities are for children or men only. Several of the malls here have ice skating rinks, but I’d yet to see one that allowed women. After some internet research which turned up a more recent blog post from 2 years ago it seemed like Royal Mall in Olaya might have an ice skating rink for ladies. So off we set out. There was no information online about opening hours or costs. We arrived at the mall at 4pm just after prayer had ended. Go to the second floor of the mall and then to the back arcade section where there is a fairly large ice rink. Don’t kidd yourself ladies…..that’s not the one we can use. Go up another set of stairs and you’ll feel the temperature drop so you’ll be pretty sure you’re on the right track. Go to the left and look for the signs.

Here’s where things get a little comical. The entrance is dark and I actually felt like I was going into a night club. So you walk thru the door and end up in the room where the fairly small skating rink is and now it really looks like a club. The lights are dimly lit. The place where you pay and get your skates resembles a bar. Sadly, there was no music which was a bit of a bummer. I’m not sure what the opening hours are because the ladies didn’t speak any English, but I can say that I was there at 4pm on a Sunday and they were open. Its 21 riyals for 30min and 41 riyals for an hour. The rink is small and the ice is kinda crap so I would say 30 min is fine. Growing up in Canada we would skate on one of the frozen rivers in Calgary. I was never a great skater, but could get around. The ice here is super dry (shocking) and so your skates don’t really get any grip. Ice skating is normally slippery, but this was to a whole other degree. Luckily, you can skate around in circles while holding onto the railing the entire way! Anyways, they have skates in different sizes- more like roller blades than the traditional lace up skates. Heads up- the skates stink. Like the person you know with the worst foot odor multiplied by 10 kinda stink. Still though it was fun way to spend part of the afternoon. We took a bunch of photos. After the photo shoot was finished we did what any normal group of adult women who live in a country that doesn’t allow women to drive would do…….

We went to the amusement park section of the mall and drove bumper cars. I’m not kidding. It was super fun. Most of the malls here have amusement rides and games and such, but often women aren’t allowed on them. Thankfully, we were the only ones there so we had free reign of the place. I read an article a little while back that Saudi women practice driving with bumper cars which is equal parts both funny and sad. While I do very much miss driving living here I would never actually want to drive here even if it was allowed.  As I’ve previously mentioned the driving here is completely insane and I don’t think my reflexes are fast enough and I worry that I would have massive road rage and end up flipping people the middle finger every 30 seconds. So bumper cars it was. We had an afternoon filled with childhood fun and next week we’re planning on hitting up Snow City which is the newest attraction in Riyadh- it’s supposed to be like Ski Dubai but from what I can tell it’s just sledding and tubing on the snow. I’m sure whatever it is it will prove to be fun regardless!!

A monthly past-time for expat ladies here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to attend one of the Coffee Mornings hosted by one of the many western compounds. These mornings are a great way to meet other expats, have coffee, and shop. I’ve long wanted to attend, but have been scheduled to work or am away traveling every time I’ve been invited before. Until this month. I even got asked to work that day but said “Hells No” because I’d really been looking forward to going. Generally these events are by invite only, although I think really any expat woman can go. As with going to any compound you will need to submit a copy of your Igama or passport to get on the security list and you will need to bring ID with you to get into the compound.

We booked a driver to take us to the compound. Once we passed thru security we boarded a shuttle bus filled with other expat ladies to take us to the recreation area. Outside there were some food vendors selling kababs and such. Inside where rows of tables with outside vendors as well as expats selling everything from crafts, abayas, books, souvenirs, artwork, lotions and candles, pottery, and other knick knacks. There were also a bunch of food stalls including Starbucks, Dairy Queen, and vendors selling fresh vegetables and bread.  It was fun to browse the stalls and chat with the other women that attended.

I ended up buying some beautiful pottery from Saudi Arts and Crafts. The pottery is handmade by local artisans and has decorative gold coloured Arabic writing on it. I also bought a unique mosque tea light holder which makes a great souvenir of my time in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arts and Crafts has a permanent store on Ishbilia Compound and for the upcoming month of Ramadan they will be showcasing their pottery at the Sheraton Hotel. Along with the pottery they carry unique jewelry, books, bags, and artwork. Perfect for gifts. If you want to find out about coffee mornings follow them on Facebook to find out about upcoming events!

