leisure: Retail therapy
Retail therapy
As with much of the Gulf region, shopping in Saudi Arabia is a huge pastime. There are numerous megamalls spread across the country along with the many, and more traditional, markets - known as souks.
With no tax or VAT, considerable savings can be made for both seasoned and casual shoppers. The departure lounge at Riyadh airport often resembles the sorting office of an electronics retailer.
Every international brand can be found in Riyadh along with all of the western luxury goods. Women's fashion is big business, with the high streets adorned by the likes of Prada and Gucci.
The most exuberant malls in Saudi Arabia can be found within the Faisaliah Tower and Kingdom Tower in Riyadh city centre.
Both of these towers dominate the skyline and are often used as landmarks for the sake of orientation.
Not only do they host some of the most fashionable stores but also some of the most classy restaurants and hotel suites.
The Kingdom Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Saudi Arabia at a height of 302 metres. The Tower contains a total of 99 floors, including the basement levels, and is also host to the highest mosque in the world.
The tower houses the Mamlaka Mall, a three-level shopping centre on the east wing, a Four Seasons hotel and state-of-the-art apartments. The key stores in the 41,000-square metre complex are Marks & Spencers, Debenhams and Saks Fifth Avenue. In the basement there is also a large food hall. There are also two whole floors reserved exclusively for women, which are managed and serviced entirely by ladies, and where the traditional abaya can be abandoned.
The Kingdom Tower also boasts a 56-metre long skybridge atop the skyscraper, at a height of 270 metres, which contains a public observation deck and a view of the entire city of Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia's first skyscraper was the 267 metre-high Faisaliah Tower, which was opened in 2000. From a distance, the tower, which was designed by Britain's Buro Happold,
resembles the nib of a fountain pen and is almost totally transparent from both inside and outside.
Just below the summit there is a huge, golden globe; an observation deck over the villas, streets and marketplaces of Riyadh.
Beneath the tower lies the Faisaliah Shopping Centre, which has a large Harvey Nichols store with a wide selection of top brand fashion and shoe shops among its 108 units. In the basement, there is the Toy Centre and on the second floor there is a large food court.
Overall, Riyadh offers the greatest range of shopping experiences in the Kingdom, from traditional souks to high-end international fashion stores.
The traditional souks can be found in the historic (old) quarter of the city around the Qasr Al Hokum district.
The Antique Souk is the oldest in Riyadh and today it still maintains the traditional narrow passageways and enclosed atmosphere and character. Other souks in the area include the gold souk and women's souk.
The bulk of the shopping centres are located in the Olaya district, which has a large number of malls and specialist shopping centres, covering everything from fashion and jewellery to computers.
Outside the city centre and heading north there are a number of large modern shopping malls, including the Sahara Mall, with 180 units; the more modern Deira Shopping Centre, with 500 units; and the Al Bathaa souk.
The largest souks in the Kingdom can be found in Al-Baha, Abha, Buraydah, Tabuk, Najran and Jeddah. A large reason why these areas have prospered as market towns is that they lie along the traditional pilgrim trade routes and were for centuries the centres of bargaining and bartering.
Jeddah
As the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah has a large number of shops, which range from open air souks and pedestrian bazaars to the most urbanised shopping malls.
Shopping in Jeddah can never be complete without a trip to the various gold shops where bartering is the norm.
For fashion aficionados there is Tahlia Street in the heart of Jeddah. This is the hub of designer brands with the El Khayyat Shopping Centre stocking the likes of Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and DKNY. For cheaper unbranded goods the best place to shop is Gabel Street, where the road is lined with open air souks selling traditional items like Arabian tea pots, rugs and Arabian perfumes.
However, the first shopping centre in the city, which remains the largest today, is the Heraa Mall. This one-stop-wonder has over 240 international and local retailers, selling everything from branded fashion items to locally made traditional fair. The mall also features a number of restaurants and coffee shops.
