Europe’s Winter Wonderlands
AGAINST ALL ODDS: Beating Poverty with a Game Plan
MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! Rags to Riches:
They’re Not Just Historic Names, but Success Stories to Live By
Khalid Sindi: Giving
the disabled their rights
+A DAY AT THE RACES RIYADH’S FIRST EVER FOOD FESTIVAL
ISSUE 22 DEC 2014
Harness the essence and soul of old Arabia and enjoy the mythical, timeless beauty of the desert.
REGIONAL EDITORIAL MANAGER JOU PABALATE EDITOR-AT-LARGE JOHARA AL MOGBEL EDITOR SOHILA EL SAADANY ASSOCIATE EDITOR/PHOTOGRAPHER MOHAMMED AL DEGHAISHIM ASSOCIATE EDITOR/WEB ADMIN SWALAH ESHKI CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AMAL AL SHAIKH ANOUSHA VAKANI BIG HASS CAROLYN HEATON HIBATALLA IBRAHIM MOHAMMED MIRZA SOBIA JAVED THARIK HUSSAIN FASHION EDITOR MAZIN AL MAIMANI EDITORIAL ASSISTANT YARA BANA ART DIRECTOR REEM AL ASSAL STUDIO MANAGER MOHAMED FAWZY GRAPHIC DESIGNERS MOHAMMED RASHAD / JALILA AL HARITH PHOTOGRAPHY MOHAMMED MIRZA / THARIK HUSSAIN /JALILA AL HARITH SOCIAL MEDIA HURREIA ASIF BALOUCH SALES & ADVERTISING RIYADH OFFICE SALES@RUMMANCOMPANY.COM +966-563578291 (9 A.M. - 10 P.M.) +966-556899914 (9 A.M. - 10 P.M.) JEDDAH OFFICE +966-12-6060291 (9 A.M. - 5 P.M.) GENERAL INQUIRIES DRINFO@RUMMANCOMPANY.COM DISTRIBUTION DISTRIBUTION@RUMMANCOMPANY.COM
FROM THE EDITOR LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS With the cooler weather upon us, Destination Riyadh has put together an issue that will warm your entrepreneurial spirit. We are closing the year with stories and insights that have shaped the business landscape of the Kingdom today. We begin your DR experience with a trip down memory lane. They say the past is the best teacher of the future; hence, we gathered the interesting and inspiring self-made Saudis now considered industry legends. We also turn the spotlight to the present trailblazers. Read our one-on-one with Khalid Sindi, who is challenging us to rethink and take action in giving people with disabilities a chance in the workforce through Qaderoon. And take tips from a young Saudi who is making waves in the start-up scene. Find out how you can get your big idea financed and simply, just go on ahead and do it. No issue is complete without providing you with a glimpse of everything there is to know and love about the city of Riyadh and the Kingdom. From hip-hop music, fashion and health misconceptions, we have something that would pique your interest. Saudi Arabia possesses the most robust economy in the Gulf. We are proud to say that Riyadh has been ranked as one of the most rapidly developing cities in the world today. Yet we know that there’s still a lot of varying opinions about the capital. Destination has made it our mission to show you what life is truly like here and the positive potential it has. As the year ends, we encourage you to look forward to the great many things that are blooming on the streets of Riyadh. Destination Riyadh Team Editor@rummancompany.com
DESTINATIONRYD DESTINATIONKSA
MY PICKS THIS MONTH
E D I T O R I A L DECEMBER ISSUE # 22
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ENAS HASHANI MANAGING EDITOR ROB L. WAGNER EXECUTIVE EDITOR BASSMA AL TOAIMI
TAM, P. 34
The Equestrian Club, P. 58
King Abdulaziz Palace, P. 78
*Destination Riyadh Magazine is a Rumman Company Publication.
License No. 7862 - 8/8/1431
PUBLISHER
Destination Magazine UK, Coventry, CV14DH N5719
DESTINATION RIYADH 1
F E AT U R E D C O N T E N T
20
62
The Grill
Qaderoon
36
Your Dream Closet
52
Lati Boutique
16
Business
Qaderoon: Together, We Are Able From Rags to Riches
28
Special Features
The Kingdom's Zuckerberg Where to Get a Loan for Your Startup Intellectual Property Protection in Saudi Arabia
48
38
Kingdom's Zuckerberg
64
Healthy Living
Arts & Entertainment The Hip-Hop Movement
The Anatomy of a Potato Chip Renewing and Restoring Your Balance Health Misconceptions
52
70
Fashion & Shopping Red Is Never Dead E-Shopping Lati Boutique
58
Special Places
Spirituality Be Inspired
72
Travel Trends
The Equestrian Club
Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski Top 5 Winter Destinations
60
78
Dining Around Town The Equestrian Club Restaurant The Grill
4
DESTINATION RIYADH
Explore KSA
King Abdulaziz Grand Historic Palace in Jeddah Historic Saudi: Jubbah
74
Top 5 Winter Destinations
34 TAM
THOUGHTS TO PONDER
THUMBS UP TO INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S DAY This year’s International Children’s Day was a great success; it had lasted for three days and had concluded Nov. 22. The event consisted of various cultural and artistic activities that kids truly enjoyed. Children were able to take part in reading sessions, drama classes, poem recitations, creative writing workshops, drawing contests and many other activities. The Ministry of Culture and Information organized the festival, which managed to attract more than 60 exhibitors including companies, government divisions, embassies and civil initiations. Such an event ensures the importance of art and culture to children. It aims at nurturing the children’s artistic senses and creativity. It instills in them the love of reading and writing to prepare them for an enlightened future.
THUMBS DOWN TO BANNING COLORED ABAYAS Dammam University has banned its students from wearing colorful abayas. This announcement comes after several women of the university were found to have exchanged the traditional black coverings for more colorful ones. The university had stated that students should abide by the black abaya as a sign of respect to the educational institution and process. Supervisors and security employees have declared that students not following the newly set regulations would be penalized. This could even take its toll on the abaya market in the city since designers have been asked to submit to specific abaya designs. The incident has sparked an intense debate among the public on whether colorful abayas should be accepted or not.
WORK IN PROGRESS REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT
Real Estate Development general Yusuf Al Zohaibi announced that loans of $666.3 million, amounting to SR 2.5 billion, are to be distributed amongst deserving applicants in order to build 6,204 new housing units in the Kingdom. This decision had been advocated by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Housing as part of the government’s actions against the housing shortages in the country. A recent study has shown that Saudi Arabia needs 3000,000 housing units every year over the next 15 years. The government will also undertake a second accommodation project that involves the building of 500,000 low-cost housing units. DESTINATION RIYADH 5
6
DESTINATION RIYADH
C I T Y A N D C O U N T R Y FA C T S H E E T
DESTINATION RIYADH 7
DR NEWS
THIS
JUST IN!
LEXUS UNVEILS THE RC F COUPE
Lexus continues its transformation from a luxury brand known for conservative and comfortable cars to also becoming known for the aggressively styled sports cars as well. The RCF coupe features a 467-horsepower 5-liter V-8 engine with an 8-speed automatic transmission that can hit 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds.
LOMAR
CHARITY CAMPAIGN 'KHALI AL KHAIR YEMSHI' Since Lomar started the campaign in 2009, people donated 18,000 thobes to charity and the campaign also includes trading in old thobes for new ones and getting a SR 100 discount on all thobes.
BLACKBERRY PASSPORT NOW AVAILABLE
BlackBerry Passport is now officially available in KSA from all leading telecom retailers. Featuring a large square touch screen and the QWERTY touch-enabled keyboard, the BlackBerry Passport is a device purposebuilt for productivity-driven business professionals.
EASY TAXI ROLLS OUT CAB METERS IN KSA
Easy Taxi, the global taxi hailing service, announced the implementation of meters in its cabs throughout the Kingdom, starting with its Jeddah fleet. In Jeddah, Easy Taxi began enforcing meters in November. Riyadh will follow shortly after.
RUSS
RECOGNIZES FIRST TRAINEE GRADS
The first Saudi graduates of Rawabi United Safety Services (RUSS) – a Rawabi Holding Group’s subsidiary – employment training program were honored at a function by Sheikh Abdulaziz Alturki, Rawabi Holding Group Chairman and Osman Ibrahim, Rawabi Holding Group President & CEO. 8
DESTINATION RIYADH
JOHNSON APPOINTS SAUDI CEO
Al Salem Johnson Controls (ASJC), a joint venture between the Al Salem Group of Companies and Johnson Controls, a global multiindustrial company, has announced the appointment of Mohanad Al Shaikh as the first Saudi national to lead the position of chief executive officer of the company.
TALABAT.COM RECOGNIZED
Talabat.com, the leading online food delivery service provider across the GCC region, has received global accolade for its mobile business and commerce platform by being presented the World Summit Award Mobile (WSA-Mobile). The United Nations funded award recognizes Talabat.com for its mobile content and creativity.
LAND ROVER PLATFORM GIVES NOD TO ARAB CULTURE Luxury SUV manufacturer Land Rover has revealed a new creative communications platform for the MENA region with the launch of MYLAND (Ardhi in Arabic) to celebrate the impact the Arab culture has had on today’s modern society. The initiative kicks off with a new online hub, MYLANDMENA.com.
BMW I8 PLUG-IN HYBRID DEBUTS
Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors showcased a revolution in sports cars, the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 at the EXCS International Luxury Motor Show in Jeddah. The BMW i8 combines the performance and appeal of a sports car with the fuel consumption of a small car.
IKEA SOFT TOYS FOR EDUCATION CAMPAIGN RETURNS
IKEA Saudi Arabia launched its Soft Toys for Education campaign around KSA for the second year in a row and is donating SR 2 to Disabled Children’s Association for every soft toy sold.
BENTLEY LAUNCHES MULSANNE MAJESTIC
Al Ghassan Motors and Bentley have launched the Mulsanne Majestic from the home of Bentley in England. The car was unveiled in November to a small number of customers in Riyadh, after making the journey from Jeddah where it was unveiled for the first time.
DESTINATION RIYADH 9
Food Coma The First Ever Food Festival in Riyadh
While we love being part of everything that is going on in our lovely city, the Destination team must admit that there’s a special place in our hearts for Lel Kheir. In their latest project, Lel Kheir went all out with a foodie extravaganza that aimed to give home cooks and small businesses to promote their delectable products (all the while giving us a noble excuse to gorge). Held at the outdoor grounds of Kore Studios, we were in foodie paradise the moment we stepped on the grass. Lel Kheir went all out with their creativity. We must mention and give a double thumbs up to the use of recycled water bottles, restaurant take out boxes, tin cans and plastic containers that were tastefully repurposed as the event’s décor. There was a photo booth set up too for those wanting a souvenir and a quaint outdoor seating arrangement for those wanting to chillax. As promised, we were treated to stall after stall of home businesses and inspiring young Caption Saudi women selling savory snacks and bountiful goodies. A big hit among the visitors was the Oishi Sushi booth; the first homemade sushi business in Riyadh ran by Saudi women chefs certified from Tokyo 10 DESTINATION RIYADH
Sushi Academy. We kid you not when we say that people lined up from end to end of the field for it. The food truck was also an interesting food concept introduced during the event. A project of Areej Art Café, it’s a nice addition to the local catering scene. There were also healthy options among the entrepreneurial bunch. Booths like the Med Shed, run by Health Coach Karma Bdeir and Health Couture, which is an initiative of Saudi dietician.
The big winners of the night were probably the sweet tooth Riyadhis, there’s just about every kind of dessert you can imagine.
A big shout out to the volunteers is in order. These girls really rolled up their sleeves and made the night a huge success. We look forward to being part of the next Lel Kheir bonanza. With these ladies at the reigns of such socially conscious yet equally entertaining private events, positive change in Riyadh couldn’t be any brighter.
EVENTS AND HAPPENINGS
01
PRINTMAKER MOHAMED KHALIL SHOWCASES WORKS Printmaker Mohamed Khalil showcases his work for the first time in Riyadh beginning in November. The artwork came from his various collections throughout the years. His chromatic approach is compelling: various shades of black interspersed with signs and symbols. The prints bear elements that create both harmony and discord within each piece.
02
SAUDI HORECA DRAWS CROWD AT RICEC
WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON!
The Saudi International Food, Beverage & Hospital Exhibition filled the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center in November with key industry players, exhibitors and visitors. HORECA is the biggest annual hospitality exhibition in the Middle East and features a host of activities, including workshops, culinary art shows and much more.
03
RIYADH FASHION DAYS OPENS AT MAISON BOM The latest edition of Riyadh Fashion Days opened in November at Maison Bo-M Galleries, Nojoud Mall, Riyadh. More than 30 designers from Saudi Arabia and the region are showcasing ready-to-wear, evening, farwah, bishts, abayas, fine jewelry, luxury bags in exotic skin and hair accessories this season. 12 DESTINATION RIYADH
04
QETAAH: URBAN CULTURE, MODERN LIVING IN RIYADH Maison BoM, in cooperation with Shadows International ran a concept event last month inspired by an exceptional group of local and international designers. The idea aimed at combining urban culture with modern living through specialty pieces that speak character. “Qeta’ah,” which translates to “a piece,” is a term used to describe an outstanding piece that reflects beauty, art, creativity and uniqueness.
05
MAHA AL SENAN DISCUSSES RIYADH VS. JEDDAH ART
06
Saudi arts expert Maha Al Senan launched recently the theme of Riyadh versus Jeddah, discussing the work of one artist from each city, whose art came of age in the mid-20th Century. She compared the works of Abdelhalim Radwi and Mohammed Al Saleem, and gave a compelling narrative on how each artist influenced subsequent generations of artists in the Kingdom.
BBQ JOINT HOLDS FAMILY FUN DAY The BBQ Joint, the local favorite for grill catering has now started a unique Fun Day series for families in Riyadh. The Halloween inspired day gives select members of the community a chance to mingle and enjoy with other visitors in a “neighborhood barbecue” ambience. Activities were also organized for the kids, like the jumpaloo, facepainting, photobooth, etc.
07
HARLEY-DAVIDSON HAS OPEN HOUSE Harley-Davidson Middle East and North Africa (MENA)’s Open House Day in KSA concluded recently after an exciting array of events hosted by the local dealerships for the Harley-Davidson community in each city. The Open House Days also launched HarleyDavidson’s 2015 line-up of motorcycles in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dhahran and Jubail. DESTINATION RIYADH 13
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
1 DEC. 1 - 13 King Adullah Show Jumping Festival A prestigious show jumping event in the Kingdom where Saudi equestrians are showcased in an international forum that attracts the best equestrians around the world. Location: Nofa Equestrian Resort Tel: +966-11-2165551 Ext. 119 Email: info@kasjf.com Web: kasjf.com
8
DEC. 8 Startup UX for Entrepreneurs Rapid wireframing and prototyping. Time: 7 p.m. -10 p.m. Location: UXBERT Usability Lab, Al Nemer Center, Olaya St.
DEC. 1 - 3 Gulf Waste Recycling Forum and Exhibition A forum that meets the needs of decision-makers in ministries and agencies of the Gulf and government sectors concerned with the leaders of local and international company experts. Location: Riyadh International Convention Center and Exhibition Mob: +966-11-2171788 Email: belal@rewastch-sa.com Web: rewastech-sa.com
9
14 DESTINATION RIYADH
Location: Alaan ArtSpace, Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4169550 Email: contact@alaanart.com DEC. 1 - 13 Riyadh Fashion Days Fall/Winter 2014 Riyadh fashion showcase of Saudi and GCC designers. Location: Maison Bo-M Web: riyadhdays.com
14
DEC. 9 - 10 Critical Care Support Fundamental of Critical Care Support.
DEC. 14 - 15 Neurology Nursing Course
Location: Prince Sultan Military Medical City Tel: +966-11-4777714 Ext: 42586/26385 Contact: Department of Postgraduate Medical Education Email: mpendre@psmmc.med.sa
Location: Prince Sultan Military Medical City. Tel: +966-11-4777714 Ext: 42586/26385 Contact: Department of Postgraduate Medical Education Email: mpendre@psmmc.med.sa
21 22 DEC. 21 – 24 PMP Certification Training An instructor-led classroom training to help you prepare for the PMP examination. Web: ezcertifications.com
DEC. 1 - 12 Muqeem Series I Series I, by Ehab Mamdouh, an Islamic contemporary art solo exhibition.
DEC. 22 - 23 Adult Mechanical Ventilation Location: Prince Sultan Military Medical City. Tel: +966-11-4777714 Ext: 42586/26385 Contact: Department of Postgraduate Medical Education Email: mpendre@psmmc.med.sa
24
DEC. 24 World Swallowing Day Location: Prince Sultan Military Medical City. Tel: +966-11-4777714 Ext: 42586/26385 Contact: Department of Postgraduate Medical Education Email: mpendre@psmmc.med.sa
2
DEC. 2 The Biggest Challenge For students at Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University. Time: 9 a.m. to noon. Location: Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University, Station (S2) DEC. 2 In Conversation: “My Art” Three young collectors talk about buying (and loving) art. Location: Alāan Artspace, Oruba St. Web: alaanart.com
16
DEC. 16 - 19 International Coffee and Chocolate Exhibition 2014 The International Coffee & Chocolate Exhibition successfully integrates all aspects of coffee and chocolate (and coffee & chocolate related industry) under one roof and features the best equipment, services and products from regional and international producers and suppliers. Location: Heights Agency Web: coffeechoco-expo.com
DEC. 24 - 25 Pediatrics Triage-Provider Course The Postgraduate Training Center (PTC) in collaboration with the Pediatric Emergency & Emergency Triage Emergency Department is pleased to announce the Pediatrics Triage – Provider Course (PT-P). Location: KSAU-HS New Deanship Building Tel: +966-11-429 9999 Ext: 91111 Email: ptc.registration@ksau-hs.edu.sa
DEC. 2 - 4 Government Administrative Leaders The conference seeks to contribute into the improvement of the skills of administrative leaders to achieve the highest levels of effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity, and continuous improvement in government agencies to face the future requirements and challenges. Location: Institute of Public Adminstration, Prince Salman Conference Center. Tel: +966-11-4778937 Email: amanah@ipa.edu.sa Web: ipa.edu.sa
3 DEC. 3 - 6 Womeex The biggest exhibition in the Middle East dedicated to women. Location: Four Seasons Hotel Web: womeex.com DEC. 3 - 4 Saudi t Conference "Early Detection Saves Lives" Specialties: Medicine Department Tel: +966-11-4427492
17 18 DEC. 17 - 18 CDDP - Certified Demand Driven Planner CDDP program is Developed by Demand Driven Institute and managed by ISCEA Time: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tel: 8008179083 Web: iscea.com Ticket Price: $1,295 + fee $9.95 Online session price: $1,295 + fee $9.95 Email: info@iscea.net
28
DEC. 28 - 29 ITIL Foundation Training ITIL Certification Prep Training Workshop Web: ezcertifications.com
DEC. 17 - 18 KFSH&RC Campaign for Residency Training Programs Specialties: ATA Department Tel: +966-11-4647272 Ext. 31833
WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS MONTH!