A couple posts ago I raved about one of the biggest, if not the biggest cultural festivals in Saudi Arabia called Janadriyah. In case you missed it, you can read about it here. I was super keen to go this year since it was cancelled last year. I had read about the opening hours on another blog, and after consulting the Saudi tourism website to confirm that yes, it is actually open in the mornings, apparently from 9am-12 and again in the afternoon from 4-midnight. Yes. That’s what it said. Mind you the website also said that the festival took place in March (when in fact it actually was taking place in February) but I thought that some silly person must’ve messed up the Hijra to Gregorian calendar, and I had a little chuckle to myself.

So my kiwi sidekick and I booked our driver for 8:30am, as we only really had the time to go in the morning, and we headed out. As we started to get close I was kind surprised that there wasn’t more traffic. And then as we got closer, I was surprised at how empty the parking lot was. And then as we pulled up to the gate the security guard informed us that it was closed. And wouldn’t open until 4. Even though the Tourism website said otherwise. Damn. But, he did let us drive thru the festival site after making us produce ID. For some reason the only ID I had on me was my Canadian driver’s license, so our driver and the security guard all had a good chuckle about that. And we turned around and drove home. It was a well wasted $50 in taxi fare.

So a couple nights later after work and on our way to the airport to fly to Romania we had an hour to quickly take in the festival. It has such a great feel to it, even though the Mutawa were yelling at us to cover our hair prior to entering. Of which we obliged while we were in eye sight. There were tons of families, and young women would say hello as they passed by. Since we were very pressed for time our first stop was near a stage where an Emirates men’s dance troop was performing. Basically they stood in a line and did what vaguely resembled what my fellow North American’s know as “the wave” and moved in slow motion whilst holding thin cane like objects over their shoulders. The crowd was loving it, and it made for some great photos.

Our next stop was at the tent designated for the Saudi military. Because lets be honest ladies….who doesn’t love a man in a uniform?? There was a tank and a few other types of military vehicles on display. Sadly, we were unable to talk the guard into letting us get inside any of the vehicles, but this being Saudi it was worth the try. Inside the tent were display cases with the many different uniforms of the Saudi military and Special Forces with photos of some of the top military officers. The tent next to this one was for the Saudi firefighters. Hello firemen. So of course we went in here. They had some display related to firefighting in Saudi and they had a couple of old style firetrucks which we were allowed to climb in and get our photos taken.

Many of the locals were dressed in traditional Saudi attire specific to the different regions of Saudi Arabia. Men were seen wearing belts with the curved dagger that is seen though out the Middle East. Women were seen wearing traditional Bedouin masks of 2 different styles. One was a shiny mustached version and the other style was made of shiny fake gold coins. Naturally, we had to buy both styles for souvenirs. Since we were so pressed for time we made a quick dash back to the parking lot where our driver was waiting to whisk us to the airport for our midnight flight to Bucharest Romania. But, more on that later………

Well it’s that time of year again my Saudi people. Janadriyah festival started this past weekend and will continue until February 20th. The first time I was in Saudi it was a really cool cultural event. One that I was very eager to attend again, but it was cancelled last year after King Abdullah’s death. I’m planning on going next week, but wanted to let you know what it’s all about and what I thought of it from the previous time I attended.

For my North American readers, Janadriyah is part country fair meets expo, minus the rides and the alcohol. The festival is held on the outskirts of Riyadh on a site designated for this festival. I don’t think the site is used the rest of the year but I could be wrong about that. It lasts for 2 weeks with the first weekend being designated for men and the rest of the time to families. The opening hours are from 9am till noon, and then again from 4pm until midnight. From what I remember there were a bunch of different tents or areas designated to the different regions of Saudi. There were dancers and musicians, and people wearing traditional costumes from their regions. There were a bunch of different tents giving away educational material from different government sectors. I remember visiting tents staffed by the Ministry of Health, the Saudi Human Rights Commission, and other social programs within the Kingdom.

