Eid Al Fitr Celebrations In Riyadh!

Riyadh Municipality is organizing Eid Al Fitr celebrations for the year 2013 in over 200 locations around town. There's events for family, women only and children. It might be hard for expatriates to know where the festivities are and the timings. Finding the information in English is hard every year, unfortunately it's quite poorly advertised and promoted to the English speaking expats in Riyadh. I gathered some of my favorites here for you and your family to enjoy this Eid in Riyadh!
Eid Mubarak to all Blue Abaya readers!
For Blue Abaya's Top Ten List of Things To Do During Eid in Riyadh, go here: http://www.blueabaya.com/2013/08/top-ten-things-to-do-during-eid-al-fitr.html

 Locations:
King Fahad Football Stadium
Suspension Bridge
Prince Faisal Stadium
South of Salam Mall
East of King Abdulaziz Manakh Park
Al Ha'ir neighborhood

Prince Sultan University

National Museum Park right has lovely fountains, streams and light shows and is the perfect place for a family picnic! Nearby is the King Abdulaziz Historical Center folklore tent where traditional music, dances, poetry recital are performed. 

The King Fahad Cultural Center is set on a beautiful location on its own, situated on the edge of Wadi Hanifa. The center offers various activities aimed mainly at children and women only events.

What would Eid celebrations be without some traditional dances? The folklore tent at the King Abdul Aziz historical center, right next to the National Museum, offers some of the best shows! Dance groups come from all over the Saudi Kingdom; Eastern Province, Jizan, Makkah and of course, the Najd Ardha dances! The dance performances are shown on the first three days of Eid and start up around 5:30 pm continuing until after midnight.

The folklore tent also has poetry recital and it's a great chance to listen to old Bedouin love songs played with the 'Desert Violin', the Rababah. 

For a bird's eye view of the festival area, and the best place to view the Eid fireworks show from, go up the water tower located inside the amusement park next to the National Museum!

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.
    

Quad Biking In Thumamah

One of the most popular outdoors activities for locals and expats alike is going out to the nearby desert for some quad biking. Quads, four wheelers, sand buggies, whatever you call them, it's always a blast to drive them! The best thing is women can also drive, even in an all-women groups.

The Thumamah sand dunes outside Riyadh are a popular place for renting quads on the weekends. There's a stretch of over 20 km next to the highway lined with quad bike rental places. They also have Saudi style tents with their own private yards for rent which wuld be ideal for families. There's camel riding, horse back riding and other desert activities to enjoy.

The rental guys will be helpful in choosing the best bike and showing how it works. If they see a group of women going out on their own sometimes they might come with you some distance in case you get stuck and need pushing help.

To reach Thumamah drive out of Riyadh toward the Janadriyah festival area, you will pass it and the King's farm on the left hand side of the road. Continue on this road and you will soon see the sand dunes on the left of the road. The rental places are on the side of the road and they are easy to spot with the bikes lined in rows.
The further you drive out on this road, the better. There are literally hundreds of rental places here. The further out of town you drive the less people there will be around and the prices become cheaper. The sand dunes have less trash and there's not as much disturbance.

When you see a nice spot just make a turn left to the dunes and drive to whichever rental place you like. It might be worth shopping around a bit for a better price. If you go on weekdays during daytime there will most likely be nobody else around. On the other hand weekend afternoons and evenings turn this place crazy busy, dusty and crowded!

 Prices will range according to bike size from 100-300 SAR an hour. You can choose a bike with gears (recommended) or an automatic one. There are even very small bikes available for the children to try safely. You will need to get one of the larger size bikes to be able to climb the steeper hills and venture out to the dunes.

 Bashing in the soft sand is really fun but can also be tricky. You need to be careful watching out for sudden steep hills, thorny bushes, holes and large pieces of trash.

Sometimes a nuisance for the female bikers are the "shabab". These Saudi men are curious and persistent and will sometimes follow unaccompanied women around. To avoid this it's best to go during daytime and to places further out away from the crowds. It would be advisable to have a male accompany you during weekends and the peak hours. I've noticed that if these men keep bothering you, the best way to send them off is to start taking their picture.

Look out for falcons which can often be seen hunting in this area.

 Everyone gets stuck every once in a while! The trick is to avoid driving too slowly, especially when going uphill! Don't stop the bike uphill, only on a flat area or slightly downhill. If you get stuck get off of the bike and try pushing the bike out slowly while giving a little it gas.

 Women can remove their abaya out in the desert if they so wish and it's actually much safer to drive without it! The abayas hems that might get stuck in the wheels and engine. I've managed to ruin three abayas like this! If you keep it on, make sure your abaya doesn't get tangled and burned from the hot engine.

Unfortunately many areas of the beautiful Thumamah sands are ruined with trash left behind by bikers and campers. Don't leave any trash behind and pick up any that you can!!

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.

Riyadh Date Market-Dates Galore!

The date season is just around the corner and so is Ramadan, the month when Muslims consume the most dates during the whole year! Millions of Muslims all over the world will be breaking their fasts with a date or three. Dates are extremely healthy in so many ways, they deserve a post on their own just to explain all their amazing health benefits..For now I will tell you where to go in Riyadh for a real date fest! The Riyadh date market!

The Riyadh date and vegetable market also referred to as the date souk is located off exit 14 is THE place to go date-shopping!

Most of the dates at the market are sold by the kilo or by the box but you can always request a small portion and the vendors are happy to let you sample all the different varieties available. For a first timer it can all be really confusing, there's just so much variety.

 When dates turn yellow from the original green color they are called rutab. That's when they're really crunchy and a bit sour. This is the favorite kind of date of many but personally I prefer the sweeter and softer ones called sukari. After dates start ripening and changing color they're called tamr.

 Before I came to Saudi-Arabia, I never realized there were any other kind of dates than those brown ugly looking ones :)  Dates come not only in a rainbow of different colors, but they also vary in size, moisture, texture and sweetness. There are dates used for pure delicacy purposes, some are used to make juices, paste, flour and syrup.

There are dates available here all year round but the fresh dates begin to come into season in the summer when the dates ripen enough in the trees. You might have seen the date palms all over the city now have green fruits hanging from them and they're often covered with nets to protect from pests.

Visitors are welcome to sample the dates and some vendors will offer some Arabic coffee with them. Don't forget to haggle!

Directions: Heading South on the Eastern ring road, take exit 14 to the your right. Then take a right from the lights and continue on the service road until you get to the main entrance of the marketplace area. There is a huge vegetable and fruit market next to the date souk. The entrance to the date souk is on the left hand side, you can enter from any of the many gates on the side or the main entrance where the guards are sitting.This is where you can stop for some complimentary Arabic kahwa and of course, dates!!