+
DR magazine is not responsible for any event cancellation. To add your event here, contact us at dr@rummancompany.com
DESTINATION RIYADH 15
BUSINESS
ArabNet 2014 Leading the Arab World into the Digital Era
By Hibatalla Ibrahim
It’s not just a conference, it’s ArabNet. It’s arguably the region’s most important hub for Arab digital professionals and entrepreneurs to connect and learn. It runs a series of events across the region Caption aimed at growing the web industry and launching new digital startups.
Design + Code For the first time this year, ArabNet Riyadh included the Design+Code Day – a day of focused workshops to help designers, developers and entrepreneurs build better web and mobile products. Workshops were held by global companies such as Ernest & Young and JWT; as well as local ones such as GlueTube, Dopravo and GameTako. These workshops had a broad spectrum of topics ranging from Arabic typography to User Experience and responsive design.
Keynote speakers ArabNet has the ability to draw in the mega names in the industry from the region and beyond. The conference had keynote speakers from Facebook, Twitter, Uber and Paypal to name a few.
16 DESTINATION RIYADH
Competitions Startup Demo
The Startup Demo competition featured some of the best startups in the region, as the teams came from Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and beyond. Ten finalists were selected to present their start-ups in five-minute time slots to the ArabNet audience, which included investors, incubators, media and digital professionals. The competition was fierce as all the founders presented unique and compelling cases for their companies.
At the end, Sawerly, came out on top and won the competition.
The website was founded by Jeddah-based Hussein Attar and provides photography booking services easily and seamlessly.
Ideathon
Unlike the Startup Demo competition, Ideathon showcases ideas that are not yet a functional start up. The winner of this year’s Startup Demo Sawerly was in fact Ideathon’s 2013 first runner up. Ten ideas were presented to a panel of judges and the wider conference audience as well. A people’s choice award was handed out based on the voting on ArabNet’s website.
B8ak (@B8akCom) came out a solid winner of Ideathon 2014 An idea that aims to connect people to home improvement service providers through an easy to use website.
Battle of the Games
This new initiative by ArabNet showcases the flourishing game development community in the MENA region. Battle of the Games gives game developers the chance to connect with potential partners, developers, media, and investors to help them grow.
Out of six games, Trombiya developed by Anas Alfilany from Morocco snatched the first prize.
Flynas An exclusive announcement has been made by the low budget airline: the very first mobile app in the Kingdom for an airline. Flynas has chosen ArabNet to exclusively announce that the app is readily available at the Play Store and soon at the Apple store. In addition, Flynas held a lucky draw where people only have to tweet the destination they’d like to travel to tagging the company’s twitter handle. Bilal, the winner is going to London with Flynas.
David McClure David McClure, founding partner at 500 start-ups and super angel investor based in the Silicon Valley was a keynote speaker. McClure looked every bit Saudi in traditional thobe and headdress, complete with a sibha wrapped neatly around his left wrist. He delivered a talk on his company and past investing experiences as well as some optimistic predictions for the future of start-ups in the Middle East.
The conference ended with an awards ceremony presented by Omar Christidis, founder of ArabNet, a Lebanese Yale alumnus. With that, the premier conference for web/mobile in the region packed up and left to return next year.
DESTINATION RIYADH 17
BUSINESS
GET SMART WITH SAVING TIPS
1
SAVE YOUR SMALL BILLS
The monetary impact of collecting Riyal over Royal may seem useless, but this is a warm-up step in the entire saving journey.
2
SAVE AND SPEND EQUALLY Set aside an amount equal to whatever is spent on nonessential indulgences. Put an equal amount in a cute box for expenditures on a Godiva bar, designer coffee, etc.
3
AVOID INTEREST
When using your credit card, try to pay off the full balance before the end of the billing cycle. By no means make the “minimum payment” because that’s when your interest is highest.
Email: askreemasaad@gmail.com Twitter: @reem_asaad
18 DESTINATION RIYADH
4
In a busy world, many people are interested in saving money but not sure how to go about it. Here, I aim to teach you some ways to do that without big changes to your life style.
IMPULSE SHOPPING A BIG NO!
Never purchase expensive items on impulse. Think over each expensive purchase for at least 24 hours. Chances are you will have no regrets.
5
USE DEBIT CARD, NOT CASH
It simply allows you to track your spending. The statement layout helps you determine why you actually made a purchase and if you need to repeat it in the future.
6
KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SPENDING. USE ONLINE BANKING
If you’re like me with no patience for bank visits and long lines, then bank online, or use mobile banking. And technology doesn’t stop there. If you find mobile statements too dull, download a budgeting app like: Pocket Expense Personal Finance Mint Wallet
They’re mostly free and fun!
These are general tips for your daily financial habits. When it comes to saving on travel, health, shopping and even education the list is long. My sincere advice is to get in the mindset of refining your financial habits and the rest of your financial skills will develop gradually.
Red Eye
Sonoma Bowl
Build Your Own Burger
COMING SOON For more information e-mail riyadh@thecounterburger.com
Tahlia Street Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
thecounterburger.com DESTINATION RIYADH 19
BUSINESS
Qaderoon TOGETHER, WE ARE ABLE
On the occasion of the UN’s International Day for People with Disabilities, observed on Dec. 3, Destination speaks to one of KSA’s most successful advocates of equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Khalid M. Sindi – general manager of Qaderoon Disability Network – talks about this organization and how it works to overcome the challenges facing people with disabilities.
20 DESTINATION RIYADH
STAFF PHOTO/ JALILA ALHARITH
By Anousha Vakani
Qaderoon, Arabic for “we are able” is an apt title for this non-profit organization that highlights the talents or the “abilities” of physically disabled persons and guides employers on recognizing them for their abilities rather than their disabilities. Qaderoon Disability Network is called a “network” because it brings together a group of businesses and employers who are genuinely concerned about the employment of people with disabilities. Their vision is to “catalyze employers to include persons with disability as equal and effective members of the workforce.” In general, they work by guiding employers and advising them on the best ways to facilitate the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities. Qaderoon advocates favorable government policy and disability friendly work environments. The idea for Qaderoon was actually born over two years ago as part of the Ministry of Labor’s strategy to increase the employment of persons with disabilities (PwDs). A group of businesses, who had already been active in the area of employing PwDs, adopted the idea and launched the network as a private non-profit organization in March.
Khalid Sindi said that there are many barriers to employing people with disabilities, which Qaderoon aims to overcome. These include physical and social barriers such as access to the workplace and confidence in interacting with PwDs. The most critical barrier, however, is the attitude towards the employment of PwDs.
“We need to shift employers’ mindset from the idea that employing them is charity, to the fact that it is their right and they are able to do the job,” he said. He added: “Qaderoon promotes the concept of inclusion. We believe PwDs should not be categorized or specified to certain jobs. The focus should not be on their disability, but rather all their other abilities. And no, there are no limits to what PwDs can do similar to non-disabled persons.”
>>
THEIR VISION IS TO “CATALYZE EMPLOYERS TO INCLUDE PERSONS WITH DISABILITY AS EQUAL AND EFFECTIVE MEMBERS OF THE WORKFORCE.” DESTINATION RIYADH 21
>>
THE IDEA FOR QADEROON WAS ACTUALLY BORN OVER TWO YEARS AGO AS PART OF THE MINISTRY OF LABOR’S STRATEGY TO INCREASE THE EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PWDS).
Employers often need special resources when employing people with disabilities to provide comfortable working conditions, for example, installing ramps for wheelchair users or buying computer software for the visually-impaired. However, he says, they should deal with them on a case by case basis and Qaderoon does not ask or expect employers to change their workplace all at once. In March, Qaderoon started with six members but have since doubled the numbers. “Many more businesses are applying to join the network as we speak,” Sindi said.
22 DESTINATION RIYADH
Some members of Qaderoon Disability Network include:
BUPA, ALMARAI, SAUDI AIRLINES CATERING, NESMA AND THE SAVOLA GROUP. To learn more about Qaderoon, their members and how to contact them, visit their website or social media pages. Tel: +966-12-6986116 Email: info@qaderoon.com Web: Qaderoon.com Twitter - Instagram: @QaderoonSA Facebook - Youtube - Linkedin: /QaderoonSA
from
BUSINESS
RAGS TO RICHES By Jou Pabalate
When it comes to inspiring self-made millionaires, one need not always look beyond the Kingdom. As we’ve come to discover, before becoming trailblazers and industry legends, a handful of first-generation Saudi businessmen came from humble beginnings. These men didn’t just work from the back of a van like Richard Branson; they did it on a camel, overcoming sandstorms. The next time you find yourself whining about your air-conditioned nine-to-five job or how hard it is to save money for your big idea, you may want to remember these stories.
SHEIKH SULIMAN SALEH OLAYAN
24 DESTINATION RIYADH
Contracting Co. and went on to play a central role in developing Saudi Arabia’s earliest insurance, electrical power and gas companies.
ESTABLISHED GULF CONTRACTING CO. IN
1947.
WWW.ALRIYADH.COM
Sheikh Suliman was born in 1918 in the desert village of Unayzah, some 150 miles from Riyadh. He became an orphan by the age of 6. A few years later, he and his older brother rode across Arabian Gulf coast on a camel and then by boat to Bahrain, where he attended a missionary school and first learned English. On his return to Saudi Arabia, he took a job as a transportation dispatcher with the California Arabian Standard Oil Company, which later became Saudi Aramco. He rose through the ranks and even became the official translator during the historic visit of King Abdulaziz in Dhahran. In 1947, he established the Gulf
SHEIKH SALEH KAMEL Before becoming the chairman and founder of Dallah Al Baraka Group and the chairman of the General Council for Islamic Banks, Sheikh Saleh already had entrepreneurial instincts as a student. He borrowed money to buy a photocopy machine so that he can sell photocopied material to his classmates, a very expensive necessity for students in the 1970s. He also took a fulltime government job to save enough to found his very first company, Dallah, named after his father Abdullah.
DALLAH AL BARAKA GROUP EMPLOYEES:
61,000
SALES:
$12 BILLION (2005) PHOTO: GULFBUSINESS.COM . REFERENCE: COMPANY-HISTORIES.COM
SHEIKH HAMAD AL GOSAIBI Raised along the ports of Jubail, the late Sheikh Hamad got his break by sailing with his friends and harvesting pearls, which he would then sell to traders. To earn a little extra throughout the year, he also got into farming and planted seasonal crops. Eventually, Sheikh Hamad’s instincts pointed him towards Dhahran at the time when Aramco was at its first year of operation. Noting the issue
with employees not wanting to be paid US dollars, he established the Hamad Gosaibi Co. Its sole purpose was to mine and make silver coins, which he would then sell to Saudi Aramco. The late Sheikh Gosaibi moved on to establish one of the most diversified holding companies in the country – with massive stakes in real estate, oil services and Pepsi Cola franchises.
“SHEIKH HAMAD AL GOSAIBI LIVED BY THE PROVERB ‘YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW,’ AND WHAT HE SOWED WAS SUCCESS UPON SUCCESS.” DESTINATION RIYADH 25
When Dr. Mohammed Said Tamer arrived in Jeddah in the early 1920s, he discovered that there wasn’t a single pharmacy operating in the city. Despite being fresh out of college, he braved to find a way to address the demand for medicines from local residents and the thousands of pilgrims passing through the port on their way to the holy city of Makkah. And so in 1922, Tamer established the Kingdom’s first pharmacy. Ninety years later, Tamer Group has become the leading Saudi pharmaceutical and healthcare company in the country.
THE AL RAJHI BROTHERS Saudi history notes the first generation Al Rajhis to be the founders of Islamic Banking. This came to be because of two very determined boys who grew up in the Najd Desert. Sheikh Saleh and his younger brother Sulaiman, worked at a very early age, carrying merchant cargo in exchange for coins. This would later on give birth to their first business idea. In the early 1930s the two would establish the first exchange agency used by pilgrims traveling to Makkah and Madinah. The two together with their younger brothers Mohammed and Abdullah would later on establish the Al Rajhi Bank. Today, Al Rajhi is considered to be one of the wealthiest Arab families, with stakes in diversified industries across the globe.
26 DESTINATION RIYADH
ABDULLAH AL RAJHI IS RANKED NUMBER 731 ON FORBES THE WORLD’S BILLIONAIRES LIST, WITH A NET WORTH OF
$2.4 BILLION.
1922
IN , DR. TAMER ESTABLISHED
KSA’S FIRST PHARMACY.
Three generations of managers have lead Tamer Group since 1922.
AL RAJHI: WWW.EALUXE.COM - MOHAMMED SAID WWW.WORLDFINANCE.COM
DR. MOHAMMED SAID TAMER
SAUDIPRENEURSHIP ON A MISSION TO INSPIRE Saudipreneurship is a company initiative that aims to build a stronger community of entrepreneurs across the Kingdom. They started as a Facebook page that featured tips, success stories and resources in Saudi. The positive feedback they received from their Facebook page encouraged them to publish Saudipreneurship, their mini magazine.
SHEIKH ABDUL SAMAD AL QURASHI Abdul Samad Al Qurashi, House of Oud, Amber and Perfumes has over 500 stores around the world, catering to royals and an elite clientele. Even more impressive perhaps is that it all started with a very small shop in Al Hamra, Makkah. The Qurashi legacy traces all the way back to 1852, but it was the late Sheikh Abdul Samad who saved SR 400 to open up the store that launched a conglomerate in 1932. He is considered in Makkah history as the first perfume trader and was dubbed as the “King Seller.”
AL QURASHI’S FOUR SONS, ANAS, IHSAN, MOHAMMED AND ZUHAIR, EACH OPENED THEIR OWN OUD AND PERFUME SHOPS UNTIL THEY MERGED THEIR EXPERIENCE IN PERFUMES UNDER THEIR FATHER’S NAME: ABDUL SAMAD AL QURASHI.
Aspiring entrepreneurs are always on the search for useful and valuable information, in addition to success stories and tips from existing entrepreneurs. Saudipreneurship magazines provide them with that and much more. Interested in learning about entrepreneurship in Saudi? Check out our poster!
DESTINATION RIYADH 27
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S
ISRAR AWARD: The Act of ‘Israr’ Israr Awards, launched by The Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), is a competition that rewards the act of perseverance, rather than just the result. For a lot of people, success does not come easy. Israr Award (israr meaning determination in Arabic) aims to recognize the challenges and disappointments people go through and how they overcome obstacles in order to reach their goals. The award is divided into two categories: the entrepreneurs
and the job seekers. Twelve participants were chosen to participate in the final ceremony. The voting period starts Jan. 1 and the two award winners (one for entrepreneurs and one for job seekers) will be announced at the end of the final ceremony, which will take place in Riyadh on Jan. 22. Here we give a vignette of each participant’s journey. On Israr’s website, www.israraward.com, you can read the participant’s full stories and begin voting from Jan. 1.
28 DESTINATION RIYADH
SAMIA AL FADHLI
City: Tareif Category: Entrepreneur
At the age of 19, Samia Al Fadhli a took the responsibility of her children and her brothers, and worked at a Saudi bank. She faced a lot of stress in her workplace, but was able to prove herself and was excellent in performing her job, which allowed he to reach a high position in the bank.
When Al Fadhli started in marketing and business administration, she was marketing products for a percentage agreed upon previously, during which she was able to form a team of men and women in this field.
Then, with other Saudi women, Al Fadhli was able to start her own company, which is specialized in marketing in innovative ways. The person who has always supported and motivated her was her mother.
Despite the difficulties they have encountered with the majority of companies and entrepreneurs who tried to weaken the team and cause frustration, they were able to succeed.
ALI AL HASHIM
City: Al Qateef Category: Job Seeker
ABDULWAHID AL DUWAISH City: Al Zalfe Category: Entrepreneur
Enlightenment came to Abdulwahid Al Duwaish during high school when he first worked on a small project by putting in maximum effort in order to succeed. He was selling sponges in front of mosques. It was such a unique experience for him that he began a different project for festival gifts in which he hopelessly failed and lost money. Al Duwaish worked for two years in many commercial enterprises. Later, he started another project during his university’s year with stronger determination and brighter ambition. He returned again to sell festival gifts and was also working as a peddler selling French fries, corn and Balelah. After a year and a half, he purchased a wagon for selling ice cream and it took time to decorate it with painstaking effort. It was a laborious work as he was still studying in the university and sometimes had to ride the wagon to university, where his fellow students stares made it almost intolerable. Despite the labor of this venture, his determination never ceased. He suddenly found himself yearning towards this job more than the previous experiences. He started to work designing and decorating new cars and coming up with new ideas.
