Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - work trip with a little play

I always thought I'd like to go to see Saudi Arabia but never imagined I would actually go. I don’t know much about the country but I understand it’s politically and culturally conservative and quite different from other Middle Eastern counties I’ve visited. 

When I was asked if I wanted to take a job lasting just over two weeks in July, I embraced the opportunity. I was at least going to get a taste a snippet of this mysterious land on my allocated two days off!

Being the height of summer, the average daytime temperatures are in the mid forties Celsius so some activities were just not possible given the time that we had available. 

We did manage however to get to see a few sights which I have listed below. When we weren't being transported back and forth to work, we used Ubers to get around which were quite cheap and readily available.

• The Sky Bridge at Kingdom Tower where you can see a panoramic view of the whole city from the 99th floor. Ticket price was 69 SR approx £14. 

• Al Masmak Palace - constructed in the hijri 14th century. It was used as a fort against enemies but now stands as a museum. 

We went in the late afternoon to escape the intense heat of the day, but it was still stiflingly hot. It is air conditioned inside and was free to get in.

Deera Square

• Deera Square or Justice Square - a former site of public executions and just around the corner from the fort. 

• Historical Dir’iyah - is the birthplace of rule of the first Saudi state. 

We went during the day but nothing was open until 5pm because local people just don’t go out in the heat. It was nice though to wander around with no one there. 

At-Turaif 

• At-Turaif District - part of the Dir’iyah site. It is one of 5 Saudi Sites included in the UNESCO world heritage list. 

We returned to the Heritage park in the evening at sundown to discover a buzzing area of restaurants filled with local people out with their families. The old town has been and continues to be restored and it really gives a flavour of what life was like. 

BLVD RUH CITY

• Riyadh Park Mall - one of the larger malls with shops and restaurants.  

• Kingdom Mall - part of the Kingdom tower. High end stores and a few high street brands and fast food on the lower floor.

• Boulevard Riyadh City - a massive area of activities, restaurants, events and outlet stores. 

DIR'IYAH

If you are considering visiting Riyadh I would recommend going in their winter as there is so much more to see and do. It is a really interesting country and a lot of changes happening to attract more tourism. 

Riyadh is hosting Expo in 2030 and is expecting 40 million visitors. 

Dress code - it is not mandatory for women to wear an abaya or head covering. Local laws require modest attire covering shoulders and knees. If you want to visit a mosque though, a head covering is necessary. 

I personally found it more comfortable to wear loose clothing covering my body as it stopped the sun's intense rays hitting my skin. SPF50 absolutely necessary.

I'm now looking forward to a late summer holiday so check out my next post in a few weeks time.

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