Dammam
A trip to Dammam in the Eastern Province wouldn't be complete without stopping at one of the many shopping malls the city has to offer. Visitors will find several centres dedicated to a favoured past-time among Saudis and expatriates. Like most malls in the Kingdom, they sell everything from electronic appliances and gadgets to designer brands, watches and perfumes.
With so many malls to choose from, it's not easy to decide where to spend your hardearned cash. But the Beach Mall, Oasis Commercial Mall and Plaza Hyatt Mall are popular venues. Dammam International Markets Mall and Bin-Khaldoum Plaza Mall also come highly recommended. Elsewhere, the Feminine East Mall at Damman Corniche offers Saudi women a range of international brands to choose from.
Beyond the modern malls, the Eastern Region is rich with heritage that provides an insight into Saudi customs and traditions. Fixed and mobile markets selling handcrafts, traditional ornaments, domestic birds and agricultural products offer some of the best places to learn more about the culture.
The Al-Hab Market is considered one of the region's most famous, making it a popular attraction for locals and visitors alike. Typical goods that are available include household appliances. Over at the Thursday market in Al Qateef, visitors will find handcrafts, rugs and baskets, as well as the Sheep Market, which sells domestic animals and birds.
Merchants at the Thursday Market in Al Nairiyiah sell traditional goods, local ghee, herbal incense and pots. Dates, coffee, cardamom, cattle and domestic birds are also available.
Al-Baha
In this province, each of the souks are named after the day of the week on which they are held. The range of products they sell is diverse, ranging from fruit and vegetable to spice and tea and local handicrafts.
Most of the fruit and vegetables are grown locally, the poultry is either bred or hunted here, perfumes come from local flowers, honey is harvested in the Kingdom and dates are also grown in Saudi. Even the ironware, such as traditional swords and other weapons, along with agricultural tools, are made locally according to traditional methods.
The biggest and most popular souk in the Kingdom is Souk Al-Khamis, or Thursday Market, which is held in the Al Baha Province. The Friday Market, Souk Al-Jumaa, is held in Al- Aqia; the Tuesday Market, Souk Al-Thalatha, is held in Al-Makhwah on the main road linking Al-Baha with Al-Makhwah; and the Saturday Markets, Souq al-Sabt, are held in Beljarchi, Rama, Al Mandaq, Al-Rouma and Al-Jardaa. The largest of these is the Beljarchi.
For something more eye-catching and unusual, you could head south to Narjan, which borders Yemen, where the people wear bright, multicoloured, sarong-like izars, topped by black embroidered jackets.
This region is famed for its honey, but handicrafts, folklore and dancing all thrive here also.
Najran
Najran is one of the last places in Saudi Arabia where you can still find an authentic hand made jambia, the traditional dagger. Souk al- Jambia, or Souk al Khanajer, Aba al Saud is the only souk in the Kingdom that specialises in the locally made daggers, making it an essential part of any itinerary. The proximity to traders grinding and selling flour in a nearby shop adds interest. Other handicrafts include gold and silver jewellery, textile weavings, leather goods and wood carvings.
Souk al-Nisa'a is the women's souk and is the only one of its kind in the province. It sells a range of items including clothing, toiletries, spices, incense and perfumes, and some household objects.
There are several other souks in this province, selling everything from ironware to handwoven baskets and handicrafts.
Once you are exhausted from shopping you can take in a folklore performance or a poetry recital, with tales about Bouzaid Al-Hilali, a legendary inhabitant of the ancient city of Al- Ukhdud. Traditional dancing is also popular and includes Razfa (for men, performed during religious feasts and marriages); Dance of the Horses (a war dance); Zamel and the Dance of the Drums (Tabel, Al Maraf'e).
Another attraction in Narjan is the Abha Festival, which was the first summer festival within the Kingdom. Today, it is televised by several satellite stations around the Middle East. Festival events include poetry recitals, lectures and traditional music concerts, dancing and the Abha Shopping Festival.