Ali Al Hashim’s father passed away when Ali was a year old, and he was brought up in a family of seven. Due to his family’s financial instability, Al Hashim suffered during school and could not afford the basic needs of education. He received a scholarship from a charitable organization to study in private schools and successfully earned a high GPA. Al Hashim joined the College of Navigation in Jeddah. He studied for three years and suffered financially because he could not afford housing, books and even food. He worked as a security guard at the university, then as a clerk in a company and continued his education at the same time. One day, he suffered a fracture in his hand and had to quit university and his job at the same time his first child was born. He was then got accepted at the College of Humanities in Dammam. Al Hashim worked as a clerk at Centerpoint, and his passion towards positional development, marketing and management were noticed. They promoted him to be a branch supervisor. For financial reasons, Ali quit school and focused solely on his job, then got promoted to a higher position in human resources. Ali then got offered a job Al Shaya International Company, moved and continued his education. DESTINATION RIYADH 29
MARAM RASHAD
City: Makkah Category: Entrepreneur
Maram Rashad married at the age of 13 and began working at the age of 15 in hospitals, performing manual labor and selling hardware on the streets during Hajj season. She also worked in many salons, going back and forth between many houses and weddings. Her husband was a drug abuser and deserted her at the age of 18. Maram remained alone with her daughters and her repressed dream to have her own salon. The requirements of owning a salon were quite difficult to accomplish and Maram did not have enough money to start her project. At 23, she managed to open a salon. As time flew by, she suffered from a herniated illness that forced her to undergo an operation during which the time her project began to diminish. She did not give up easily because she did not want her daughters to be exposed to suffering and for them to be burdened. Maram began organizing many training courses and workshops for orphans, which led her to be a psychological consultant and trainer. She asked for a loan from a bank and with a group of people she was able to independently initiate her project. 30 DESTINATION RIYADH
Her husband was a drug abuser and deserted her at the age of 18. Maram remained alone with her daughters and her repressed dream to have her own salon.
FOZEYA AL HARTHI City: Taif Category: Job Seeker
Fozeya Al Harthi had no father since the age of 4 and it motivated her to assume responsibility for herself. When her admission to university was rejected, she began her mission to acquire both knowledge and money. Al Harthi was an artist, and after showing her drawings to random schools, she got offered a job. With time, she saved enough money to buy a computer and enroll in training courses. After she completed the courses, Al Harthi returned to the same school and requested a job in data entry. They welcomed the idea but unfortunately due to the school’s budget, they couldn’t afford to buy the required programs. Al Harthi got married, and her ambition kept growing until she earned a diploma in Computer Science and Programming. She began to self-educate herself on Photoshop and digital designing. With the help of her husband, she delivered her artwork to printing houses, then started teaching
Al Harthi was an artist, and after showing her drawings to random schools, she got offered a job.
Photoshop, developing logos, and even won in designing the Taif University logo. Al Harthi then got a job in the Deanship of Information Technology, and became a member of Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts. She then enrolled in the Arab Open University in Jeddah, graduated, and now works as the director of Information Technology Deanship for the female’s section.
MUNEER KAREEM
City: Makkah Category: Entrepreneur
Muneer Kareem dreamed of starting his own family so he moved to Jeddah and worked as a security guard for SR 2,500 a month. He started saving money for the future, got married, and spent his savings to help his wife, who unfortunately had problems conceiving. Five years later Kareem’s first son was born, followed by three more children. He took another job to provide a better life for his family, and succeeded in getting a job as a bank security guard for SR 4,600. After eight years in the bank he quit and started his own business but the venture failed. He lost the rest of his savings, got evicted from his rental house and was forced to live with his father-in-law. For four years Kareem had to use his car to drive people around, then got a job as a telephone operator at a private hospital. During this time he received his end of service money from the bank he used to work for and decided to use the funds to accomplish his dream. Kareem opened a general service and real estate office and started offering his services to businessmen. Kareem is now the proud owner of a successful company that is expanding so fast and in 2016 will open a branch in Dubai.
SAEED AL SHEHRY City: Jeddah Category: Job Seeker
Saeed Al Shehry’s father passed away when Saeed was 5 years old, and left him with two older brothers and two sisters. After high school graduation, Saeed got a job at a nutrition production company to coordinate and decorate roofs. His monthly payment was around SR 1,600 for six years. Al Shehry then enrolled in King Abdulaziz University and specialized in management and economy. Saeed got married and had a nine-month-old baby at the time. His job was unstable because he needed to move from one city to another. There were many different fields where Saeed worked in order to accomplish his dream. He worked in many shops at night, three days a week for six years. He was cooking, distributing, marketing products and working overtime in Lomar’s shop. He usually left home after the morning prayer and returned at 1 a.m.
Then he found another job as a business agent in Bassameh’s company and the basic salary was SR 4,600. He worked there for two years, and even won a prize for being the best business agent there. Saeed later on moved to another company for refrigerators and was responsible for sales for one year, gaining SR 7,000. Then moved again, and received a salary and commission up to SR 12,000 per month. DESTINATION RIYADH 31
Some of the replies she would get from employers was
SAMAR AL ZAHRANI City: Al Baha Category: Job Seeker
“the only job for your qualifications is a cleaning lady.”
Samar Al Zahrani grew up in the southern region in Saudi Arabia, never went to school and got married at the age of 16. Troubles began when her husband got sick and retired early. Al Zahrani started looking for jobs, which was hard due to her lack of education. She got a job as a hairstylist assistant at a beauty salon, in which she got paid SR 800 per month. After two years at that job, she realized it isn’t her ambition. Al Zahrani stepped away from beauty salons and worked with a businesswoman. While searching for jobs, some of the replies she would get from employers was “the only job for your qualifications is a cleaning lady.” Despite Al Zahrani’s belief that it was a decent job, she was frustrated. She then applied for a job at Zamil Factory. Although a high school diploma was one of the requirements, Samar didn’t lose hope and called the owner. The owner agreed to meet Al Zahrani, and she was hired from a group of 30 applicants. Within two years, productivity rose and Al Zahrani received promotions and support from the administration and she continued the hard work until she became the leader of the female section, which consisted of 30 employees who all held educational degrees. 32 DESTINATION RIYADH
BANAA AL SHEMARI City: Hail Category: Entrepreneur
Banaa Al Shemari was orphaned at a young age and later divorced. Her financial situation was poor, and she forced herself to face the challenges life threw her way just to afford basic survival needs for herself and her children. Al Shemari worked in several fields and more than one job just to ensure her children can live a decent life. Her dream was to never need anything from anyone and to be able to provide for herself and her children. She started with jobs such as cleaning toilets at hospitals, and at the same time Al Shemari worked on educating herself and developing her photography skills. With time, she was able to start her own photography project, which was the first of its kind in her hometown of Hail. Al Shemari received her license from the Ministry of Culture and Information, opened her own studio, and continued to develop her skills despite society’s criticism and her poor financial state. Al Shemari now owns and runs the first photography studio in Hail.
SOAAD ABDULAZIZ City: Riyadh Category: Job Seeker
Soaad Abdulaziz got married when she was 18 and had a girl who was diagnosed as mentally retarded by her doctor when she was 5 years old. With two children she managed to finish her university education and was offered a job in a private school. Things eased when her children were enrolled in school and she was able to pay more attention to her work. But not for long. Abdulaziz gave birth to her fourth daughter who was autistic. Abdulaziz had to quit her job and concentrate on her family. However, dreaming of having a career, she enrolled her youngest daughter to a special center and started looking for a job. She accepted the first job for a monthly salary of SR 1,800. She completed her higher studies, got a special diploma and an MSc degree in curricula and education methods, and never neglected her duties as a mother. She studied and spent long hours with her children and went to every follow-up with her children’s doctors. After getting her MSc she joined Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University and she is looking forward to complete her Ph.D. thesis. She always insists that without the help of her husband she would not come this far.
THE VOTING PROCESS - A third of votes will be from the audience during the final ceremony. - A third of votes will be from the judges in the final ceremony. - A third of votes will be from the website, israraward.com, based on the number of votes each story gets.
MARK YOUR ISRAR CALENDAR! Jan. 4 – Israr Road Show, Jeddah Jan. 6 – Israr Road Show, Riyadh Jan. 8 – Israr Road Show, Shargeya Jan. 22 – Israr Final Ceremony, Riyadh For more details, visit: www.israraward.com
ABDULRAHMAN ALHATLAN City: Khamees Mushait Category: Job Seeker
ABDULMAJED AWAJI City: Jezan Category: Entrepreneur
Abdulmajed Awaji had been brought up in a small family and his father’s monthly payment was very small. He had adored studying but could not carry on and his father was the main obstacle due to his lack of support. Six months ago, Awaji registered in the Ministry of Education’s test for those who had left education prematurely, and graduated high school. Despite many objections from his relatives for being a peddler, Awaji started to sell vegetables, aiming to live with dignity and respect. He began his first step towards a successful future when he opened a vegetables shop that helped provide for his family. He rented an apartment, furnished it and later on, got married and had five children. Awaji sent a request for a loan to create his own construction institution and it was finally accepted. Two years ago, he created his own institution and and was miraculously earning SR 1.2 million every six months.
When Abdulrahman Alhatlan got into an accident and was confined to a wheelchair, he started feeling that he had become a burden to his family and people around him. His first step was rehabilitation, then getting a job. The first job offer he got was a maintenance coordinator then he was hired as a maintenance director. After a while, he was accepted to work as an administrative director of Mayadin center for training and development. Meanwhile, he took this opportunity to develop himself and he acquired certificates as a certified international instructor from many agencies, including Rapid Learning Center in the US. Alhatlan applied for a scholarship, completed all the paperwork and traveled to the US. He completed his studies and within two years he received an MSc degree with a GPA of 3.89. Then, he moved to work in the National Anti-Corruption Commission as quality investigator in the development and planning department. DESTINATION RIYADH 33
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S
TAM A COMPLETE EXPERIENCE
Tam comes from the Arabic word tamam, meaning complete, and is the exact word for the experience that this innovative organization offers. Founded in 2012 by a group of creative individuals, Tam aims to encourage the community at large to take part in society by proactively seeking unique solutions to local problems. The community is motivated through various competitions that offer attractive awards for the winning entry. Abdullah Alyousef, one of the main co-founders of Tam, explains the program. 34 DESTINATION RIYADH
STAFF PHOTO/ JALILA ALHARITH
By Anousha Vakani
The idea for Tam was in the developing stages for a long time before it was finally founded. It started out as an idea for a book that would list all the possible opportunities for an individual in any field to give back to society, and then the concept of a website which could be updated regularly with ideas was proposed, along with the possibility of turning it into a social networking site. A beta version of the website, was launched but with little interaction, which led to Tam holding their first event which was an immediate success.
The first competition hosted by Tam asked an important strategic question: “How can we make children more passionate about learning and education?” Over 2,000 ideas were submitted and the winning entry won SR 150,000. An important issue was raised through this competition and participants were encouraged to look for solutions rather than simply and repeatedly discussing the problem itself: Encouraging proactive solution seeking and involvement in society is one of Tam’s main aims.
Tam believes in the power of competitions that offer attractive awards to motivate and bring out the best in the hidden talent in society. Tam acknowledges that there is a lot of unrecognized potential in the young Saudis and there is little opportunity to explore and extract this talent, be it any field. Tam’s competitions offer monetary awards to the winning entry as well as networking opportunities to further their ideas and the perks of being put on the spotlight by the media. In this way, Tam attempts to connect talent with funds, support and media. Another competition, the Israr Award in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor, asked how society could be inspired through stories of real people within the community who persevered and succeeded in finding jobs
DESTINATION RIYADH 35
or starting businesses. Individuals shared their stories of perseverance, which were transformed into videos and people were asked to vote for the story that inspired them the most. In 2013, Tam was awarded the UN World Summit Award under the category of inclusion and empowerment, and just six months later they were awarded the International Star for Quality Award in Geneva. Tam seeks quality and excellence in every project they undertake and over the last year and a half, with over 300,000 members and counting, their platforms have received over 16 million hits and more than 70,000 submissions. The numbers themselves indicate that there are individuals in the community who want to be proactive and creative leaders. To find out more about Tam and their past and latest competitions visit their website and social media pages. Tel: +966-12-2613828 Email: tam@tamhub.com Web: tamhub.com Twitter: @tamhub
36 DESTINATION RIYADH
30 30 UNDER
WE ARE SEARCHING FOR 30 ENTREPRENEURS UNDER THE AGE OF 30
2015
we want to tell the world about the young and innovative Saudis who are changing the
world one step at a time if you’re one, send us your story or recommend one!
info@rummancompany.com DESTINATION RIYADH 37
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S
SAUDI
STARTUPS
AND THE SEARCH FOR THE KINGDOM’S ZUCKERBERG A CONVERSATION WITH MOHAMMED AL KADI By Johara Al Mogbel and Jou Pabalate
Mohammed Al Kadi is a young Saudi entrepreneur in consumer Internet with a passion for building and scaling disruptive tech companies.
He cofounded the social media application “FeelIt,” which won first prize in last year’s ArabNet Startup Competition. Dubbed as the next Zuckerberg of KSA,
Al Kadi shows that he is as much of a tech luminary as he is a determined young talent wanting to empower and inspire others like him. He shares his insights on what it’s like to be a startup in the Kingdom. 38 DESTINATION RIYADH
How would you describe the startup scene in Saudi Arabia? The startup scene in Saudi needs to be massively disrupted. Today’s generation of Saudi entrepreneurs are taking huge risks with minimal support, as they are the first to take the leap. However, they’re also paving the way for the next generation of entrepreneurs who will have the chance to build and scale their companies in a better ecosystem. But in order to build a welldeveloped ecosystem, we need to make our way through a couple of obstacles.
What advice would you give fellow Saudi entrepreneurs who want to start on their own but are reluctant to do so? Saudi entrepreneurs need to start believing in themselves, and not give in to the social pressures. It’s hard to convince Saudi society of the promising potential of tech startups. However, what we really need are determined entrepreneurs who will stop at nothing to build their dreams. They also need to dream bigger, which is essentially dreaming global. As the world is becoming flatter by the second, it is hard to sustain local power for too long unless it’s backed by a bulletproof model. Let’s take Uber, for example; it disrupted the taxi industry in over 200 countries! AirBnB did the same with hotels.
It is said that there are a lot of big ideas out there but people are unable to see them through. How can someone with a big idea proceed to making it a reality? What was your method in developing FeelIt? When it comes to products, Saudi entrepreneurs should follow the renowned Lean Startup methodology. It suggests that even if we have the biggest ideas, we should start with the minimum viable product (MVP) that puts the general concept to test as soon as humanly possible, and then change, iterate, or pivot depending on what the audience really want instead of what the entrepreneur thinks they want. When we started Feelit, the idea was a
link-sharing app to help users deal with their feelings. However, after the launch we realized that most users cared less about the links and more about a small feature that helped them express how they feel. So we pivoted and built version 2.0 around that single feature.
You had mentioned that there are obstacles in the startup scene; can you tell us what you think these are and what can be done, in your opinion to create a healthier tech ecosystem? We need to improve the poorly built investment infrastructure for tech startups. Let’s talk about the traditional structure, which thinks of small businesses and startups alike. First, investors ask for business plans, which are of overrated value to tech startups, especially those who haven’t yet defined their business model. Startups usually throw in numbers that won’t survive the first touch with the real world, which can lead to many internal problems later on. If Saudi investors decide to invest, they usually ask for a big chunk of the business, giving the startup an unrealistic valuation with unfair terms. This can lead to frustration and entrepreneurs may stop thriving, as they no longer feel that they own their startup. Many things cause this, but the most important one is the lack of sophisticated and experienced investors. I was pleased to hear that Mobily VC brought on board Jihad Al Ammar, founder of Qaym, to be one of the partners. Jihad is an experienced tech entrepreneur and this is a great step forward towards a better infrastructure. Lastly, what the Saudi ecosystem most desperately needs is a massive success story. The kind of story that will make the eyes of entrepreneurs and investors sparkle with motivation. It’s our job as the entrepreneurs of today to create those stories,
so let’s puff up our chests and make that a reality! DESTINATION RIYADH 39
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S
YOUR BRAND NEW Startup
WHERE TO GET A LOAN? By Johara Al Mogbel
So, you’ve got this great idea. It’s the most brilliant thing you’ve come up with yet, and it is going to change the world. You’ve come up with a name, a logo, a business plan, a secret handshake, the multibillion dollar contract for Facebook to sign five years from now, the perfect renting space to put your villainous underground lair — we mean, company headquarters. Bottom line is, you’re ready to take over the 21st century, and you’re prepared with everything you could possibly need… Except for the most important aspect; the money to finance it all.
Guess what? The Chamber of Commerce has you beat. In their bid to create a stable economic situation that lessens the dependence on oil as an export, they’ve created a focus on small and medium businesses in the field. And through the toil of others, a number of funds and resources were created to ease the financial burden of citizens who are looking into creating their own small or medium business, providing a wide range of support in numerous ways, the most important of all them helping you finance your dream. Here are a number of places where you could apply for your very own loan or funding, to get you that closer to achieving your goal. 40 DESTINATION RIYADH
SIRB An Angel Investor network incubated by Badir, established by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), SIRB was created with tech startups in mind. It’s a way to connect Angel investors with entrepreneurs, to discuss the possibility of setting up joint ventures. It also provides training opportunities to help the entrepreneurs learn how to present their concepts in a manner that wins them the best investments. Technically, it isn’t a loan, but an investment and mentorship opportunity that helps solidify your concept all the same.
Web: sirb.sa
Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiative The Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiative dabbles in a number of aspects, but only two are of interest to start-ups. The first, Bab Rizq Jameel, focuses on reducing unemployment in the region through a variety of methods, of which are their taxi and truck ownership programs, where you can loan a car from them and put it to work to generate enough income to pay for it, and also micro-finance solutions in the form of interest free loans for start-ups. The second source for start-ups in the ALJ initiative is the MITEF Arab Start-Up competition, which doesn’t directly aid in financing your budding company but may help nudge investors in your direction. Web: aljci.org
Kafalah Program The Kafalah program is an initiative started by the Ministry of Finance and represented by the Saudi Industrial Development Fund to allow small and medium businesses to approach banks for financing. Usually, SMEs aren’t able to obtain financing from normal bank channels, but the program guarantees up to 80 percent of the loan on behalf of the SME so it can get approved for the loan. Interest fees and the like do apply here, and your business will have to generate a certain amount of income each year to be eligible in some banks, but this the only source for loans that can be used by both Saudis and foreigners. The emphasis here, of course, will be more about your financial information than your vision.