One of the interesting memories I have was visiting the Ministry of Hajj tent and learning about the Hajj experience and being offered ZamZam water (the holy water from Mecca.) Pilgrims who return from Hajj or Umra often return with jugs of ZamZam water, and it’s not uncommon for our patients in the hospital to request their medications be given or mixed with ZamZam water. While it was an experience getting to taste ZamZam water, I believe it is something that one acquires a taste to. From what I recall it was rather minerally in taste, and one sip was more than enough. Every year the festival designates a different country from around the world to be highlighted, and has a tent to showcase them. When I was there I believe the guest country was Japan. This year it is Germany. I’m super tempted to bust out my Oktoberfest costume, but I’m guessing it wouldn’t be well received but really who would know anyways since I’d be wearing it under my abaya…..

A few things stood out to me from the last time I visited. First, I took a bunch of photos which is not always easy to do in Saudi Arabia, but I don’t remember it being a problem. For obvious reasons don’t blatantly take photos of uncovered women or children, but photos of the decor, crafts and buildings were no problem. Second, it’s a fantastic way to mix with the locals. I remember the local women being extremely friendly, coming up to chat with us, touch our hair, or ask for photos with us. So if you have a day or night free you should definitely make the trek out to the Janadriyah festival. It’s a very unique festival that will give you a better understanding of Saudi culture and let you interact with the locals.

Women will need to make sure they have a scarf and you will likely be directed to cover your hair prior to entering the festival grounds. I remember the Mutawa (religious police) giving verbal warnings to women who’s hair was uncovered, but I don’t recall being asked to cover my hair once in the actual festival site. Have fun!!!

Old Diriyah is a site that I’ve been meaning to visit, but had never really gotten around to actually doing it. Then on a whim right after Christmas my Kiwi sidekick and I called our Pakistani driver and had him take us. Old Diriyah is located in the northwestern edge of Riyadh. It’s a historical city that served as the first home of the Saudi royal family and was appointed a UNESCO heritage site back in 2010. Currently there is a large scale preservation project in place so this enormous area can be opened to the public in the form of an open air museum. Although, truth be told- this is years away. The historical city is set in a lush wadi with tons of palm trees and it’s not very often that you get to see much green vegetation living in these parts. We visited late in the afternoon and besides reading a couple blog posts about the site we didn’t really know what to expect.

The actual historic area is currently closed to the public, but there is a newer commercial area with restaurants and cafes overlooking a man-made park that makes a great picnic spot. Naturally, there is a mosque- which we nearly walked into by accident, so pay attention when you visit. Since it was a weekend afternoon when we visited the place was packed with locals- mostly families there to enjoy having a picnic in the park. There were very few other westerners. We wandered around the area and then walked up to a viewpoint to see the historical site from across the road. On our way back to the main commercial area we were stopped by an Indian man who asked us if we knew where the museum was. It just so happened that we were also trying to figure out where the museum was as we were under the impression that there must be one there. We informed him that we were clueless as well just as 3 men in thobes (traditional Saudi male clothing) walked past us. The Indian guy yelled in their direction “Yallah Mohammed” and all 3 guys stopped and turned around. I’m not sure why, but we found this to be hilarious. Mohamed is one of the most popular names in the world, and they are especially found of it here in Saudi. If you don’t know a man’s name the best thing you can do is call him Mohammed because I promise you have a 50% chance of getting it right!

Foot washing station outside the mosque.

A traditionally painted door panel.

So the Saudi guys also did not know where the museums was. We would later come to find out that the “museum” we were searching for is in fact not open. The Saudi guys left and we stood chatting with the Indian fellah and he introduced us to his wife and daughter and then we were approached by a young Saudi couple and their toddler. We asked them about the museum of which they also knew nothing about and then they asked where we were from. As it turns out they had gone to college in Michigan so had a true appreciation for a North American winter and we chatted for about 10 minutes. Then they asked for our phone numbers and invited us to come to their place for coffee sometime. Now here’s the thing….I really want some local Saudi friends. I have a million cultural questions I want answered and I’m dying to be invited to a Saudi wedding. I was super hopeful that Naifa and Siraj were my in to Saudi life, but alas they never called.

The picnic area with the old city in the back.

A beautiful Saudi Arabian sunset.

