So Much to Say…

Our plane from Frankfurt to Riyadh

We made it to Saudi! The flight was smooth and thankfully there were no issues with Mr. Dante “Dewey”.  An hour before landing at King Khalid International Airport I woke up and opened up my window shades on the airplane and all I could see was the vastness of the Arabian Desert. It is pretty amazing to see the sand dunes and small little towns in the middle of the dessert. I couldn't stare for long because the brightness of the sun was intense.

It’s been a little over a week since we’ve arrived and so far I’ve been pleasantly surprised. The terrain here is definitely different; a lot of sand and rocks. It’s very hot right now over 100 degrees every day. It’s sort of like being in a convection oven or in a dry sauna. At least it’s a dry heat and quite frankly it doesn’t bother me. There are days that are hazy because of the fine granules of sand in the air. On those days I breathe in the sand and taste it. The brightness of the sun here is extreme and I am making use of my sunglasses on a daily basis. Once October comes around the temperature will drop to 75-80 degrees during the day and at night we’ll have to wear a light winter jackets because it gets a bit breezy.   

The city of Riyadh is quite nice, especially downtown. Since it’s the capital of Saudi Arabia the city is kept very clean. Entertainment for the Saudis are shopping and eating, so there are tons of shops and restaurants. I have been surprised to see many American chains, such as Applebee’s, Cheesecake Factory, Dunkin Donuts, Crispy Creams, Starbucks, KFC, McDonald’s, and a few more I have forgotten. We still haven’t made it to the shopping malls, but we hear they are very nice. There’s an Ikea here and I’ve just been told that we also have a Pottery Barn. We have gone grocery shopping and the supermarkets we’ve been to are outstanding. My favorite so far is an Indian franchise called LuLu's. There you will find items from all around the world.

We’ve arrived during Ramadan so there’s not much going on during the day. Running errands, setting up internet service and getting a local cell phone have been a challenge. The grocery stores open for brief periods in the morning, but everything else is closed until 9:30 pm. During the day the Muslim population are fasting and catching up on sleep. Once the sun goes down, they break their fast and indulge by eating out with their families and going shopping. The shopping malls, souks, stores and restaurant stay open until 2 am. Supposedly their shopping malls have excellent sales during this time. Much like in the States after Christmas except here it’s all month long.

We’ve also applied for the Iqama, which is an ID card issued to all living in Saudi Arabia. It normally takes 3-4 weeks to obtain it, but because it’s Ramadan it may take longer to get it. For now we carry a temporary card in case we get stopped by authorities or the religious police (Mutawa). In Saudi, women can only be in public with the opposite sex, if he is her husband, son, or close relative. The Iqama lets authorities know that Billy and I are married by the information on it. The same rules apply for Billy.

In public it’s mandatory for women to where an Abaya, which is a black cloak that goes over the clothes. I have borrowed mine from the Embassy for now and intend to buy one soon. In the Diplomatic Quarters (DQ) where we live I am not required to wear it, but I must still dress discretely because at times the Mutawa do patrol the DQ. The headscarf (Burka) is optional for Western women, but if the Mutawa see you without it on they will ask you to cover your hair. They follow Shari'ah Law (moral code and religious law of Islam) and have the right to enforce it. They do hold power in office and have deep roots in Saudi government. The good news is that the Mutawa are not everywhere and have no arresting power unless they are with a police officer. I haven’t seen one yet. In my opinion the best thing is to just follow the rules. Like the saying goes, when in Rome do what the Romans do.  

One of several parks in the DQ

The Diplomatic Quarters (DQ) where we live is huge. It’s bigger than Beaufort, SC where we used to live before the Foreign Service. There are many parks, a shopping area, an equestrian center for horseback riding, schools, sports facilities, enormous conference/party centers, shops, restaurants and a 10 mile walking/biking trail with views of the city.

All the embassies are in the DQ. There’s even a Brazilian Embassy here. Hope we can get on the guest list for carnival. We’re a short walk to the embassy which is nice. Across the street from our house is a beautiful gated park with lots of grass, palm trees, and water fountains. It’s definitely an oasis and quite peaceful. We usually go and walk Dante there.  We are also blocks away from the walking trail which we love.

 A few houses down is a simple mosque which looks like an adobe. There are mosques everywhere here. It’s sort of like living in the south, a Baptist church on every corner. Several times during the day, around the same time we hear the call to prayer from different mosques nearby. We find it to be quite beautiful and relaxing to hear. It’s such a pleasant thing for us that we like to open our doors just to listen to them sing. I’m sure this will wear off in time.

The Mission has accommodated us quite well, and everyone we’ve met have been extremely welcoming. This post was unaccompanied from 2003 – 2010, so I get a sense people are very happy to see families and children back.  The Mission is learning to make it a very family friendly post once again.  There are many activities to keep children, families and singles busy.  Outside of the DQ there is a big expat community too, people who have lived here for many years. I hear they are a wealth of knowledge. I can honestly say my first week here has been enjoyable.