The National Centennial Fund The Centennial Fund is a center founded via a royal charter that aims to help young Saudi men and women to achieve financial independence through owning their own businesses. The Fund provides either partial or total financing, through a non-interest loan. It also owns a number of facilities and provides services that can be helpful when building a project. There are some terms and conditions to have your loans validated, of course, but overall in terms of autonomy it’s an excellent source for funding. Web: tcf.org.sa
Web: sidf.gov.sa
MAJID SOCIETY
Majid Society is non-profit dedicated to providing micro-financing solutions for entrepreneurs-in-need through their ‘Kick Off’ program. They aim to reduce unemployment in the society by helping individuals stand on their two feet with their businesses, via either micro, small, or medium loans based on requirement and eligibility. They also provide help and advise in regards to risks and
vulnerabilities and the solutions to pass the hurdles faced.
in this The loans ’t as n society are h the al, wit substanti ible loan oss highest p 0,000. 6 S g bein R For more information: www.majidsociety.org
DESTINATION RIYADH 41
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION IN SAUDI ARABIA: FACT OR FICTION? By Johara Al Mogbel
In the past few years the art and photography scene has exploded, and with it, the freelancing sector. More and more people have been veering towards selfemployment, or at the very least, a part-time job in the hobbies they do. And as artists, writers and photographers start taking commissions, and inventors begin creating, a very important question popped up: Is their work protected? Bah, skeptics will most probably reply. Well, bah to you, skeptics! Copyrights, trademark registration, and patenting are very much alive and kicking in Saudi Arabia, and what’s more, it’s very much encouraged. It’s all simply a matter of where to go or what to do. There are several ways to ensure no one is making undeserved money off your hard work, of which the most important is to:
Register your trademark
Trademark regulation in KSA has made it pretty easy to register a trademark of any sort, as they’ve refrained from defining trademarks in specifics and allowing the legal definition to be general. And once approved and registered, your trademarks will be protected for 10 hijra years, with an option to renew the protection in the last year of validity.
Documents required:
• Application form. • Legalized copy of the mark’s corresponding home registration certificate. • Legalized power of attorney or authorization of an agent should there be one. • List of goods to be covered and their classes. • Ten representations of the trademark identical to the trademark sample shown in the application for registration. • Evidence of payment of application fees as stipulated in the Trademarks Regulation.
42 DESTINATION RIYADH
Penalties for infringement of a valid trademark include imprisonment for a period of not more than one year and a fine of not less than SR 50,000 and not more than SR 1,000,000. Any disputes are settled by the Board of Grievances, which means that, aside from the fact that you get to go in front of a legal body with a name that sounds like it’s a part of the Ministry of Magic, you can rest easy at night knowing that the most visible part of your brand is protected.
File a patent
A number of governmental organizations have popped up with the sole aim of supporting inventors, from helping them take their inventions from prototype to commercial product, to coaching young promising scientists to recognize their talents. We have business incubators, specialized labs, and most importantly, a spot in WIPO. What’s more, Saudi Arabia is a part of the GCC Patents of Inventions Regulation of 2001, which permits the registration of patents with effect throughout the GCC countries, with the GCC office being based in Riyadh. Bet you hadn’t known that, had you? And here’s another interesting tidbit: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology helps Saudi inventors with their patent fees, which very largely cuts down on costs. Rather amazing of them to do that, actually.
Documents required:
-Names and addresses of the applicant(s) and inventor(s). -Name and address of the local agent and the authorization, if the applicant resides outside the Kingdom. -A brief title of the subject matter of the application, an original copy and certified copies of the complete specification and certified copies of other relevant details like examination and research reports. -Priority and disclosure information including previous filings. -Evidence of payment of the filing fee at a designated bank, stipulated by the Directorate.
Submit your book to the National Library
Copyright law is very broad, and needs a whole article on its own to explain and digest. Many things fall under copyright laws, from plays and shows, to films and computer programs. Each body of work is generally protected for the duration of the author’s life and 50 years after his or her death, with some difference in accordance to each situation or type of work. According to Saudi Legal, the Copyright Regulation grants the author
“financial and moral rights, to print or publish the work, to make amendments or to delete his work, to withdraw it from circulation, and to assign it as he wishes.” Now, in theory, copyright law goes into effect the moment you begin creating. But it can be very hard to provide evidence to show up a plagiarizer in court, so the best way to do is record the existence of your book publicly. How complicated is it? Well, all you have to do is deposit five copies of your book in the National Library within 30 days of publication. If your book has illustrations, deposit three copies in the library of the Arabic Saudi Society for Culture and Art as well. And that’s it. Really! Publishing will require a license from the Ministry of Culture, but to simply protect your literary work the deposits are all you need to do.
DESTINATION RIYADH 43
Create a contract for commissions
The creation of an artwork automatically belongs to the creator, whether or not it was at the behest of a customer or client. Especially when it comes to freelancers, since they are creating with their own resources and not those of an employer (creations in the workplace have a separate set of laws). The client should only own the right to use your creation for the purposes it was requested for. So if you’re a photographer, and a client approaches you for a set of pictures, you should retain the right to give them a license to use the pictures and not the copyrights to the pictures themselves. And how do you do that? By writing a commission contract to regulate the work relationship between you and your clients. Contracts by nature are fluid and depend on what the parties of the contract would like to write out, so there’s nothing stopping you from protecting your work.
Please protect your work. We’re begging you. Steps/Documents Required:
We’re afraid the most ironclad way to insure your rights here is by hiring an experienced lawyer to write a general template that you can then change slightly to fit each client. You could also give writing your own contract a try, by researching various examples online, but it won’t be as effective.
44 DESTINATION RIYADH
Brush up on copyright laws
Learning your laws and rights is the best way to protect yourself, and it’s a very, very important thing for civilians to do. This includes copyright law as well. We’ve tried our best to simplify and summarize the best points for you, but there’s only so much we can put on the pages of a magazine.
RESOURCES TO LEARN FROM Saudilegal.com and SAGIA both have great summaries of copyright, patent, and trademark law for those unwilling to trawl through legalese. The Ministry of Commerce has a number of template business contracts to use, which is brilliant, and both it and the Ministry of Culture offer PDFs of the various laws in both Arabic and English. And the WIPO is a wealth of information, all there for anyone who needs it.
i an ak
V er a it e e sh wr th th t ou An g a be in sn’ By in not job it i e y Be ay est ut cak s m p m rd , b of e i to ha orld ce er the of s in w pie r. H of a the on blem iter ally ei rsi ro wr tu ve ve p g a vir in fi in or e be SA, plac ld. K y or an e w th
R TE e s RI o W w OPEN
PLAGIARISM
the SUMMER is AWFULLY
UNINSPIRING
Not everyone will agree with this but I find the long and dusty summer days of KSA terribly uninspiring. There is no poetry in a dining table that gathers dust five minutes after it’s been wiped clean and while hot and miserable go together they just don’t rhyme.
WRITERS’ CIRCLE
I was definitely writing more when I was surrounded by writers, when friends were reading out their pieces to me over the phone or in a café over a glass of orange juice – because not all writers live off coffee – but it just so happens that very few people willingly stay in KSA so all my writer friends are now spread out all over the world and it is very difficult to redraw a writer’s circle.
The one trend I’ve noticed among many freelance writers and bloggers here in KSA is that everyone has had their work copied at least once. While this doesn’t and shouldn’t stop anyone from writing, it is a mood dampener.
PRO DUC TIVITY If you do opt to
freelance in the end, it gets pretty difficult to work from home when there are a pile of dishes in the sink, a basket full of laundry in your room, a bookshelf behind your work station, a fridge full of food and YouTube. I think you get the picture.
NO JOBS!
For those of us who don’t have second degrees and don’t know how to do anything but write, it’s very difficult – actually, almost impossible – to find a job. There are hardly any institutions that will pay you to just write because you can count the number of magazines and newspapers in your city on one hand, and any vacancies are filled so fast you don’t stand a chance. Then, your only option is to blog and/or freelance. Or change your profession entirely and become a kindergarten teacher. DESTINATION RIYADH 45
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E S IN THE SPOTLIGHT
A One-On-One with Waleed Bataweel Insight from the CEO of Quality Trading Company Ltd. , formerly Bataweel Trading Establishment, Waleed Bataweel How and when was Bataweel Group founded?
My father started the business in 1968.
How long have you been in the food industry and why did you choose this specific industry?
Over 46 years experience in food services industry. We chose this industry because we believed that Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) is one major daily consuming product in the market.
What was your vision when you founded Bataweel Group?
Our vision is to be one of the leading distributors of food and beverages in the market that offers superior taste to our food retailers and to be a pioneer in importing high quality consumer products. Our goal is to provide the best quality of products and excellent services to our valued customersCaption Kingdom wide.
46 DESTINATION RIYADH
P ROMOTION
What products did you bring to KSA and how did you select them? We look for the new uncompetitive products that add value to our customers’ lifestyle. Rauch (Original, Yippy, Cafemio and IceTea), Alfredo’s Original, Absolut and Pueblo, J&W, Bavaria and Caotina.
Lots of people here believe Rauch is a local brand. Can you tell us more about it and where it originated? Our current generations believe that Rauch is a local brand since most people here were raised drinking it. Rauch is originally from Austria and it is one of the biggest leading juice companies in Europe.
Do you see a gap in Saudi’s food and beverage industry? If so, do you have any plans to change that? There is a huge gap and we are implementing lots of plans to add and widen the selection for consumers. Web: bataweel.net Twitter: @waleed_z28 Email: sales@bataweel.net
DESTINATION RIYADH 47
A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T
HIP-HOP keeping it real
Part 1 | The Hip-Hop Movement
By Big Hass
The Arabic hip-hop movement primarily came together through the Arab Diaspora mainly in the U.S. and Europe. Mostly Arab, the artists, who were away from their home countries, were concerned and dutybound to transmit the truth of the MENA situation. Strong lyrics, striking awareness and lasting echoes are elements that construct the agenda of the Arabic hip-hop movement.
COURTESY PHOTO/BIG HASS
But it was inevitable that it would breach those geographic limits and become more present in the Arab region, especially after the youth’s spring.
48 DESTINATION RIYADH
Being a promoter and advocate for the first real hip-hop radio show in Saudi Arabia, I have a responsibility towards society, and more importantly, towards my listeners. The choice of artists I interview or whose songs I play on my show are not random but well studied. There is quite a large number of hip-hop artists and rappers in Saudi Arabia. Some portray the commercial and rather non-realistic approach of hip-hop. They tend to copy characters of ghetto warriors and fearless thugs. Honestly, it is quite cartoonish and ridiculous to watch these kinds of artists even try to perform. It is also repulsive to see local Saudi artists identify to real struggles and issues such as poverty, drugs, money, thuglifestyle, clubbing and cursing. It is more than evident that these things are not part of the Saudi culture. This phony attitude does not make them artists and surely does not make them somebody.
cruel feedback condemning not only hip-hop, but also music from its root. These kinds of “spectators of the world” choose to slam doors instead of opening doors of understanding, awareness and knowledge. No harm will come from learning, on the contrary, enlightenment reduces anger and disapproval, which leads to such comments. This note introduces my next point, which is that Saudi rappers have a place in the Saudi culture. Evidently they should be genuine. How? They should create their own identity, with always in mind absolute respect to their origins, culture and society. This said, trying ridiculously hard to copy western hip-hop artists and rappers is a form of incompetence and insolence. Surely most of the rappers and hip-hop artists in Saudi have a lot to learn about the genre.
COURTESY PHOTO/WEADIAMEDIA
Fortunately, other artists try to emphasize the real notion and message of hip-hop but all in vain. The understanding of this genre is mislaid: people tend to relate bad behaviors, vulgarity and the objectification of women to what the media defines as hip-hop. The masses are not to blame. They are simply faced with a corrupted image and a materialistic attempt to woo and hypnotize them. I don’t deny that there are some talented individuals and groups here in Saudi Arabia who strive to cleanse and showcase a purer aspect of hip-hop; in fact, it is a genre that carries awareness, truth, humanity, social consciousness, etc. My show “Laish HipHop,” is a strong effort to unchain hip-hop from these unfair charges. Being fought or confronted is nothing strange to my life. As the show is building a reputation, I am sometimes receiving
HIP-HOP ARTISTS SPEND APPROXIMATELY $6 BILLION PER YEAR ON SNEAKERS. THE WORLD'S RICHEST HIP-HOP ARTIST IS DR. DRE. DESTINATION RIYADH 49
What a thrill! Hip-hop in Saudi Arabia is still young but with the proper nurturing and attention it could blossom into something to be proud of. Given the restrictions of the country, such as venues, events and media hype, it is quite hard to launch such a vivid and expressive genre of music. Finally, accepting hip-hop within society is key and a first step towards this long journey. It will be tough but who is up for a potentially productive challenge? 50 DESTINATION RIYADH
áżž MANY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO RISE AND BECOME TRUE ARTISTS.
COURTESY PHOTO/NICE-COOL-PICS
In my opinion, many have the potential to rise and become true artists. It is not an easy path but it is worth the struggle and work. Saudi Arabia is a very hard market due to many criteria, one of which is language. In order to attract listeners, rappers and hip-hop artists need to go bilingual. One relevant example in this case is Qusai. He was able to venture into hip-hop by keeping it real, using Arabic and English and relying on a commercial approach. His content reflects Saudi youth. Talking about what you know best increases your credibility. And that’s exactly what Qusai gained. Hip-hop is a voice for the voiceless. In these times, the Middle East is an oppressed region. Oppression has revealed voices, talent and youth persistence and power. High-ranked American hip-hop artists predict that the next best hip-hop artist will emerge from the MENA Region.
RED IS NEVER DEAD
Markus Lupfer SR 1,000 Nike SR 1,000
Dolce and Gabbana SR 18,000 (approx.)
FA S H I O N
FA S H I O N & S H O P P I N G
Charlotte Olympia SR 4,900
Lanvin SR 2,200
An ya Hi nd ma rch SR 3,0 00
Simone Rocha SR 9,300 00 1,4 SR a v ste Ille
Christian Louboutin SR 200
Red Valentino SR 500
52 DESTINATION RIYADH
Comme de Garรงon Play Converse SR 550
SOME LOVE IT. SOME HATE IT. ENERGIZING. LOVE. BUT EVERYONES GOTTA OWN A LITTLE BIT OF IT.
Fa s h i o n Ed i to r : M a z i n A l M a i m a n i
SHOPPING +++++++ E-SHOPPING L AT I B O U T I Q U E Lati offers a wide selection of unusual labels and carefully chosen pieces that ensure your individuality, be it through the physical store based in Riyadh, or the online e-store for the rest of Saudi and the world. The selection provides evening wear, fashionable accessories, great bridal selection as well as some really pretty dresses for the younger women. We especially love the signature packaging goodies arrive in (from branded tissue paper to every other little detail). Make sure you check out the useful filter options on the website to help you find exactly what you're looking for. TELEPHONE: +966 11 211 1078 E-MAIL: shopping@lati-fashion.com WEBSITE: www.lati-fashion.com STORE: Kingdom Center Left to right: SR 5,650 – SR 5,250 – SR 4,300
DESTINATION RIYADH 53
FA S H I O N
AT T E N TION: STORE FOCUS USELESS STORE
Useless is a lifestyle concept store offering the latest in comfy wear. Shopping at Useless gives the customers a wide range of variety of graphic T-shirts, printed sweaters, sweatpants and vibrant shades, snapbacks and accessories to choose from. It is a genderfriendly comfort haven that targets young and experimental men and women.
You know how there are some stores where you enter and never leave empty handed? Useless Store is exactly that. Whether you are into some tasteful Arabic print T-shirts, favorite pop culture references, trending prints, or some funky shades, you won't be dissapointed. Personally I love the local artist collaboration pieces that are occassionally available. If you spot something you like, make sure you grab it instantly as they sell out really fast (talking from personal experiences).
54 DESTINATION RIYADH
FA S H I O N
FAVORITE USELESS PICKS (WANT THEM ALL!)
Cap SR 450
Sunglasses SR 330, T-shirt SR 350, Pants SR 600
GREAT GIFT IDEAS
T-shirt SR 350, Sunglasses SR 525, Lunchbox SR 100
Sunglasses SR 1125, T-shirt SR 350, Pants SR 600
SR 650
T-shirt SR 350, Sunglasses SR 1,125
TEL: +966-12-2755595 E-MAIL: shopuseless@gmail.com INSTAGRAM: @Uselesstore TWITTER: @Uselesstore
SR 2,200 (each) DESTINATION RIYADH 55
GADGETS
FA S H I O N & S H O P P I N G
Cookoo Watch SR 390 Stay connected anytime, anywhere with the COOKOO watch—the wearable extension of your smartphone that helps manage your connected life. Have you ever missed a call because you couldn’t hear your phone? The Cookoo watch will let you know what’s happening on your phone in real time — even if you can’t see or reach it. Available at dokkanafkar.com
iPower milk SR 125 You don’t have to worry any more about charging your device, we present to you iPower milk powerbank. It’s small enough to carry in your handbag and it’s designed to look like a box of milk. It is powerful enough to charge your device more than once. Available at dokkanafkar.com
Booqpad For iPad 2 -3-4- Black SR 159
The Booqpad agenda combines iPad 3 case and notepad into one product, making it the ideal solution to create, store, review or present the next hot idea. Keeping a pen or stylus, business cards, cash or tickets close to your iPad and written notes has never been more convenient. Available at wysada.com
56 DESTINATION RIYADH
Comi Bluetooth + Powerbank SR 229 Weighing only 10 grams, the 7.5 mm thick “Comi-Charm” balances power with practicality, and makes heavy clunky headset look and feel like children’s toy. CVC (Clear Voice Capture) 6.0 is the smartest audio enhancement software technology that could detect and suppress both far-end echo and nearend wind noise by algorithm. Available at dokkanafkar.com
Lolita Case for iPhone 6 SR 99 This unique case for the iPhone 6 is a flip folio style case that comes in four pastel colors. Each case features a wrist strap and a slot inside for storing credit cards too. The magnetic clasp keeps the case closed shut when you’re not using your phone. Available at izone.