After our little chit chat session we parted ways and went to one of the many coffee shops in the main square. Alarmingly there wasn’t a Starbucks in sight, which is odd because Saudis love Starbucks. Like bigtime love it. We settled in for a coffee and some fantastic people watching. Childhood and parenting in general is pretty much the complete opposite as compared to back home. Discipline is somewhat lacking and most of the time the kids run the show. Often times the family is accompanied by a nanny or nannies and it’s entertaining to watch the kids just do whatever they want. I have witnessed on many occasions a child walk up to a table and take their hand and swipe anything on the table onto the floor. I’m talking like a 5 year old the whole time making eye contact with the parent or the nanny. Now if I pulled that shit as a child (which I wouldn’t have out of sheer fear) I would’ve been punished, made to clean up the mess and then sit in the corner or grounded. Here it’s an entirely different response. No one blinks, so harsh words are given, just a there there type of response and one of the adults will pick up the fallen objects. For me as long as the children are at a distance they can be very entertaining to watch.

We then walked over to the AMA which is an art venue that showcases local artists. If I recall the open hours are from 4-6. They didn’t open right on time, but some persistent door bell ringing on our part seemed to speed things up. The gallery is fairly small, but has a cafe and a gift shop inside. The art is obviously of an Arabic flavour of which I am a huge fan. Visually I think Arabic is such a beautiful language and I love to see it incorporated into art work. The AMA also hosts art exhibits which I think would be really cool to attend. There are a few other stores located near the AMA, but many were not yet open. There is also the very popular Najd Village restaurant which serves traditional cuisine. We didn’t eat at this one, but I have eaten at the other location which I would recommend if you’ve never experienced traditional cuisine which is eaten family style on the floor.

So that’s my take on Old Diriyah. I really hope that at some point before I exit Saudi for good that a portion of the older historical site will open. I’m tempted to contact the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage and ask them for a tour. If any of my readers know anyone with connections please do let me know as I would love to tour the old city!!

Finally!! Winter is upon us. This is the time of year that most expats count down to. From the end of October till the end of February/beginning of March the temperatures are tolerable, if not even a little chilly at night. Not Canada winter chilly, but bring a sweater kinda cold. It is lovely. You can walk around in the day with out immediately breaking into a sweat the minute you leave your apartment. About this time of year you will see locals adorning toques (beanies for my American readers) and vests. It’s not really winter hat weather yet, but who am I to judge. The other great thing about the winter is that Saudi men decide to change up their wardrobe and instead of wearing the traditional white thobe that they wear all year round, they might opt to wear navy blue, brown or grey. I never really thought a man wearing an outfit quite similar to a dress could be sexy but, some men seriously pull it off. Yep. I admitted that.

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Anyways, in addition to the minor wardrobe change, Saudis also love to have a good old fashioned picnic. However; their idea of a picnic is very different than what we think of back home. Back home you pack a lunch or snacks and head to the beach, hiking, or a beautiful park. Not here in Saudi though. While being driven around the streets of Riyadh it is very common to see cars pulled over along the side of the highway, under an overpass, or even just in the parking lot of a mall. Bam. Impromptu picnic spot. Pull out the old rug, lay it down, and dive into the food. The first time I was in Saudi I found this scenario super strange, and if I’m being honest I still find it bizarre. A parking lot is about the last place I would suggest to have a picnic if I weren’t taking part in some ridiculous Black Friday or Boxing Day shopping deals. And yet, you will see Saudis having picnics everywhere. To be fair I’m sure they do also have them in the desert, or in parks around the city, but, they love a good roadside picnic.

Winter is also a great time to get out and go for a stroll un-abayaed in the DQ (Diplomatic Quarter), or venture out into the desert for ATVing or hiking. Camel races also tend to take places in the winter months. I haven’t yet been but am dying to go. I would also like to check out a camel beauty pageant before my contract here is up also. And yes, there really is such a thing as a camel beauty pageant.

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I’m heading back to North America tomorrow for 3 weeks, and I’m sure I’ll have a tough time adjusting to the cold winter weather back in Canada, but I’m so excited and homesick that I can hardly stand it. I’ve packed a ridiculous parka which I’m sure all my friends will make fun of, but it will keep me from freezing my booty off! I’m also looking forward to having American Thanksgiving with my adoptive family and then celebrating early Christmas with my legit family. On my way back to Saudi I’ll be stopping off in Frankfurt for 3 nights to visit the Christmas market there and do some solo exploring. I’ve never seen a European Christmas market so I’m pretty jazzed about it.

Wishing you all the warmest winter greetings!!