Riyadh Things to Do Tips by sjazeerah

One of the few public places in Riyadh where men and women can gather together and spend a fabulous afternoon with or without (just the platform) afternoon tea.
I recommend the afternoon tea: the price of SR 100 is well affordable and you can eat as much as you can in a stylish environment. The buffet is various. Saudi couples prefer to go upstairs to the cigar lounge with a more intimate atmosphere. You can stay from 15.30h until 19.30h overlooking Riyadh during daylight, sunset and darkness.
Ladies can take off their Abbayas and the Mutawas (religious police) who might also visit the platform do not object.

Leave a Comment

Address: Faisalia Tower, Olaya Street
Directions: Olaya district, Olaya road (Riyadh's main shopping road), enter Faisalia shopping centre, go upstairs and you will find the access to the Faisalia tower, go through to the elevator, show your Iqama/residence permit and book the ticket for the tower level

HASH : one word but two meanings
Hash is a british invention from the 1930 (founded in Malaysia) and means a group of people gather somewhere outside a city (like the desert) for a walk or run.
Joining a Hash group is a real and often the only solution for expatriates in Riyadh who would like to go to the desert. Hash is not official in Saudi Arabia. You can only enter a group by reference. If you are interested proceed like this: ask Westerners at work, on parties, whereever whether they join Hash. If someone confirms ask him/her to join. There are three Hash-groups in Riyadh. Two of them run on Thursdays afernoon, the third one on Friday afternoon. During the walk you will also pass rockets like the the old witch (see my album 'godmade ...') and might find a lot of 30 million years old fossils as the Riyadh area was covered by the sea until that time.
Camp outs in the desert are also frequently done by the Hashers. For me the absolute highlight and passion of my stay in Saudi Arabia.

Leave a Comment

Address: meeting points are unofficial
Directions: ask preferably Westerners at work, on parties, visits whether they know about it and join on their own. The Hashers prefer the stone desert outside Riyadh for their walks.

That's the place where the story of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia began in 1902.
Until that time the area was governed by the Rashid Family.
Then, a son of the rival-family Al Saud, his name was Abdulaziz stormed and conquered this Fort together with several supporters. This was the beginning of his famous rulership.

Inside the Fort you can see a movie showing the battle.
The Fort gives you an insight of how the govering people and their families lived at that time and you will also understand how they could cope without AC in summertime.
Do not miss visiting this site.

No entrance fee.
You will be asked to sign in on a list at the entrance. Do not worry. At the exit there is a sign saying females not without legal male escort. But they always let me in on my own.

Leave a Comment

Address: Dira - Swighah
Directions: Dira - Swighah - souq