Hoodies Tablet Edition + Tablet Cover SR 97 The Hoodies iPod covers are covers for an mp3 player, iPod or mobile phone. The Hoodies iPod cover is available in gray and fits the iPod classic, iPod touch, iPhone and various other mp3 players and phones. Available at wysada.com
DESTINATION RIYADH 57
SPECIAL PLACES
A DAY AT THE RACES
The Equestrian Club Riyadh
Through the wonderful help of frequent equestrian club patron, Malonie Deasy, we found ourselves having our very own Eliza Doolittle day at the races.
The King Abdulaziz Race Course
Located at a majestic 9-square-kilometer estate in Janadriyah, the King Abdulaziz Race Course is a not so hidden gem at the fringes of Riyadh. The complex consists of the main racetrack, which can hold all internationally recognized race distances. There’s also a training track within the 2,000-parameter main racecourse. Right in the middle of it is a large 50-squaremeter screen that televises the race information and live feed of the races as they take place. There are two ways to enjoy and watch the races. 58 DESTINATION RIYADH
You can either stay on the grand stand with open bleachers that can accommodate over 3,500 spectators or have the Saudi version of an Ascot weekend and enjoy the amenities of the Club Building.
There’s a dedicated space for women home businesses at the public entrance. The Equestrian club supports these women in providing a venue to sell Najdi delicacies and meals. On the other hand, you can also enjoy international cuisines made with the freshest ingredients at the grandiose club restaurant. It overlooks the racecourse and also has flat screens broadcasting the races so you won’t miss a minute of the action. Malonie Deasy let us in on a special treat you can avail of when you make a reservation at the restaurant. Through the VIP area and club building, you
STAFF PHOTO/MOHAMMED DUGHAISHM
By Jou Pabalate
are given access to the main grounds where the horses do their warm ups before the start of each race. The grounds are family friendly and provide a safe play area for children to roam around freely.
The Equestrian Club
Equestrianism has always been an integral part of the Najdi, if not the Arabian culture. Horse racing in particular can be traced all the way back to the time of King Abdulaziz whose love for the sport was passed down through his sons. It’s interesting to note that initially, races were conducted at the northeastern area of Riyadh. King Abdulaziz and his sons would sit atop a high hill looking over the racetrack. It is this very place that we now know as Malaz District, named after the forward movement of
horses.Determined to ensure that the sport is given ample attention and developed further, then prince and now King Abdullah called for the gathering of horse owners, experts and government entities to create what is now known as the Equestrian Club in 1965. Today, the Equestrian Club in Riyadh manages all the horse races in the city as well as registering all local bred and imported horses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in line with the Saudi Stud Book (Wetherbyes). The club also facilitates and provides an avenue for sponsors who wish to contribute to races and race prizes.
It supports horse trainers, jockeys and owners as an essential link within the equestrian community, both on the local and international level.
DESTINATION RIYADH 59
DINING AROUND TOWN
Enjoy watching the races unfold from the restaurant balcony.
BRUNCH AT THE EQUESTRIAN CLUB RESTAURANT
A Hidden Gem of Culinary Excellence The Equestrian Club restaurant seeks to delight your culinary senses in a refreshing atmosphere by creating a dining experience that is elegant and unique. Housed in the exclusive club building at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse, the restaurant was created to satisfy well-traveled Riyadhis and visitors to the Kingdom. The restaurant only operates during Fridays and Saturdays offering a marvelous brunch for patrons. Due to its popularity among loyal guests, making a reservation days in advance is essential. A weekend sanctuary for affluent circles and a rather refined clientele, you are guaranteed a tranquil experience that transcends the everyday reality of city living.
The restaurant overlooks the main racetrack, rendering a picturesque backdrop and a spectacular viewing point through its VIP terrace. The floor-to-ceiling windows allow natural light to flood in, creating a refined yet cozy
60 DESTINATION RIYADH
P ROMOTION
atmosphere for its guest. Flat screen televisions are strategically placed within the dining area to ensure that guests don’t miss out on the action. The overall ambience embraces a passion for tradition and excellence of fine dining. Culinary cultures converge on its buffet table, offering the finest international cuisines this side of the region. Savor offerings of succulent seafood, sumptuous high-grade meats and signature dishes that is sure to please even the most sophisticated taste buds. While the temptation to fulfill your sumptuous cravings is bound to be strong, we highly urge you to leave room for desserts. With artfully crafted and freshly baked pastries and repertoire
The wide variety of international cuisines is irresistable! dessert classics, be ready to submit yourself to some sweet indulgence. As one would expect from a five-star establishment, the service in the restaurant is impeccable. The wait staff is friendly and will surely try to accommodate your every request. The Equestrian Club restaurant is ideal for families as well. Its estate has been designed to accommodate and give a memorable experience for children of all ages. There are also secure play areas within the club building to accommodate its younger guests. Dining at the Equestrian Club Restaurant gives you
direct access to the racecourse grounds. Don’t miss the opportunity to watch the horses and jockeys parade in the warm up circles.
Truly a world of its own, the Equestrian Club Restaurant promises a culinary adventure for Riyadhis seeking an exquisite weekend haven. For reservations: Mob: +966-503008044 Tel: +966-11-4773802 +966-11-2540111 Email: restaurant@frusiya.com
P ROMOTION
DESTINATION RIYADH 61
DINING AROUND TOWN
The Grill
Give us an excuse to indu lge our foodie sens es in the name of re search. Recommend a restaurant you’d like review ed by tagging us @destinationryd #DRFoodie
By Jou Pabalate
With winter fast approaching, I try to find dining options that would give me the opportunity to enjoy the rare moments in the year when we can actually stay outside. So, when a friend invited me to try out The Grill, I was excited. Barbecue and Riyadh autumn breeze, what more can you ask for? The Grill is a barbecue place with a fanciful contemporary twist. Being housed at the Four Seasons Riyadh, one could expect a luxurious casual dining ambience. The interiors are warmly lit in the evening and its big windows promises natural light flowing in during the day. While it was all inviting, I wanted to take advantage of the breezy weather by the poolside, al fresco seating. We started our night with some house recommended appetizers. The spicy salmon rolls stood out from the otherwise grill-centric menu. I couldn’t understand why it was there in the first place but it turned out to be a lovely surprise. The salmon was fresh and enveloped with a nice crunchy exterior. The sauce gives just the right amount of kick to give it an interesting flavor. What is winter without some hearty soup to warm your
62 DESTINATION RIYADH
nights? I went for the French onion, which is a staple on the menu. For the discerning diners, it’s a known fact that French onion soup is usually done with an alcohol base and some really good cheese. The executive chef did a fantastic job in bringing out the best from the (all halal) ingredients he worked with. The result is a well-seasoned rendition of the French Onion Soup that is able to match any of its versions elsewhere.
The burgers are a social media favorite.
We were admittedly full by the time we got to dessert so we opted for a shared order of Crème Brûlée. The serving was actually more than enough. We did the spoon-cracking test on the torched layer (a must for any good Crème Brûlée) and it was glazed to perfection. I would have to say that one of the highlights of our evening is the after dinner hot drinks.
Their espresso was spot on and their wide tea selection is served on a self-heating pot, making it enjoyable throughout the chilly weather outside. Over all, the grill is one of the places I would recommend for a more high casual night with friends, colleagues and adult family members (I didn’t see a no-child policy but it’s just one of those restaurants where I don’t see my nephews running around and playing by the pool). I can say with confidence that the kitchen consists of grill masters.
While there are some very interesting options for mains, I decided to go strategic and get a bit of everything. I tried out the surf and turf platter, which consists of Beef Medallion, Lamb Chop, Chicken Skewer, Lobster and Shrimp. For sides and sauces, I opted for mac and cheese and some bleu cheese sauce (I obviously love my cheese). I was a very happy carnivore. This is a place where I don’t have to worry about rubbery overcooked shellfish on my
plate or dried meat (a rarity in Riyadh at times). Everything I had was succulent and the variety of cuts make me excited to give their steaks a try. Charbroiled food has a distinct flavor to it. Since I have a salty palette, I did appreciate the hint of herbs and mild seasoning. It didn’t make me reach out for the shakers as much. When it comes to the mac and cheese, it serves its purpose as a side dish. It was okay but not wow.
Riyadh gentlemen may appreciate the flat screens inside the dining area though personally, it just seem more visually congruent to just have the outside screen if they’re looking to show important soccer matches (the only reason I see in having them around). On my next visit, I’ll probably try the social media approved burgers and join in on their barbecue weekend nights. For Reservations: Tel: +966-11-211500
DESTINATION RIYADH 63
The Anatomy
H E A LT H Y L I V I N G
OF A POTATO CHIP Food, Or is it?
By Amal Al Shaikh
An apple is a food. An orange is a food. Chicken is a food. Potato chips on the other hand... Not food. Why, though? One serving of potato chips equals 12 pieces. Sugar in the form of starch and salt makes a bag of chips is actually designed to make you crave more than one serving.
1
SALoTf it. Even if you
a lot otato plain p choose ich people h chips, w y seldom ll a c ti s ti sta ntains eady co ams lr a it , o d ligr 185 mil nce. 170 to u m per o of sodiu
2
VEGETABLE OIL contains saturated and trans fat that raise cholesterol levels.
ARTIFICIAL COLORS 4 may have various detrimental effects to our health, especially children.
, of the dayot d n e e h t t A ips will n an a bag of ch owever, it cects H . u o y l il k ental eff e have detrrim ath in th on you heeaten more long run if usual and at often thanus amounts. enormo 64 DESTINATION RIYADH
3 NATURAL+
ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS are used to make products taste better. They are created in a lab and the formulations are trade secrets.
E282
also know na calcium p s ropionate , is commo nly found in bread, a nd manufactu many rers also use it in p otato chip s.
A study conducted in 2002 established the direct link between E282 and irritability, restlessness, inattention and sleep disturbance (mainly in children). There has been speculation of other side effects: migraines, headaches and stomach ulcers to name a few.
5
H E A LT H Y L I V I N G
RENEWING AND RESTORING
YOUR BALANCE FOR A
ʻʻCLEANER YOUˮ By Carolyn Heaton
COURTESY PHOTO/TOILYNNWYLE
Carolyn Heaton, Nutritionist and Food Writer, thinks about getting back to basics on the food front.
66 DESTINATION RIYADH
As a self-confessed food lover and nutrient food content analyzer for 30 years, I will let you in on a secret... No I'm not perfect when it comes to menu choices. People always ask me this question about myself in relation to food. I would say I try to operate generally in the 80/20 arena of nutrition. What's that, you may ask? Well, most nutritionists realize that it's not easy to be perfect so if you're following an 80 percent healthy eating campaign, that's good enough. Chances are if you think this way, you'll probably challenge yourself to do better and work closer to 90/10.
COURTESY PHOTO/JUICINGTOLOSEWEIGHT • HEALTHFITNESSREVOLUTION
NEED REMINDERS? DOWNLOAD STAND UP!
AN APP THAT WILL REMIND YOU TO STAND UP EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE DEPENDING ON YOUR SETTINGS. Keep It Moving! Australian researchers sampled thigh muscle from people who sat constantly and people who took a one-minute standing break every 20 minutes. The standing people showed positive changes in 75 genes, including ones involved with new muscle growth.
But what are my main concerns overall? There's definitely too much junk food around. Loaded with huge quantities of empty calories from sugar, salt, dangerous fats, additives, color and more. What's this stuff doing to us? It's causing problems with our brain, digestive system, heart, lungs, kidneys, bones and other systems in our body. Who doesn't know someone with Alzheimer’s, irritable bowel syndrome, colon cancer, asthma, allergies, skin problems, gout, aching bones and stiff joints to name a few. Perhaps pain and inflammation, or niggling conditions that just won't go away. This is just the tip of my iceberg list, too many more are buried underneath waiting to explode. You can change the way you think about food if you feel you are gaining weight more easily, particularly as you age. A good tip I have is to keep pushing the bad food choices to the end of the day. When you get to your last meal of the day, you realize that you have done well to avoid bad food options and could possibly save them to the next day. See what happens the next day, can you avoid damaging food choices again?
... Keep going.
Here are a few small tips to get you started moving towards a cleaner you. • Do you need sugar in tea and coffee? • Could you substitute lemon or lime juice, pepper, a dash of celery seed, herbs/ spices or garlic for salt? • Perhaps a few nuts on standby for “food craving moments” rather than cakes and biscuits? • A nice fresh rocket salad drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, tangy citrus choices and sprinkled with sunflower seeds. • Fresh juice or vegetable from a juice bar instead of a cola. • Always have a bottle of mineral water on standby.
There’s a lot to do every day, and it may seem like an obvious thing to write things down and have a daily action plan, rather than think “overwhelming.” Plan your meals in advance. Food lists are great on your phone. Write down healthy choices, avoiding the bad stuff. Keep focused on the list at the food store. This way you'll avoid the unnecessary random, deviating choices.
DESTINATION RIYADH 67
H E A LT H Y L I V I N G
HEALTH
MISCONCEPTIONS
By Yara Bana
We are often told that it was unhealthy to eat certain foods. But many of us never actually make sure of that information’s validity, and discover that what we may view as absolute truths are really myths. Here are some myths that turned out to be dead wrong.
People who go out with
Eggs
wet hair
are a source of unhealthy cholesterol
will catch a cold
The truth about this myth is that a person will feel cold, but will not catch a cold. A series of studies about this myth was made and the results proved its invalidity. The feeling of being cold will not affect the immune system. The main cause of a cold is a virus. So feeling cold or chilly will not cause a cold.
ide They prov ply of u s d a goo p B and D. , vitamin A
For many years people have avoided eating eggs because of bad cholesterol. However, studies have proven that eggs have many benefits and are a good source of choline, especially beneficial for pregnant women and help the baby’s brain development. Eggs are also good for the eyes, hair and nails. The only pointer is to make sure that eggs aren’t beaten in large quantities and are cooked in a healthy way.
Swallowed gum
stays in your stomach for seven years
68 DESTINATION RIYADH
Eating fat
makes you gain weight Fats are althy e actually h y d o b e th for For many years, parents, teachers and even children believed that swallowed gum remains in the stomach for about seven years. However, just like any item that wasn’t chewed and has entered the body it dissolves and digests. Fluids in the system carry the gum to the intestinal tract. Gum is then passed within a number of days and not years.
Eating low-fat food doesn’t help weight loss diets as much as it would harm people’s health. The way they relate weight gain to fat is misguided. The reason behind their weight gain is actually the mix up between sugar and fat. In a nutshell, sugar is what causes weight gain and not fat. Fats are needed for many functions.
dless myths There are en tions related cep and miscon ve me may ha o S to health. rs are e th o n true, actually bee ted, la re re e but a u tr lly fu t o n from re as far off and many a t. e g it can the truth as re y to make su a w The best t e g u yo advice of the next ke a m lth is to on your hea re u check mo yo sure that . e rc u so liable than one re
RYD
www.destinationjeddah.com
SPIRITUALITY
Be Inspired! Historical Islamic figures who knew a thing or two about business By Sobia Javed
When most people think about historic Islamic figures, such as companions of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), who were pious and God-fearing, they imagine them to be those who worshipped Allah continuously, prayed long voluntary prayers, fasted many days outside of Ramadan, and generally revolved their whole lives around the mosque. This is true for the most part, but in the case of many, it was not the only thing they did. There are many examples of very successful businessmen and women who not only displayed all of the above characteristics, but they also possessed great business acumen.
Here, we take a closer look at a few of pious predecessors of Muslims and explore what made them so successful.
{Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid} One of the most famous names associated with the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was his first wife, Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid (May Allah be pleased with her). Such are her achievements, success and inspiring character, that it would be a complete injustice to try and summarize them in just a few paragraphs, but let’s take a brief look at just a few aspects of her life. Her father was a successful businessman in the field of trading goods. Unfortunately, he passed away, leaving his daughter to inherit his business. During this time, she got married and had two children, but sadly, her husband passed away. Sometime later, she remarried and had another child, but the marriage broke up on grounds of incompatibility.
Imagine now, a young woman, widowed, then divorced, thus a single mom to three young children, having to cope on her own, all the while running a business. 70 DESTINATION RIYADH
Khadeejah (May Allah be pleased with her) employed hard working and honest men to travel on her behalf and conduct trading. She exported goods from Makkah to markets in places such as Syria and imported goods to be sold in Makkah (which was no mean feat considering the distance between the two locations, and the humble means of transport She actually available in that era). Who said girl power was employed Prophet Muhammad a modern phenomenon, when you have here a (pbuh) to work for successful woman, who her (and later on ran her own business, proposed marriage was a single mom for a to him due to his while, and who then honorable conduct proposed marriage to a in dealing with her man whom she deemed suitable for herself?! business affairs).
{Imam abu Hanifah} The next person whose achievements we can explore was Imam Abu Hanifah. He was not a companion of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), since he was born some 67 years after the death of the Prophet (pbuh). He was, however, very influential in respect to Islamic jurisprudence. In fact, his works are still referred to today, over 1,200 years after his death. He was a silk merchant, and came from a family of textile merchants. He was noted as being an honest and fair merchant who refused to take advantage of others. In fact, it is his honesty and fair-trading that is often attributed to his wealth and success.
{Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq} Our last flourishing businessman was none other than the best friend of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and the first rightly guided caliph of Islam upon the death of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). His name is Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (May Allah be pleased with him).
He was one of the key figures in spreading the message of Islam, and again, it is simply impossible to condense his achievements into a few paragraphs. At the age of 18, he went into the family business as a cloth merchant. He took it upon himself to travel from Makkah to Yemen, Syria and elsewhere. A common theme amongst these pious business people of integrity and honesty were also present in Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), and thus his business flourished, and he came to be recognized as one of the richest merchants of Makkah.
