Top 13 Things To Do In Riyadh's Diplomatic Quarter In The Summer

This article was published in the Destination Riyadh July issue! Get your DR copy at Danube, SASCO gas stations, Whites Pharmacy and all the major hotel chains. For a full list of the locations check the Destination Riyadh Facebook page

Things To Do In DQ In The Summer

1. Enjoy a fun day at the wave pool. The Sports Club outdoor pool area is definitely one of Riyadh’s hidden gems. A large wave pool, children’s pools, water slides, sun chairs in a garden setting and a restaurant offering healthy meals and fresh juices. What more can you ask for? Ladies and men’s days separately, membership required to enter.

2. Take a long unwinding walk on the nature trail that encircles the diplomatic quarters. The track can be accessed from anywhere on the parameters of the DQ. Along the 20km of the track, enjoy the wildlife, the breathtaking scenery of Wadi Hanifa and the cooling breeze from the valley and take a rest at one of the numerous shady parks along the way.

3. Enjoy an outdoor breakfast at Kindy plaza. Sit in the shade next to the cooling fountains and choose from a variety of different breakfast places such as Kudu’s, Diet Center, Quiznos and House of Donuts. Seating is open singles and families alike. Children and teenagers enjoy bicycling, roller skating and rollerboarding around the spacious plaza.

4. Visit the Prince Salman Science Oasis located off circle 4 inside the Sports Club facilities. The center offers interesting and fun activities for children and is a learning experience for the entire family. During the summer the center organizes various science courses for children.

5. Wander around the beautifully designed and lush gardens of the diplomatic quarter. Each has a unique design, indigenous plants and flowers, rest places, shaded walkways and playgrounds for kids.  All parks have attractive fountains to cool you down.

6. Visit the luxurious women’s only center Manahil for a day of pampering. In addition to the plentiful spa and salon services, Manahil offers a design shop, restaurant, gym, indoor pool, dancing and swimming classes for children and adults.

7. Dine in a relaxed and open setting at the Italian restaurant Scalinis, located in the Fazari plaza. Delicious Italian meals, abaya free area and no reservations required.

8. Take your bike out on the walking trail for an amazing work out with the best scenery in Riyadh! Make use of the numerous exercise stations along the track. Women can bicycle her freely without having to worry about their abaya getting caught in the wheels.

9. Feast your eyes on the eclectic and fascinating architecture of the Diplomatic Quarter buildings. World renowned architects contributed to the diverse albeit unique architectural style faithful to the Najdi region. Be sure to check out the Cultural Palace, Tuwaiq Palace on the edge of Wadi Hanifa, the Fortress America,and Kindy Plaza mosque and surroundings. From the embassies special mention goes to the Japanese, Ethiopian, and Indonesian embassies and the official residences of Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria.

10. Play a game of football, basketball, cricket or any of your favorite sports at the Yamamah park located off circle 8. The park has a large and shady fountain area, various different children’s playgrounds, a large grass field, a soccer and basketball court, a mosque and a track perfect for walks and bicycling in the shade.

11. Enjoy the cooling breeze and fantastic views down to Wadi Hanifa with its hundreds of palm trees and historical Diriyah in the distance from the Annafel park. This park, located on the walking track close to Tuwaiq Kindergarten off circle 8 has three waterfalls and is the perfect place for a picnic!

12. Take horse riding lessons at the Al Aghar Equestrian club. The club also has a closed off poolside area available for renting by the hour, open to non members and families. Separate ladies and men’s days and family day is Friday.

13. Enjoy lunch or a refreshing drink on Riyadh’s only non- segregated outside terrace located on the plaza off circle 7. Choose your refreshments between Crepe World, Starbucks, Subway and Dunkin Donuts and sit under the cooling mists feeling worlds away from Riyadh’s hustle and bustle.

Ten Pools In Riyadh To Cool Off In This Summer!

There's no doubt that summer is here to stay. It's getting hotter by the day with recorded temperatures reaching almost 50C! Lots of women are looking for swimming pools in Riyadh that could be used by females only. There aren't many olympic sized public swimming pools out there, but a few great options are available for those looking for a refreshing and cooling day out at the pool. Whether you're searching for an indoor or outdoor pool look no further!

This is my article from June's Women's Skills Bureau Newsletter "10 Ways To Cool Off In Riyadh"
The newsletter as a whole can be downloaded here.

Top Ten Swimming Pools In Riyadh

Summer is here and temperatures are expected to raise well above +40c daily for the next three months or so. What a better way to cool off than by spending a day at the pool! Here are ten swimming pools that women can use in Riyadh.

1.       The outdoor wave pool at Diplomatic Quarters Sport Club. The DQ Sports club outdoor and indoor pools have alternating days for women and men. The outdoor wave pool area is set in a beautiful garden and has water slides, kids pools and a restaurant. Membership required.

2.      Yibreen Spa outdoor pool. Located inside this secluded luxury spa, the pool and sun tanning/lounging area is accessible for members free of charge and with a fee for non members. The café offers healthy snacks and fresh fruit juices.

3.       Riyadh Golf Club Sports Gardens pools. A green oasis in the middle of the desert, the Golf club has plenty of outdoor activities for families including the outdoor pool, children’s pool, mini-golf, basketball and others. Membership required.

4.       Al Manahil ladies spa in the Diplomatic Quarter has a large indoor pool accessible for non members and by single payment. Modest swimwear required. Swimming classes for children and adults.

