Almost done ...

So it’s goodbye Tabuk and hello Riyadh. With just a few weeks to Ramadan, Kariem and I left Tabuk for Riyadh, nicknamed the gem of the desert. During the day the city seems dull and lethargic but at night it comes alive with bright lights and vibrant colours.  

There is certainly a whole lot more to see and do in Riyadh than in Tabuk, with tourist destinations like Kingdom Tower and The Diplomatic Quarters, to name but two.

The academic year in Tabuk came to an end in May and the academic staff made their way to Riyadh for summer school.  But since this falls within the heart of summer and the beginning of Ramadan there were few, if any, students.

Women and men still queue separately for services, but women do not have to wear a head covering in pubic (especially foreign women).  This comes as a bit of a relief as it is swelteringly hot in Riyadh with temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees during the day and 35 degrees at night.

Unlike back home where Ramadan for the most part is a quiet affair, in Saudi it is high profile.  The entire country begins fasting at the same hour every day for 30 days.  No one is seen smoking, eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset. During the day virtually everyone is out of sight.  Riyadh turns into a ghost town and for the unseasoned expat this can be terribly cumbersome in relation to business. At night, families flock to the city center; shopping malls and restaurants, a welcome break from the day’s siesta and fasting.

 As a special treat, Carol and I visited Kingdom Tower; a majestic structure measuring about 300 metres above ground level.  This skyscraper, a 99-story high-rise building, was modeled after the Shanghai World Financial Centre and Tuntex Sky Tower in China depicting a distinctive semi-oval hole in the middle.A trip to the Skybridge on the 99^th floor will set one back a mere SR35 where the bright lights of Riyadh are at your feet.  This is a must see for anyone travelling to the city – somehow brings back memories of Carlton Tower in Johannesburg.J

Getting there is altogether another ball-game, as taxi drivers may only be acquainted with the Arabic name for Kingdom Tower.  

For the most part they don’t seem to know where much of anything is since they can never find our apartment (I think more in the interest of making a quick buck off an unsuspecting foreigner, but by now I’ve wised up to their wiles.   

Not very much longer to go before I return home and I’m looking forward to it. No more being hot and bothered J I’ll pack my bags and say my goodbyes to the Kingdom and carry in my heart a piece of the desert and the Red Sea (two sights I think are really very beautiful).

Ciao for now – may the force be with you.