These are only examples of a few key historical figures, but delve a bit further into the rich history of Islam, and you will see that they are just a handful of the many other very successful businessmen and women.
AN EXAMPLE OF HIS FAIR
A woman went to him to sell some cloth for 100 dirhams. Upon inspecting the cloth, Imam Abu Hanifah realized it was worth much more, and he gave the woman five times more than her asking price.
A FURTHER EXAMPLE
An employee of his went abroad and sold some silk on his behalf, forgetting to point out that there were some slight defects in the garment (something that Imam Abu Hanifah had specifically requested him to do). Upon hearing this, Imam Abu Hanifah was very distressed, and not having any means of tracing the buyer, he donated all proceeds of the sale, which was 30,000 dirhams, to charity. This goes to show that honesty and being just go a long way in making one’s business prosper!
FURTHER
READING ABU HANIFAH; HIS LIFE, LEGAL METHOD AND LEGACY
by Muhammad Akram Nadwi
THE BIOGRAPHY OF ABU BAKR AS SIDDEEQ by Dr Ali Muhammad AsSallaabee
HEROES OF ISLAM by Professor Mahmoud Esma’il Sieny
DESTINATION RIYADH 71
T R AV E L T R E N D S
All Roads Lead to
Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski Journeying sheikhs and merchants give testament to the lavish welcome one receives upon traversing through the desert and reaching the plateau oasis of Riyadh. Such narratives are given new life and a contemporary rendition through Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski.
Luxury Living with the Business Traveler in Mind Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski will whisk you away to a hospitality destination at the heart of the Kingdom. Enjoy the traffic-free roads leading to the hotel that is located minutes away from King Abdullah Financial District and is also a mere
72 DESTINATION RIYADH
P ROMOTION
27 kilometers away from the airport. The hotel offers 349 lavish living spaces; 112 of which are suites that subscribe to the 5-star standards of the European hotel chain while striking equilibrium with the rich Najdi heritage of its new address. Whether you’re a frequent traveler on business or an executive transitioning to the Riyadh lifestyle, Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski promises a wonderful sanctuary for your sense. If you wish to carve out your own luxury space without foregoing the distinct pleasures of a suite life, then consider yourself indulged in the Tower Suite and Rafal Suite. It is the perfect choice for transient guests who seek the privacy of a luxury quarter. These suites offer the convenience of a separate
living room and kitchenettes for guests who wish to have a home away from home. Definitely in a class of its own, the three-bedroom Presidential Suite provides unparalleled sophistication and the epitome of executive high living. Nothing speaks of luxury and a unique sense of place in Riyadh than the Royal Suite at Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski. This suite comes fully equipped with an entertainment room, dining room, separate living and bedroom, private gym, luggage room, guests toilet and one-of-a-kind marble bathroom with a whirlpool that overlooks the mystical city of Riyadh, — brought together with exquisite décor and elegant interiors.
A Collection of Platinum Indulgence At Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski, there is no such thing as a dull moment. The property boasts of its ability to help you break the monotony and escape the rat race. Something to look forward to is their luxury spa, coming soon with 5-star treatments. Take a dip in its elegant pool or simply take a moment for yourself in the exclusive Level 18 lounge, the 5-star executive lounge. Guests are guaranteed to have their gastronomical desires satisfied by the six food and beverage outlets, all promising culinary greatness. Enjoy a rich brunch at its Grand Restaurant, bask in the sun at the Skylight, enjoy a lavish feast at the Ottoman inspired Tugra then end your day with a relaxing nightcap at the El Capitolio Cigar lounge or Le Bijou cafe and terrace.
Take Your Work Home With a state of the art business center featuring 19 meeting rooms furnished with the latest audio and video technology that will surely take your meetings to another level of proficiency; Burj Rafal Hotel Kempinski positions itself as your enterprise partner. Your time is precious and best spent focusing on the things that truly matter to you and your work. Conduct your meetings in a sophisticated hub, away from the hustle and bustle of the old business districts. The hotel has beautifully blended European traditions and Arabian hospitality, and presents to its guests innovative functions backed by world-class service. Location: 7647 King Fahad Rd. Al Sahafa Dist. Tel: +966-11-5117777 Email: reservations.burjrafal@ kempinski.com
P ROMOTION
DESTINATION RIYADH 73
T R AV E L T R E N D S
WINTER WONDERLAND
THE TOP 5 EUROPE DESTINATIONS By Tharik Hussain
With temperatures on these shores still hitting the 30s, Travel Trends has to confess that it’s always around this time of the year that we begin to crave a real winter holiday.
If like us you’re desperate to experience a real winter then look no further than our list of the top five European destinations for the ultimate magical winter experience. We’ve listed our favorite places in winter for nature, festive markets, trains, nightlife and a city experience. In fact, whatever your winter desire we’ve got it covered. 74 DESTINATION RIYADH
Switzerland
Berne, Switzerland
Basel
COURTESY PHOTO BERNE-SWITZERLAND/ GOPIXPIC.COM
A winter where you look outside your windows and find the streets covered in virginwhite snow and everyone is walking around glove-hand in glove-hand; a winter that makes you pull up the collars on your winter’s coat and wrap tightly around you the warm woollen scarf kindly knitted by granny; a winter where town centers are litup by festive lights and little wooden chalets sell drinks that warm your very soul; a winter that makes you want to go home and sit around a real log fire to play board games with all the family; a winter that might be cold in climate but is warm and romantic in spirit.
1
ZURICH, BERN AND BASEL – Best for traditional winter markets by train
Nothing quite sums up winter in Europe like a traditional Festive Market and in little Switzerland there are some of the best in beautiful cities within minutes of each other. Given the reputation of Swiss railways there can only be one way to enjoy these markets and that is by train – not only do you get to enjoy the festivities of a traditional winter market in three different cities but you also get to travel through one of the most photogenic countries in Europe whilst its covered in snow. ZURICH: The market here is conveniently opposite the main train station in the ShopVilleRailCity and boasts a massive 160 wooden chalets plus a 50-foot festive tree, decorated with no less than 5,000 Swarovski crystals! That alone is worth the trip.
BERN: The Swiss capital Bern is only an hour away from Zurich by train and the markets here are a completely different experience. Located in the Old Town and set among the festively decorated period houses, you’ll have not one but two to explore. For gifts, hand-made souvenirs and plenty of traditional hot-winter drinks head to the Waisenhausplatz and for arts and crafts it’s the Munsterplatz. BASEL: This is my favorite Swiss city and the place to be during the winter festivities (only an hour by train from Bern) as 180 stalls sprawl out across two splendid squares, Barfusserplatz in the old town and Munsterplatz in the shade of Basel Cathedral. Throughout the winter period the streets are lined with decorated evergreen trees and all about town concerts and shows are laid on.
2
VENICE ITALY – Best for winter festival
Zurich
The capital of European romance, the city where streets are canals and everywhere you look love-struck couples are hand in hand. Winter might not be the time to drift along on a gondola but it is definitely the time to enjoy the city all to yourself. Gone are the heaving summer crowds leaving just you and the Venetians to wander the quaint, narrow alleyways
Venice
of architectural excellence that is Venice. Around every corner you will find a warm inviting glow coming from a little cafe or a romantic restaurant like Osteria alle Testiere (on Calle del Mondo Novo) or the Madonna (on Calle del Madonna) where you can sit for hours dreamily gazing into the eyes of your significant other. The real attraction of winter in Venice however is the Carnevale at the beginning of February, when the crowds will return – and my how they return! Decked in classical, outrageous outfits and fanciful masks the city goes wild to observe this ancient tradition as it enters a week-long orgy of partying and literally, masquerading.
Venice
DESTINATION RIYADH 75
Prague
3
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC – Best for combining romance with nightlife
Few places evoke romantic imagery and gothic beauty the way Prague does, with some claiming it surpasses even that of Paris. In the summer even taking a picture on the Charles Bridge, one of the most photographed in all of Eastern Europe, can become a selfie nightmare. But in winter, with the Vltava River shrouded in mist, and the summer crowds gone, the 14th century bridge and its impressive range of baroque statues evokes the type of romantic imagery we all travel for. 76 DESTINATION RIYADH
Stare Mesto
By day: Stick to the area in and around Stare Mesto – Old Town – where the cobbled maze of narrow streets and alleyways leading off the main square are a wandering paradise. Take your time seeking out ancient monuments, bohemian cafes and unexpected gardens for this is a city where even the New Town is “old” having been built in the 14th century and wrapping itself around the real Old Town.
By night: Head to Zizkov and Karlin, the city’s liveliest districts. If you’re looking for slightly trendier ones then it’s the fast developing Holesovic district you want. With the festive season in full swing the parties will be bigger and noisier, but if you have no idea what I mean by this, go ahead and enter the words ‘Prague Nightlife’ into a reliable search engine and all will become clear.
COURTESY PHOTO/ MIRIADNA.COM . LAYOVERGUIDE.COM . NORTHERN-LIGHTS-JENS-OTTOSON-FOTOLIA.COM . JOINEDCULTURES.COM
Charles Bridge
4 ABISKO, SWEDEN – Best for nature in winter (The fabled Aurora Borealis)
Though based in Lapland, there isn’t a Santa in sight here. Abisko is literally the furthest place north you can go by train in Europe, making it the perfect location to witness nature’s most spectacular light-show, the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Although a small town, Abisko is ideal for viewing the fabled lights for two reasons, the town
5
UTRECHT –
Best for winter city experience
“It’s like a little Amsterdam without all the hedonistic debauchery!” was how one friend described little, pretty Utrecht, just an hour’s drive from the headline-grabbing capital city of the Netherlands.
COURTESY PHOTO / UTRECHT THARIK HUSSAIN
In the winter, Utrecht is in its festive element. As the locals wait for the canals to freeze over for a spot of risky iceskating, the town’s streets are decorated in lights and festive insignia. This makes it the ideal time to wander through the historic city
Auroral belt
is positioned within the Auroral belt and also has a relatively dry climate. This means if the Aurora Borealis do put in an appearance while you are there, you are less likely to have the fun spoiled by pesky clouds getting in the way! It is worth remembering that Abisko is actually in the Arctic Circle and therefore conditions
founded nearly 2,000 years ago (47 A.D.), while gorging on such Dutch winter favourites as Oliebollen (fried dough balls) and poffertjes (mini pancakes) served from tiny little stalls, converted trucks and pop-up shops all over the town – the best places being picturesque Maliebaan and the Neude Square in the heart of the city.
there are quite different. Firstly the sun never really rises above the horizon in Abisko during the winter and this means that not only is “daylight” a perpetual shade of blue but it only lasts for a few hours a day. Secondly, be prepared for a huge drop in temperature, making arctic-condition clothing absolutely essential.
For Utrecht’s annual winter festival market head for its most ancient shopping street Twijnstraat, where people have been buying and selling since the 13th century. Here between Dec. 12-14 more than a hundred stalls will appear in all their Dutch winter decorative glory. THE AUTHOR: Tharik Hussain is a freelance travel writer, journalist and photographer living with his family in London, UK. Tharik is also the Director of a sixth form centre where he teaches Sociology and Media Studies.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Follow him at: thewanderingmusulman. wordpress.com Twitter: @_TharikHussain Facebook: TharikHussainUK
Utrecht
DESTINATION RIYADH 77
EXPLORE KSA
View of the royal court from the courtyard.
King Abdulaziz’s
Grand Historic Palace in Jeddah Text and Photography by Mohammed Mirza
The former home of King Abdulaziz stands magnificently in the old part of Jeddah. Khuzam Palace is a haven of tranquility built in traditional Arabian architecture in marked contrast with the glass and concrete of the modern city beyond its walls. The enchanting palace is one of the oldest buildings of Jeddah and its lesser-known wonders. Located in the southern part of the city, today only a few parts of the palace remain. The rest made way for modern construction, which includes a large Islamic Bank, a picturesque mosque, an Olympic-size swimming pool and a university. Luckily the palace’s three most notable portions still stand strong — the grand palace gate, the King’s residential quarters and the royal court.
the major King Khaled Road. Khuzam literally means lavender in Arabic, as the site where the palace was built was surrounded by lavender back in the day. Built in 1932, the palace took five years to complete. It was the seat of power of two kings – King Abdulaziz and King Saud. Apparently, it is also the first building in the country that used cement and iron in its construction.
As you stand in front of the palace’s massive gate you’ll get an idea of what the entire complex must have looked like. Today, the actual residential quarters can’t even be seen from the gate, which makes the entrance feel out of place as it stands adjacent to
Many important treaties and agreements were signed at this very palace starting with the
78 DESTINATION RIYADH
The gate was on the country’s currency note in 1955.
first agreement to excavate oil in the Kingdom and signed with the Standard Oil Company of California. In 1981, King Fahd bin Abdulaziz converted the palace into a museum. After years of restoration a portion of the palace was opened to visitors in 1995. The museum was named Jeddah Regional Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography.
Khuzam Palace Gate
The collection in the museum boasts of artifacts from the Stone Age attributed to the Acheulean period found in the nearby archaeologically-rich area of Wadi Fatimah. There are also several other artifacts dating to the pre-Islamic era and numerous vestiges that illustrate the rise of Islam in the region. However, the most popular items here are the relics from the time when the palace was used by the current royal family. Unfortunately, the museum is currently closed for tourists. An opening on the side of the royal court allows one to enter the courtyard that separates the royal court and residential quarters. At first sight of the courtyard, you enter a world that disappeared half a century ago. Built mostly of coral limestone, the building has withstood time and even today cracks are hard to find on the exterior walls. Lingering amid this splendor, the thing that strikes you first is the silence. As no major road is located nearby, in a city like Jeddah such silence is cherished.
Collapsed roof on a portico in the residential quarters.
Opposite to the royal court stands the gargantuan residential quarters, although this is strikingly similar in architecture to the royal court. However, this building is in a dilapidated condition. The color of its beige walls slowly continues to fade, many of its glass windows are shattered, several of its roofs have collapsed and many of its wooden beams have broken, leaving the building vulnerable. One part of these residential quarters is being used as a warehouse today. This structure is in better condition with coated walls and mortared roofs. This is one of the later constructed extensions of the palace. The Khuzam Palace is justly an apex of Arabian architecture that encapsulates Saudi Arabian history and is one of Jeddah’s best kept secrets. The dark-colored walls and architecture of the edifice
create an irresistible lure that has continued to fascinate architects and historians. Unfortunately today many residents of the city remain unaware of this palace and rarely will one come across a tourist visiting this lesser known wonder.
Residential quarter side view.
How to get there: Get on to King Khaled Road and as soon as you cross Islamic Development Bank take a right followed by the first left. Head straight on this road and once you cross a roundabout take the first right. After about 200 meters take a left and you will be able to see the palace on your left hand side. Coordinates: 21.475016, 39.209145 DESTINATION RIYADH 79
Music by Big Hass of Re-Volt
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Madonna’s wedding dress from Sean Penn marriage sells for $81,250 at charity auction.
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Shabik is the Middle East’s most popular social network where you can send free text messages, voice messages, photos, videos, YouTube videos and much more…whenever you like!
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80 DESTINATION RIYADH
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Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work
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DVDs
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WAT C H W I T H FA M I LY & F R I E N D S MUST-SEE TV
American Horror Story: Freak Show OSN First HD Time: 22:00 KSA Friday Homeland - Season 4 OSN First HD Time: 21:00 KSA Monday
INTERSTELLAR Epic science fiction film directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine, the film features a team of space travelers who travel through a wormhole in search of a new habitable planet.
Actress, Carol Ann Susi, who played Mrs. Wolowitz on the hit CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, died on Tuesday after a brief battle with an aggressive cancer. She was 62.
DESTINATION RIYADH 81
EXPLORE KSA
A Trip To Historic Saudi
A PARADISE IN NEOLITHIC IMAGERY: JUBBAH By Rob L. Wagner
Jubbah, northwest of Ha’il, was once an ancient lake that today boasts some of the most intriguing rock art dating back at least 7,000 and perhaps as long as 9,000 years.
In contrast to Neolithic paintings and etchings in other parts of the world, Jubbah’s rock art features deep incisions that display images in sharp relief and are in remarkably pristine condition. Images depict men and women that give visitors a glimpse into the clothing and hairstyles of the period. The art also features animals, hunting scenes, and weaponry, such as bows, arrows, sticks and spears. Lady Anne Blunt, the daughter of Lord Byron, said during her trip to the Arabian Peninsula in 1879 that the carved images made “Jubbah is one of the most curious places in the world, and to my mind one of the most beautiful.” Archaeologist Juris Zarins wrote in Saudi Aramco World (Harrington 2002), that, “Pound for pound and piece for piece, in terms of rock art concentration and importance, Jubbah is the number-one or number-two site in the whole of the Middle East.” 82 DESTINATION RIYADH
COURTESY PHOTO/ SAUDI-ARCHAEOLOGY.COM/SITES/JUBBAH
Once an oasis that featured flora, wildlife and a significant human population, Jubbah has earned a reputation as home to the most stunning Neolithic images on the Arabian Peninsula, if not worldwide.
AL MAKTABA BOOKSTORE Sitteen St. AL RAQEEM BOOKSTORE Olaya Main St.
AL SHARQ BOOKSTORE Al Malaz Tel: +966-11-4720538 AL WATANIYAH BOOKSTORE Aswaq Al Majd Tel: +966-11-4450619
DAR AL QASEM King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4092000 DAR AL MINHAJ FOR USED BOOKS Prince Abdullah Rd. DAR AL SHAWAF LIBRARY Thalatheen St. Tel: +966-11-4622667
GOLDEN PAGES Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4631917 ISLAMIC BOOK CENTER Sitteen St.
MEDICAL BOOKSTORE Prince Abdullah Rd.