5.       Al Luthan women’s only Hotel and Spa has a beautiful indoor pool and also offers aqua fitness classes.

6.       Al Aghar Equestrian Club inside the Diplomatic Quarters has a private pool area that can be rented by the hour. Separate ladies/men’s days, Fridays are family day.

7.       Dirab Golf & Country Club located 44km outside Riyadh is a wonderful haven outside the hustle and bustle of the city. Two outdoor pools and also horseback riding available for ladies, abaya free zone.

8.       Al Multaka Ladies Center. In addition to an indoor pool,  AlMultaka offers a spa and beauty salon, library, shops and a restaurant.

9.       Many of the private hospitals in Riyadh have women only pools and offer classes with female instructors. Check out Obaid, Hammadi and Specialized Medical Center pools.

10.   For family pool time or pool parties, the area around exit 8 and 9 is lined with istiraha’s (small private resort) that can be rented per day for the whole family to enjoy or many families can rent one and share the costs. Fantasy Land, Yamama Resort and Splash Waterpark have aquaparks open to children only but they also offer private villas with small pools.

P.S For men I would recommend the Intercontinental hotel outdoor pools (men and children only) and Ritz Carlton indoor pool (men only)

Riyadh's Hidden Gems-The Diplomatic Quarter Gardens

Riyadh's expatriates are always looking for new and exciting things to do on weekends.  There are many places in and around Riyadh which are mostly unknown to the public and expats. One of them is the Diplomatic Quarter parks, the most relaxing and serene places within the city limits. Clean, green surroundings, open spaces to walk freely in and let the children play outdoors are a rarity in the desert Kingdom. All this can be found in the Diplomatic Quarters, just a five minute drive from the Riyadh city center.

Here's my article on the DQ parks including directions how to find one of the most beautiful and scenic ones with plenty of activities for the little ones to enjoy as well.  This article was published in the Women's Skills Bureau February Newsletter:

Riyadh’s hidden gems-the Diplomatic Quarter gardens

The Diplomatic Quarters hosts some of the most beautiful, green landscape and fascinating architecture in Riyadh. The Diplomatic Quarters was built on the edge of Wadi Hanifa in the 1970’s as living quarters for diplomats and the embassy area. Today the “DQ” is like a Green Eden midst the harsh surrounding desert, its parks like a refuge from the pollution and noise of bustling Riyadh.

What many if not most expats miss from our home countries is being able to walk, those free open spaces and green scenery. All of these can be found in the Diplomatic Quarters gardens. The entire DQ is an abaya free zone and resident expats can often be seen in regular clothing here. Unlike the rest of Riyadh public parks, the DQ parks are well maintained and trash-free.

There are over 30 parks, deemed gardens in the DQ, scattered over the different residential areas and along the walking track. The track is about 20 km long and runs around the entire perimeter of the DQ. Views from the walking trail down to the Wadi Hanifa valley and its hundreds of date palm trees are spectacular. The edge of the wadi itself resembles a canyon, creating a stark contrast with the sea of palm trees below. In the distance, the palaces and mosques of old Diriyah can be seen.  All that can be heard is the song of birds and the sound of a cooling breeze from the wadi.

The gardens were designed by a group of international landscape architects, their aim to preserve the natural environment using only native plants and natural materials. The seeds for the plants were gathered in the deserts and then planted in the gardens and all around the DQ area. The idea was to create a sustainable environment keeping in mind the natural flow of water and the existing formations in the landscape.

All of the plants that have been used in the DQ parks are endemic to the Arabian peninsula. Juniper, Acacia trees, Aloe Vera, Jasmine, Fig trees, Jujube trees, Prickly Pear cactus, and many others. The gardens have different flowers in bloom year round.

The gardens have been designed to have something for everyone. There are tranquil and serene areas for a more peaceful experience as well as children’s playgrounds, football fields, basketball courts and skating rinks to please the more active visitors.

There are grass fields, fountains, picnic areas, pavilions, courtyards, benches, shaded walkways, private seating areas, beautiful fragrant flowers and interesting rock formations for the visitors to enjoy. Each park has a distinct theme in design and vegetation which makes discovering new parks interesting and rewarding.

What makes the parks even more relaxing is the presence of water. The countless fountains, water channels and waterfalls create a constant calming sound of running water. This is like music to the ears for Riyadh’s desert dwellers.  Every park has at least one fountain and the larger ones have sections of the park completely dedicated to different kinds of fountains.

For families with children these gardens make for an enjoyable day out. Children of all ages will enjoy the playgrounds which have everything from swings, slides and suspension bridges to imaginative climbing gyms. The grass fields are perfect for running around and picnics. The largest parks have mosques adjacent to them and all parks have toilet facilities.

The best time to visit the gardens is in the mornings or late afternoons when lots of children come to the playgrounds. They’re open all day and everyday of the week and open to everyone, free of charge. The easiest way to pass the DQ security is to say you’re visiting your embassy during working hours and on evenings the sports club or ladies spa there.

Here are directions to the “Al Aarudh” garden, one of the largest in the Diplomatic Quarters with three different playground areas, two fountain areas, a grass field and mosque. Enter DQ from the North gate (access from Mecca rd.) immediately after entering you will see roundabout number 1. Go around it so that you take a left (the third exit) and continue on this street which goes into Hajar residential area. Drive on this street past the Indian and Guinean embassies on your right until you see the walls of the garden and shortly after the entrance to the park also on the right hand side. Park your car anywhere on the street.

WSB Newsletter can be downloaded from here:
http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1107647512759-41/WSBNewsletterFinal-Feb2013.pdf