I now have a theory that all bougie hot places in the world claim their national pastimes are eating and shopping. The times I’ve been to Singapore people love to tout that about their island country…Dubai, Abu Dabi, Hong Kong. It’s kind of the same here in Riyadh although I think it might have be created out of necessity.
The significant exception here is that there is no large body of body of water, museums, cultural events, movie theaters, or places that serve ALCOHOL. Being that Riyadh is directly in the middle of this desert country, the nearest body of water is the Arabian Gulf on the eastern coast four hours away. It’s too hot to even go to the pool right now so people tend to stay indoors, a lot. It’s not surprising that there really isn’t much to do in Riyadh other than shop and eat.
A few malls here are really impressive. There is only so much clothing shopping I can do though, especially when my clothes are covered by an abaya for the most part, plus I’m consciously trying to edit down my current closet. Handbags, shoes and sunglasses are another story, but I’m abstaining from making any big purchases until I start getting paid.
So for now this leaves us with discovering the food scene. There are so many restaurants here, and really good ones. We’ve barely scratched the surface and really nothing has disappointed us. It’s no surprise that American and international chain faves like Eataly, Shake Shack, Wagamama, Laduree, Magnolia Bakery, Bateel, and Eric Kayser have stores and restaurants here. The world’s largest Dairy Queen is even here! Sweet treat mall kiosks and shops for gelato, cupcakes, and cookies are everywhere you look. Chain coffee shops are popular as well. J just went to roasting house so I won’t be surprised when the ultra-niche coffee bar trend takes off here. Even though eating out at some of the trendier or under the radar places may give you some culinary cred, eating out is fundamentally about connecting with people and less about nothing else to do.
For Saudi’s, in my perspective, it ends up being a family social event. Families are large and households are commonly multigenerational. Often I’ll notice a table of at minimum six people, of varying ages, mothers and fathers, young men and women, boys and girls – clearly all family as single men and women are not allowed to interact in public. Single women go out in groups, whether it’s family or friends. They may be accompanied by a chaperone which reminds me of the time we were at Nozomi, a very trendy sushi restaurant that looks like it should be in New York City with its impeccably designed all-wood interior. The family matriarch, who was clearly a grandmother or maybe even a great grandmother, was with the young twenty something ladies of the house. As out of place as this women was in this environment, all of the women were smiling and laughing, enjoying their elders’ company and didn’t seem at all put out with her presence. I felt like a bit of a voyeur, but it was one of the sweetest glimpses into a family dynamic I’ve ever seen.
I can’t imagine what it must be like for a singles living here. It’s really difficult for men and women to interact in this country as there are separate dining sections for single men vs. families and women in ALL restaurants. Crazy, huh? People still have to eat though. If you can’t go on a date, or intermingle with your work crew, you go out with the guys (or ladies as noted above)! I think J has a bigger crew of guy friends in Riyadh than he’s ever had the entire time we’ve known each other. At least once a week one of the guys will ask him to go out for dinner, play golf or go shopping (yeah shopping, you read that right). I’m happy he has great guys to pal around with. I think it’s nice that he hangs out with the single guys, those who are waiting for their family to arrive or others here for a short assignment. The singles section in a lot of places isn’t great. Some restaurants are getting better though. This is where I come in. I think the guys actually prefer when I come along so they can sit in the family section. We absolutely lied to a host once and said that the other guys were my brother and cousin (gasp!).
So much of the success of being in a place like Riyadh is finding a good crew of people that you truly enjoy hanging out with. It’s surprising how quickly we found like-minded people, who have the same interests. Bonus that they don’t mind being around the Gents (or also have kids) and give Wally loads of attention. We’ve spent a lot of time, including meals, together with this group. God is definitely looking out for us. And for this reason I go back to my earlier point about Saudi families.
There is something special about having a meal with people you connect with. It’s familial and comforting, especially being so far from home. Yes, it’s nice to have the convenience of Shake Shack, be able to order my favorite curry at Wagamana, enjoy a delicate Laduree macaron and think “Riyadh isn’t so bad!” but having a crew is awesome. Because when I'm checking in with my family and friends they want to know that we're making new friends and have a good support system. Although Riyadh may not have many activities to offer outside of luxury shopping, a plethora of different cuisines and international chain restaurants, it does offer the opportunity to build relationships with people you’d never have met otherwise.