COOL Prince Abdullah Rd. DAR AL MASKUKAT Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4651166 EASTERN GIFT HOUSE Oruba Plaza FANTASTIC WORLD Thalatheen St. GIFT HOUSE Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4661316 GIFT VILLAGE King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4620219 HERITAGE TOUCH Abdullah Bin Sulaiman Al Hamdan Tel: +966-11-4612930
MUSEUMS & ART VENUES
MY HOME FLOWER King Abdul Aziz Rd. OCCASIONS Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4654555
REEMA BOOKSTORE Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4705228
THE FINAL TOUCH King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4641023
TUTTIE Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4613976
THE GIFT Thalatheen St. Tel: +966-11-4615859
LIBRARIES
ART VISION Kingdom Centre Tel: +966-11-2112412
WORLD OF BALLOON ART Safwa Center Mob: +966-542233838
LAMSA EXHIBITION Al Faisaliah Tel: +966-11-2734239 THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY Abu Bakr Al Sedeeq Rd. Tel: +966-11-4944614
TUNISEN ANTIQUE HOUSE Euromarche
BALLROOMS AL FAISALIAH ROSEWOOD HOTEL King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2732000 HOTEL AL KHOZAMA Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4654650 HOLIDAY INN OLAYA Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4612000
VILLAGE GALLERY Thalatheen St.
MADAREEM CROWN HOTEL Airport Rd. Tel: +966-11-2758888
WONDER CASTLE CORPORATION Dabbab St.
MARRIOTT RIYADH Airport Rd. Tel: +966-11-4779300
ZAMANI ART GALLERY Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4613057
NAYYARA Al Raed St. Tel: +966-11-4806655
ZEKRAYAT FRAMES Tahlia St.
SHERATON RIYADH King Fahd St. Crossing King Abdulla St. Tel: +966-11-4543300
STUDIOS AJMAN PHOTOGRAPHIC LAB Tel: +966-11-4610210 AJMAN STUDIO AND LAB Tel: +966-11-4823608 AL KHUZAMA STUDIO AND LAB Tel: +966-11-4609417
BOUTIQUES BACO DESIGN Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2935633 www.bacodesign.com BALENCIAGA Centria Mall www.balenciaga.com BIJOU BOUTIQUE Tel: +966-11-2882601 http://beautebijou.com DESTINATION RIYADH 83
RELIGIOUS
AL SEWAIDI Sudair St. Tel: +966-11-4251263
GOODSHIP LOLLIPOP Prince Muhammad Ibn Abdulaziz Rd. Tel: +966-11-4659521 www.goodship-lollipop.com
GENERAL
PARTY TIME Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4659101
BALLOONS TIME Debab St., Derma Clinic Building
7 STAR ART GALLERY Akkariya Buildings
THE ORIENTALIST HOUSE Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4634228
MAGIC ART Sahara Mall
BALLOONS
RIYADH PARTY SUPPLIES STORE Al Nakheel Dist. Tel: +966-11-4702454
LUXURY EVENTS Mob: +966-509421214
OBEKAN BOOKSTORE King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4160018
ALFA CASSETTES Batha Commercial Center
THE CENTERAL TALKING LIBERARY Dabab St. Tel: +966-11-4020997
THE BAZAAR Akkariya Buildings
PAPERMOON Sahara Mall Tel: +966-11-4520393
ALEM AL IBDAA King Abdul Aziz Rd.
KING FAHAD NATIONAL LIBRARY King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4891455
KONOUZ Tahlia St.
NAJD BOOKSTORE Jareer St.
FUN & RECREATION
LUXURY PICTURES Mob: +966-56595669
HEALTH
JARIR BOOKSTORE Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4626000 Prince Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-2645807
CHINATOWN Euromarche
KING ABDUL AZIZ LIBRARY King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4050188
TRAVEL
DAR ELEM BOOKSTORE Prince Abdullah Rd.
ART LINE GALLERY Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4622573
FAHAD STUDIO Prince Mandouh bin Abdulaziz St. Tel: +966-11-4623547
RESTAURANTS
DAR AL HDRAMA Jareer St. Tel: +966-11-4788510
ARTS Al Andalus Center
DAR BEN JAWZI Prince Saud bin Mohammed St. Tel: +966-11-2107228
FASHION & SHOPPING
AL SHAGREY BOOKSTORE Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4611717
ANAMEL ARTS OF CEREMICS Olaya Main St.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
BOOKSTORES
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
BACO DESIGN Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2935633 www.bacodesign.com
TRAVEL
RESTAURANTS
FASHION & SHOPPING
BALENCIAGA Centria Mall www.balenciaga.com BIJOU BOUTIQUE Tel: +966-11-2882601 http://beautebijou.com BLANK BOUTIQUE Orouba St. Tel: +966-11-2010033 BRIONI Olaya St. HARVEY NICHOLS Al Faisaliah Mall Tel: +966-11-2734444 www.harveynichols.com HOSS INTROPIA Tel: +966-11-4658122 JACADI BOUTIQUE Garanada Center Hayat Mall Sahara Mall www.jacadi.us LA-BOUTIQUE Al Nahda Rd. Facebook: La-Boutique Riyadh LA COQUETTE Kingdom Centre
HEALTH
MODERN US DESIGNERS Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4612079 www.riyadhdress.com MONTBLANC King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2111080 www.montblanc.com QUEEN OF SPADES Al Faisaliah Mall www.queenof spadesstore.com
GENERAL
SADA SHOP (ONLINE) Tel: +966-11-4411940 www.sadashop.com STACHE Tel: +966-11-4656333 TERRA ECLAT JEWELLERY by Ranyah Seraj Mob: +966-543768585
RELIGIOUS
BRIDAL & EVENING DRESSES
BASMA AL JAZAERY Orouba St. MYSTIQUE Kingdom Mall Tel: +966-11-2112592 PRINCESS FASHION Olaya St. Rusais Center Mob: +966-562289459 PRONOVIAS Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4163410 ROSA CLARA Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4652677 SILVER DEW Orouba St. Tel: +966-11-4197153
CUSTOM THOBES AJLAN & BROS Olaya Dist. Tel: +966-11-4665555 www.ajlanbros.com LOMAR THOBE Localizer Mall Tel: +966-11-2170094 www.lomarthobe.com
EVENT PLANNERS LOLLIPOP Prince Mohammad Bin Abdul Aziz St. Mob: +966-508916441 LUXURY EVENTS Mob: +966-567893966 GHALA EVENTS Tel: +966 55 5597951 www.ghalaevents.com
FLORISTS AL GABA FLOWERS Orouba St. Mob: +966-502017058 ARAWLA Musaed Al Angari St. Mob: +966-508085546 LAMAR Safwa Center Mob: +966-555505441 NARDEEN Mob: +966-507976733 SPRING ROSE Tel: +966-11-2167777
AL FALAH Tel: 920001678
SPRING’S WEDDING Musaed Al Angari St. Tel: +966-11-2791024
AIREBARCELONA Orouba St. Tel: +966-11-2884807
STYLE FLOWER Musaed Al Angari St. Mob: +966-504237071
84 DESTINATION RIYADH
HOME FURNITURE @ ROOM Tel: +966-11-2298457 AYAR Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4612757 CHENONE HOME Olaya St. CITIES Centria Mall Tel: +966-11-2180007 DAR AL HADAYA Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2155550 HOSHAN FURNITURE Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2933939 IKEA East Ring Rd. Exit 16 Tel: +966-11-2442233 JAZIRA INTERIORS King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4632631 JAZIRA PROJECTS King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4632631 KA INTERNATIONAL King Fahad Rd. Tel: 920001216 MILADORA FURNITURE King Fahad Rd. Tel: 920003277 MOROCCO LINE Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-2816612 RAZIN Tahlia St. THE CLASSICS Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4611888 THE WHITE HOUSE King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4615332 TRADITIONALS King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2012300
SHOPPING CENTERS AL FAISALIYAH MALL Olaya Dist. Tel: +966-11-2730000 www.alfaisaliahmall.com AL QASR MALL Al Swaidi St. Tel: +966-11-4515600 www.alqasrmall.com Supermarket: Hyper Market AZIZIA MALL Off of King Fahad Rd.
CENTRIA MALL Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2161111 www.centria.com.sa GARANADA CENTER East Ring Rd., Exit 9 Tel: +966-11-2534990 www.granadacenter.com.sa Supermarket: Carrefour HAYAT MALL King Abdul Aziz Rd. Tel: +966-11-2057401 www.hayat-mall.com Supermarket: Danube Hypermarket KINGDOM CENTER Olaya Dist. Tel: +966-11-2112222 www.kingdomcentre.com.sa LOCALIZER MALL Prince Mohammed Ibn Abdul Aziz St. Tel: +966-11-2178999 PANORAMA MALL Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-2814950 www.panorama-mall.com Supermarket: Danube RIMAL CENTER East Ring Rd. Tel: +966-11-2441004 RIYADH GALLERY King Fahd Rd. Tel: +966-11-2078111 www.riyadhgallery.com Supermarket: Hyper Panda SAHARA MALL National Guard St. Tel: +966-11-4520300 www.saharamall.com.sa Supermarket: Tamimi Market
STUDIOS AD ADVERTISING Sulaimaneya St. Safwa Center Tel: +966-11-4665111 AJMAN PHOTOGRAPHIC LAB Tel: +966-11-4610210 AJMAN STUDIO AND LAB Tel: +966-11-4823608 AL KHUZAMA STUDIO AND LAB Tel: +966-11-4609417 FAHAD STUDIO Prince Mandouh Bin Abdulaziz St. Tel: +966-11-4623547 GLAMOUR SHOTS Panorama Mall Tel: +966-11-2814326 SOUVENIR Prince Sultan St. Tel: +966-11-2199919
CHILI’S Tahliah St. Tel: +966-11-2934849 GRILLED BELL PEPPER Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-2814747
LA BOUCHEE Prince Sultan St. Tel: +966-11-2190099 LATEEN Tel: +920011999 LE NOTRE BOUTIQUE Prince Sultan St. Tel: +966-11-4651465
MAUI WOWI Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4616363
ELEVATION BURGER Tahliah St. Tel: +966-11-2885859
PAPPAROTI Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2936452
FATBURGER Bustan Center, Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-2154176
PARDON CAFÉ Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4 160933 RICHONY Makkah Rd. Tel: +966-11-8801062
LA REINE CHOCOLATE Ubadah bin Samit St. Tel: +966-11-2272000
STEAK HOUSE Al Thalateen St. Tel: +966-11-4649638
PATCHI Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4834464
SHANGAI CAFÉ Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2934734
THE PANCAKE HOUSE King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2016816
SO Thalateen St. Tel: +966-11-4629229
TONY ROMAS Hayat Mall Tel: +966-11-4649178
SYNPHYTUN CHOCOLATE Tel: +966-11-2931813
TEA LOUNGE Four Seasons Hotel Tel: +966-11-2115000
BRAZILIAN
ARMENIAN AL MAYASS Oasis Complex, Orouba Rd. Mob: +966-503753333 LUSIN RESTAURANT Centeria Mall. Tel: +966-11-2939800
CANNELLE Prince Sultan St. Tel: +966-11-4664491
CHOCOLATE STUDIO Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4657476 CHOCOLINE Olaya Main Rd. Tel: +966-11-4641172
CAFE’ BLANC Prince Mohamad Bin Abdulaziz St. Tel: +966-11-4633426 CAFE’ PASCUCCI Tahllia Tel: +966-11-4620555 COLONY COFFEE Sultan Bin Salman St. Mob: +966-597452311 DIWAN CAFÉ Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4833595
THE DIAMOND CAFÉ Localizer Mall Tel: +966-11-2170125
JAN BURGER King Abdul Aziz St. Tel: 920006765
TUTTI CAFE’ Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2160666
JOHNNY ROCKETS Tahliah St. Tel: +966-11-2016667
VERSAI CAFÉ Exit 4 Tel: +966-11-4703853
JOLLIBEE 2nd Floor, Al Rajhi Building Tel: +966-11-4057420
YMMY Riyadh Gallery Mob: +966-553333998
FAST FOOD AL TAZAJ King Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-2254769 BABY BURGER Imam Rd. Tel: +966-11-4941129 BREAKFAST TO BREAKFAST Tahliah St. Tel: +966-11-2178233 BUFFALO’S Tahliah St. Tel: +966-11-2792123
EL CAPITOLIO BURJ RAFAL HOTEL KEMPINSKI BURGERIZZR King Fahad Rd. King Fahad Road Tel: +966-11-4874477 Tel: +966 11 511 7892 BURGER HUT JAVA CAFÉ Al Munisiyah, Old Airport Rd. Al Thumamah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4773582 Mob: +966-545356463 LE BIJOU BURJ RAFAL HOTEL KEMPINSKI King Fahad Road Tel: +966 11 511 7889
BURGER KING Al Ahsaa Rd. Tel: +966-11-4732506
KFC Takhasoussi St. Tel: 920021111 KUDU Al Muhamadiyyah Dist. Tel: 920006999 LITTLE CAESARS Al Ahsa St. Tel: +966-11-4765112 MAMA NOURA Dabab St., Suleimania Tel: +966-11-4628144 MANOOSHA Localizer Mall Tel: +966-11-2190491 MCDONALD’S Al Ahsaa Rd. Tel: 920000001 MY BURGER Imam Mohamed bn Saud Road-Exit 9 Tel: +966-11-4503324 MY WAY Uruba St. Tel: +966-11-4643824 PANINI Prince Turki Al’awl Rd. Tel: +966-11-4809909 DESTINATION RIYADH 85
RELIGIOUS
GANACHE Faisaliyyah Mall Tel: +966-11-2734337
BATEEL Across Localizer Mall Tel: +966-11-2936240
HUNGRY BURGER Tel: +966-11-5485999
GENERAL
CHOCOLATE DREAM CANDY BOUQUET Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4197237
AREEJ ART CAFÉ Centria Mall Tel: +966-11-4162990
HOTDOG EXPRESS Al Ahsaa St. Tel: +966-11-2912565
HEALTH
CHOCOLATES ALPINA CHOCOLATE King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2013452
COFFEE & TEA SHOPS
HERFY Takhasoussi St. Tel: +966-11-4816826
TRAVEL
IL TERRAZZO Al Faisaliah Hotel Tel: +966-11-2732222
HARDEE’S Takhasoussi St. Tel: +966-11-2929900
RESTAURANTS
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE Localizer Mall Tel: +966-11-2174633
GOLDEN SAJ Takhasoussi St. Tel: +966-11-4807441
FASHION & SHOPPING
JOHNNY ROCKETS Tahliah St. Tel: +966-11-2016667
Kalimat Thalateen St. Tel: +966-11-2885511
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
AMERICAN
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FASHION & SHOPPING RESTAURANTS
PANINO’S Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2734388 PENGUIN Takhasoussi St. Tel: +966-11-4829843 QUIZNOS SUB King Saud University Tel: +966-11-4824741 SAJ AL BALAD Jaber St., King Saud University SHUNEEZ Tahliah St. Tel: +966-11-4648989 TEXAS CHICKEN Turki bin Abdulaziz Rd. Tel: +966-11-2545454 THE SANDWICH CO. King Abdullah Rd. Mob: +966-558442255
FRENCH
TRAVEL
APETIT KITCHEN Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4656491 CAFÉ LENOTRE Centria Mall. Tel: +966-11-2791108 LE BIJOU BURJ RAFAL HOTEL KEMPINSKI King Fahad Road Tel: +966 11 511 7889
HEALTH
L’ECLUSE Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4657648 LE RELAIS DE L’ENTRECOTE Almas Plaza. Tel: +966-11-4615058
FUSION PIZZA FUSION Thalateen St. Tel: +966-11-4633329
RELIGIOUS
GENERAL
ICE CREAM BASKIN ROBBINS Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4801138 FRESH BERRY Garnada Mall Tel: +966-11-2535587 FRESH & TANGY Hayat Mall Mob: +966559333344 MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4538746 PINK BERRY Garnada Mall Tel: +966-11-2534783 86 DESTINATION RIYADH
INTERNATIONAL
IL GABBIANO Olaya Dist. Tel: +966-11-4616066
SENSES Luthan Hotel Tel: +966-11-4807799
AL BUSTAN Sheraton Riyadh, King Abdullah SIZZLER HOUSE Rd. Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4543300 Tel: +966-11-4661133 AL DANA SPAZIO Holiday Inn Hotel Kingdom TowerTel: +966-11-4612000 77th Floor AL DIWAN Tel: +966-11-2111180 Al Sahara Hotel THE GLOBE Tel: +966-11-2204500 Al Faisaliah Tower AL ORJOUAN Tel: +966-11-2732222 Makkah Rd., inside THE LOUNGE The Ritz Carlton Sheraton Riyadh, King Tel: +966-11-8028020 Abdullah Rd. CAFE CERAMIQUE Tel: +966-11-4543300 Sahara Mall THE GRAND Tel: +966-11-4520677 BURJ RAFAL HOTEL CENTRO KEMPINSKI Tahlia St. King Fahad Road Tel: +966-11-4658488 Tel: +966 11 5117890
L’OLIVIO Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4634240 LA CAMPAGNA Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4624339
LA CASTA Al Rahmaniya Dist. Tel: +966-11-4198016 LA CUCINA Al Faisaliah Hotel Tel: +966-11-2732222 LA PIAZZA Sheraton Riyadh, King Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4543300 LIOLIMPO Al Dabab St. Tel: +966-11-4166222
COCOS Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2939444
THE WINDROSE Al Faisaliah Hotel Tel: +966-11-2732222
MBCO Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al Hamdan St. Tel: +966-11-2936506
CRISTAL Al Faisaliah Hotel Tel: +966-11-2732222
TRADER VICS Panorama Mall Tel: +966-11-2814782
NINO Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2016662
ELEMENTS Four Seasons Hotel Tel: +966-11-2115500
WATERLEMON Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2194444
PIATTO Exit 5, Northern Ring Rd. Tel: +966-11-2006868
HEDIARD Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2173933 LA BRASSERIE Al Faisaliah Tower Tel: +966-11-2732222 LIVING COLORS Faisaliyah Tower Tel: +966-11-2734410 LOBBY LOUNGE Four Seasons Hotel Tel: +966-11-2115591
IRANIAN SHERAZ Abdullah Bin Sulaiman Bin Hamdan St. Tel: +966-11-4655886 SHAYA King Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4708933
ITALIAN
PIZZA ERA King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4542233 PIZZA INN Dabbab St., Opposite Medical City Tel: 920001601 PIZZA ROMA Abdullah Al Hamdan St. Tel: +966-11-4629032
AL FORNO King Abdullah Rd. Mob: +966-558442255
PIZZA STOCKHOLM King Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-2811888
MIRAGE Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4834127
AMORE Tahlia St., Olaya Intersection Tel: +966-11-4653082
PIZZERIA NAPOLI Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz St. Tel: +966-11-2172288
OASIS GRILL Hilton Garden Inn Tel: +966-11-2935533
ANTHURIUM Abdulla Alhamdan St. Tel: +966-11-4661473
QUATTRO Four Seasons Hotel Tel: +966-11-2115599
PANORAMIC Makarem Riyadh Hotel Tel: +966-11-2204500
AZZURRO The Ritz Carlton Hotel Tel: +966-11-8028020
ROMA Mussa Bin Nusair St. Tel: +966-11-4641133
PAVILLION Intercontinental Hotel Tel: +966-11-4655000
CENTO PER CENTO Olaya Rd., Behind Jarir Tel: +966-11-4644159
ROMA WAY Al Rabwah, Othaim Mall Tel: 920000129
DA PINO Al Khozama Center Tel: +966-11-2732222
ROSSO Four Seasons Hotel Tel: +966-11-2115500
RUSSIAN CORNER Olaya, Abdullah Al Hamdan St. Tel: +966-11-4658387
DARBAR Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2930249
SANTINO’S Hayat Mall Tel: +966-11-2057497
FAIROUZ GARDEN King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2167171
INDIAN GARDEN Riyadh Gallery Tel: +966-11-2161112
SPAZIO 77 77th floor in Kingdom Tower Riyadh Tel: +966-11-2111888 Tel: +966-11-2111181
GAD Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4641212
INDIAN STYLE Sheikh Abdullah Al Angary St. Tel: +966-11-4561138
SQUISITO King Fahad Rd., Across Ovotel Tel: +966-11-2160111
VECCHIA ROMA Al Sulamaniyyah Z PIZZA King Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4881199
MEXICAN BUFFALO’S Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2792123
FAJITA AVENUE Al Hamra Tel: +966-11-4644999 TAKO HUT Faisaliyyah Mall Tel: 920000129
ABDUL WAHAB Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2934111 AL HAJ DAWOOD Imam Saud St. Tel: +966-11-4943691
AL NAKHEEL Al Khozama Center Tel: +966-11-4654650 AL NASEEM Marriott Hotel Tel: +966-11-4779300
MAREEZ King Abdullah St. Tel: +966-11-4508877 SHAWERMA HOUSE Prince Mamdouh St. Tel: +966-11-2191999 SHAWERMAMA Abdullah Bin Rawaha St Tel: +966-11-2936644 SIT AL SHAM Prince Sultan St. Tel: 920000399 YAMAL AL SHAM Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4613292
KOREAN KOREAN PALACE Takhasoussi St. Tel: +966-11-4198878
INDIAN ALADDIN Kingdom Center Tel: +966-11-2112150 AVADH Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4654109 COPPER CHANDNI Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4167000 CROWN GARDEN Suliamaniyah Tel: +966-11-4616334
TULAITELAH Al Wazarat Dist. Tel: +966-11-4082968
CHINESE CANTON Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4520584 CHINESE GOLDEN PALACE Olaya Dist. Tel: +966-11-4655127 GOLDEN DRAGON Olaya Dist. Tel: +966-11-4645136 GULF ROYAL Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4631622
SUSHI YOSHI Al Dabab St. Tel: +966-11-8120055 TOKYO Ouruba St. Tel: +966-11-4605672
SAUDI AL SUDDA Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4800111 SHAWAYA HOUSE Khalid Bin Al Waleed St. Mob: +966-557819214 SHEIKH AL MANDY Dabab St. Tel: +966-11-4644099
SEA FOOD
MIRAGE RESTAURANT Takhasoussi St. Tel: +966-11-4834127
AMO HAMZA Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2316148
NOODLE HOUSE Centria Mall, Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2939969
DOE King Abdullah St. Tel: +966-11-4887080
PEKING Suliamaniyah Tel: +966-11-4765250 SEASONS Madina St., Exit 28 TAAL Olaya Dist. Tel: +966-11-2734383 YUMMY WOK Takhasoussi St. Tel: +966-11-4889166
JAPANESE FURUSATO Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4657648
DR. OCEAN Takhasoussi St. Tel: +966-11-4708647 FOUNTAIN FISH Al Malaz Dist. Tel: +966-11-2158888 LONDON FISH & CHIPS Tel: +966-11-2102480 JASMIN WHITE PALACE White Palace Hotel Tel: +966-11-4787800
DESTINATION RIYADH 87
RELIGIOUS
CAFE BLANC Prince Mohamad Bin Abdulaziz St. Tel: +966-11-4633426
MAMA NOURA Dabab St. Tel: +966-11-4622195
TANDOOR Al Ahsa St. Tel: +966-11-4734531
SHOGUN Radisson Blu Hotel Tel: +966-11-4791234
GENERAL
AL MANSAF Al Sulamaniyya Tel: +966-11-4630345
LEBANESE CORNER Olaya (Talateen St.)
