Top Ten Things To Do During Eid Al Fitr Holidays In Riyadh

UPDATE: Eid Al Fitr has been confirmed to begin on the 8th of August! Meaning, the Eid celebrations will be held on the first three days 8th, 9th and 10th of August!

My article from the Destination Riyadh Magazine August 2013 issue:
Top Ten Things To Do During Eid Al-Fitr Holidays In Riyadh

Eid Al-Fitr 2013 in Saudi Arabia is expected to begin on the 7th of August. Most companies and businesses in Riyadh will be closed for the first three days of the Eid celebrations. A few malls and restaurants remain open, but many a times Riyadhiens find themselves puzzled during this time, what is there to do in Riyadh during Eid?

Every year the Riyadh Municipality organizes various celebrations and festivals all around the city. There are events designed for families, for ladies only and for men only. Most of the festivities concentrate on celebrating the Saudi heritage with traditional dances, music, poetry, foods, displays by craftsmen and craftswomen, exhibitions portraying the Saudi culture and traditional handicraft markets.  For the full list of celebrations and locations, visit the Ar Riyadh website or look out for the Riyadh Municipality Eid Al Fitr newsletter which is distributed in the large shopping malls before Eid.

1. Participate in the King Abdulaziz Historical Center celebrations. Every year the biggest and best celebrations are held in a vast area spreading around the Historical Center buildings and the National Museum. Traditional Sword (Aardha) dances, Najdi music, songs, and poetry recital fill the warm evenings and nights in a beautifully decorated setting. Enjoy a picnic in the National Museum Gardens watching the fountain and light show. Children will enjoy playing on the grass fields and running through the cooling fountains.
   
2. Explore the Qasr Al Hokum  Square festival area surrounded by Saudi history. Highlights of this festival, situated next to the Al Musmak fort, include traditional folklore tents, handicrafts markets, Saudi food stalls and lots of activities and games for children. This area is usually separated for men and women.
3. Watch the Eid fireworks show organized by the Riyadh Municipality. The fireworks will be held at 9pm on the first three days of Eid Al Fitr and launched from various areas around the city. The best places to view the fireworks from are the King Fahad football stadium, the suspension bridge and the water tower viewing platform, located next to the National Museum. UPDATE: This year 2012 the Riyadh Municipality has announced the fireworks show to begin at 11:50pm each of the three nights!
   
4. Dine outside with views to both Mamlaka and Faisaliyah towers which will be specially lit for Eid. Café Lenotre and Lusin Armenian restaurant on Centria Mall’s third floor both offer family seating areas under  the stars and cooling mists. Reservations during the first days of Eid are an absolute must.
5. Check out the spectacular views from the water tower viewing platform. The tower is located inside the small amusement park next to the National Museum. From up here you can and get a bird’s eye view down to the festival area, the beautifully lit mosques, historical buildings, festive lights and decorations of the area. Also one of the best places to watch the fireworks from.  Admission into the amusement park is 10 SAR and an additional 5 SAR to go up the tower. If you’re aiming to see the fireworks arrive at least half hour early. 
   
6. Go to Wadi Hanifa dam in Historical Diriyah for a family BBQ .The area is dotted with picturesque picnic spots, each has a BBQ pit, seating areas and privacy. Adults can enjoy the breeze from the Wadi and views down to the valley while children can eat ice cream and play with the toys sold by vendors on site.
7. Kindy Plaza Square inside the Diplomatic Quarters has one of the best organized and beautifully decorated festival areas. The square also has the best traditional dances from all around the Kingdom, dance groups from Najdi region, Eastern Province, Jazan and Madinah entertain family audiences for three nights in a row. There’s also a crafts market and Saudi traditional foods such as Marasi'a made on the spot by local women. On some years the Kindy plaza festivities have been cancelled last minute due to security concerns.
   
   
   
   
8. Mingle with the local ladies at the Women’s festival building in the King Abdulaziz Historical Center. Mothers and daughters can have henna tattoos made, watch theatre and comedy shows, have face paintings made and the height of the evening a chance to watch Saudi women dancing and singing traditional Saudi songs.
   
9. Men and children will enjoy the activities at the Show’s Square off exit 10 next to the AlSager Aviation Museum. This huge area has lots of motorsports and can be visited by the whole family. High Diving Show, motorcycle show, modified cars show, wall trampoline, flying trapeze, remote controlled cars shows and competitions.
10. Take the family or a group of friends for a fun day out in Thumamah sand dunes. Choose from Quad bike rentals, camel rides, kite flying, horse back riding, or dune bashing and sand boarding. Rent an outdoor istiraha with a traditional Saudi tent and enjoy a meal by the camp fire or inside the air conditioned tents.