TAMARIND Prince Faisal Bin Turki St. Tel: +966-11-4738770
SAMURAI Faisaliah Mall and Kingdom Mall Tel: +966-11-2734386
HEALTH
MIDDLE-EASTERN
KARAM BEIRUT Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4161717 KOSHARY EXPRESS Jarir St. Tel: +966-11-4728881
RED ONION Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-2176644
TRAVEL
EL CHICO’S Exit 5 Tel: +966-11-4640385
GHOUZI Al Rawdah, Khuraish St. Tel: +966-11-4934162
INDIAN SUMMER Suliamaniyah Tel: +966-11-4652328
LA SANI King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4655666 MARHABA Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4622070
RESTAURANTS
THE PIZZA COMPANY Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4642952
GARDEN BARBECUE Hotel Al Khozama Tel: +966-11-2732222
HAYAT Prince Mansoor bin Abdul Aziz St. Tel: +966-11-4042655 KHAN’S Abdullah bin Sulaiman Al Hamdan St. Tel: +966-11-2937880
FASHION & SHOPPING
EATZAH Al Ghaz St. Mob: +966-531224433
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ROSSOPOMODORO Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2939565
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FASHION & SHOPPING RESTAURANTS
SWEETS/DESSERTS & BAKERIES AL HALLAB Tel: +966-11-4725559 ANOOSH Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4609588 Al-Rabwa Tel: +966-11-4971649 Al-Hamra Tel: +966-11-2784297 Al-Bade’ah Tel: +996-11-2679689 Khurais Rd. Tel: +996-11-2080833 BEN’S COOKIES Exit 7 Tel: +966-11-2084862 CREPAWAY Bustan Center Tel: +966-11-2010505 DIPLOMAT Orouba St. Tel: +966-11-4652411
TRAVEL
DIXIE CREAM Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4661192 EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS Prince Sultan St. Tel: +966-11-4643131 FRENCH CORNER Dabab St. Tel: +966-11-4645322
HEALTH
GOLDEN BROWN BAKERY Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz St. Mob: +966-569337314 KABBANI Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4816892 KITSCH CUPCAKES Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4633838
GENERAL
KRISPY KREME Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4610409 LADUREE Centria Mall Tel: +966-11-2885075 LE BIJOU BURJ RAFAL HOTEL KEMPINSKI King Fahad Road Tel: +966 11 511 7889
RELIGIOUS
LE CROISSANT SHOP Al-Ameer Mamdouh St. Tel: +966-11-4655328 MAYA Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2113311
88 DESTINATION RIYADH
MUNCH BAKERY Abdullah Al Hamdan St. Tel: 920015010 PANE PIATTO Al Thalateen St. Tel: +966-11-4168882 ROTIBOY ARABIA Jarir Mall, Omar bin Abdulaziz Road Tel: +966-11-2886546 www.rotiboyarabia.com SALEHIA DATES King Fahad Rd. Tel: 8004308888 SUGAR DREAMIN Khurais Rd. Mob: +966-553383749 SUGAR SPRINKLES Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-2290505 TALAH FOR DATES Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-2173303 TMREYA Prince Sultan St. Tel: 920000652 TORTA & MORE Al Hassan Ben Ali St. Tel: +966-11-2080003 WOODEN BAKERY Intersection of Saleh El Din Al Ayoubi St. Tel: +966-11-4725559 YUMMY TUMMY Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4538720
TURKISH ANATOLIA TURKISH GRILL Granada Mall. Tel: +966-11-2535527 ASSARAYA Thalateen St. Tel: +966-11-4649336 CARAVAN Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4658856 KÖŞEBAŞI Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-2886418
AIRLINES AIR ARABIA Tel: 920013322 www.airarabia.com AIR CANADA Tel: +966-11-4772228 www.aircanada.ca
AIR FRANCE Tel: +966-11-2885218 www.airfrance.com
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-4782140 www.flyethiopian.com
AIR INDIA Tel: +966-11-4786409 www.airindia.com
ETIHAD AIRWAYS Tel: +966-11-4197722 www.etihadairways.com
AIR NIGERIA Tel: +966-11-4626165 www.myairnigeria.com
GARUDA INDONESIA Tel: +966-11-2937690 www.garudaindonesia.com
AMERICAN AIRLINES–AA Tel: +966-11-4625993 www.aa.com
GERMAN WINGS AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-4632004 www.germanwings.com
BIMAN BANGLADESH AIRLINES GULF AIR Tel: +966-11-4623537 Tel: +966-11-4626666 www.biman-airlines.com www.gulfair.com BRITISH AIRWAYS JAPAN AIRLINES–JAL Tel: +966-11-4645550 Tel: +966-11-4645056 www.britishairways.com www.jal.com CYPRUS AIRWAYS KENYA AIRWAYS Tel: +966-11-4640391 Tel: +966-11-4772228 www.cyprusair.com www.kenya-airways.com DELTA AIRLINES KLM ROYAL DUTCH Tel: +966-11-4613688 AIRLINES www.delta.com Tel: +966-11-4771026 EGYPT AIR www.klm.com Tel: +966-11-4784004 KOREAN AIR www.egyptair.com Tel: +966-11-4658222 EMIRATES AIRLINES www.koreanair.com Tel: +966-11-4655485 KUWAIT AIRWAYS www.emirates.com Tel: +966-11-4631218 www.kuwait-airways.com
MALAYSIA AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-4784039 www.malaysiaairlines.com
NAS AIR Tel: +966-11-2171800 www.flynas.com
TAROM ROMANIAN AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-5788935 www.tarom.ro THAI AIRWAYS Tel: +966-11-4766766 www.thaiairways.com TUNIS AIR Tel: +966-11-4626165 www.tunisair.com
OMAN AIR Tel: +966-11-4733133 www.omanair.com
TURKISH AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-4000287 www.turkishairlines.com
PAKISTAN INT’L AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-4659600 www.piac.com.pk
UNITED AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-4772228 www.united.com
PHILIPPINE AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-2160530 www.philippine airlines.com
QATAR AIRWAYS Tel: +966-11-21180424 www.qatarairways.com ROYAL AIR MOROCCO Tel: +966-11-47741100 www.royalairmaroc.com
SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES Tel: 920022222 www.saudiairlines.com SINGAPORE AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-4734102 www.singaporeair.com
SRILANKAN AIRLINES www.srilankan.lk SUDAN AIRWAYS Tel: +966-11-4720040 www.sudanair.com
AL ABBAD TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4778736 AL AHMADIAH TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4656668 AL MOUWASAT TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4160580 AL NAIEM TRAVEL & TOURISM Tel: +966-11-4655698 AL RAJHI TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4566900 AL RASHEED AWNINGS FACTORY Tel: +966-11-4059031 AL ROMAIZAN TRAVEL AGENCY Tel: +966-11-4652100 www.romaizan.com AL SARH TRAVEL & TOURISM Tel: +966-11-4941111 www.alsarh.com.sa
AMJAD TRAVEL & TOURISM Tel: +966-11-41161737 www.amjadtravel.com FURSAN TRAVEL Tel: 920000442 www.fursan.com.sa HAYA TOUR Al Nozha Dist. Tel: +966-11-4507176 KINGDOM WINGS TRAVEL AGENCY Tel: +966-11-4625544 MY HOLIDAY TRAVEL & TOURISM Tel: 920010087 www.myholiday.com.sa RIXON TOUR NETWORK Tel: 920029993 www.myrtn.com TRAVEL PORT Tel: +966-11-4163810 www.travelport.com THE ORIENTALIST HOUSE Tel: +966-11-4634228 TOP TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4641969 TUNISEN ANTIQUE HOUSE Tel: +966-11-4825247 VILLAGE GALLERY Tel: +966-11-4631089 WONDER CASTLE CORPORATION Tel: +966-11-2790482 ZAHID TRAVEL GROUP Tel: +966-11-4602829 www.zahidtravel.com ZAHRAN AIR TRAVEL & CARGO CO. Tel: +966-11-4659614 ZAMANI ART GALLERY Tel: +966-11-4613057 ZEKRAYAT FRAMES Tel: +966-11-4661196
AL MASHREQ BOUTIQUE HOTEL Orubah Road Tel: +966-11-2834777 BURJ RAFAL HOTEL KEMPINSKI King Fahad Road Tel: +966 11 511 7777 CORAL GULF RIYADH King Abdul Aziz St., Ministries Area Tel: +966-11-4121000 CORP EXECUTIVE DEIRA HOTEL Al Batha St. Tel: +966-11-4141500 COURTYARD RIYADH DIPLOMATIC QUARTER Al-Hada Dist., Abdullah bin Hothafa St. Tel: +966-11-2817300 CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL RIYADH MINHA Old Airport Rd. Tel: +966-11-8749200 FOUR SEASONS HOTEL Kingdom Center Tel: +966-11-2115000 GOLDEN TULIP ANDALUSIA Olaya Rd. Tel: +966-11-4611000 HOLIDAY INN RIYADH IZDIHAR Abdulwahab Bin Abdullah St., Unit One Tel: +966-11-4625000 INTERCONTINENTAL RIYADH Al Maather St. Tel: +966-11-4655000 LUTHAN HOTEL AND SPA A WOMEN ONLY HOTEL Orubah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4807799 MADAREEM CROWN HOTEL King Khalid International Airport Rd. Tel: +966-11-2758888
RELIGIOUS
SWISS AIR Tel: +966-11-4789745 www.swissair.com
ACE TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4648701 www.ace-travel.com
AL TAYYAR TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4633133 www.altayyargroup.com
GENERAL
SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS – SAA Tel: +966-11-4633133 www.flysaa.com
ABC TRAVEL AGENCY & CARGO Tel: +966-11-4631600
AL TASHELAT TRAVELS Tel: +966-11-4034477
AL KHOZAMA HOTEL Olaya Rd. Tel: +966-11-4654650
HEALTH
ROYAL JORDANIAN Tel: +966-11-2180850 www.rj.com
TRAVEL AGENCIES
AL SARH TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4627000
AL FAISALIAH ROSEWOOD HOTEL King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2732000
TRAVEL
QANTAS AIRWAYS Tel: +966-11-4772228 www.qantas.com.au
YEMENIA AIRWAYS Tel: +966-11-4039282 www.yemenia.com
AL SARAH TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4647480
HOTELS
RESTAURANTS
OLYMPIC AIR Tel: +966-11-4644596 www.olympicair.com
AL SAGER TRAVEL Tel: +966-11-4827979
FASHION & SHOPPING
MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-4614670 www.mea.com.lb
TAM BRAZILIAN AIRLINES Tel: +966-11-4633133 www.tam.com.br
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
LUFTHANSA Tel: 8001245550 www.lufthansa.com
DESTINATION RIYADH 89
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
MAKARIM RIYADH HOTEL Near To King Khalid International Airport Tel: +966-11-2204500
RESTAURANTS
FASHION & SHOPPING
MENA GRAND - KHALDIA Khazzan St. (Immam Faisal bin Turki) Tel: +966-11-2682222 MERCURE VALUE HOTEL Exit 9, Eastern Ring Rd., Close to Granada Center. Tel: +966-11-2773300 NOVOTEL ALANOUD King Fahd Rd. Tel: +966-11-2882323 RADISSON BLU HOTEL Al Mubarakiah Plaza King Abdul Aziz St. Tel: +966-11-4791234 RIYADH MARRIOTT HOTEL Al Maather St. Tel: +966-11-4779300
TRAVEL
RIYADH PALACE HOTEL Ministries Area Tel: +966-11-4054444 SHERATON RIYADH HOTEL & TOWERS Olaya Junction of King Fahad & King Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4543300 THE RITZ-CARLTON RIYADH Hada Area, Makkah Rd. Tel: +966-11-8028020
HEALTH
BEAUTY CLINICS AL MANIHAL CENTER Diplomatic Quarter Tel: +966-11-4881069 AL SAFEER Tel: +966-11-2050810
GENERAL
APOLLO Tel: 920027070 AYAN CONSULTATIVE King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2725555 AYMA CONSULTATIVE King Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-2635555
RELIGIOUS
BEAUTY CORNER King Fahad Rd. Mob: +966-543300557 www.beautycorner.co FOUR SALON & NAIL SPA Diplomatic Quarter Tel: +966-11-2014444 www.www.four.com.sa 90 DESTINATION RIYADH
MALESA Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4888831 MED ART CLINICS Olaya Main St. Tel: 920000045 OBAGI HOSPITAL Makkah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4627111 PLATINIUM Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-2097777 THE BRITISH CENTER King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2795555
CLINICS ATTADAWE King Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-2780211 CONSULTING CENTER Tel: +966-11-4555545 CZECH CENTER Infront of King Saud University Tel: 920002737 ENT CENTER Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4802229 MAYIEZ MEDICAL Olaya Tel: +966-11-2169999 PEARL’S SMILE Sulaimaniya Tel: +966-11-4646334 RIYADH MEDICAL Orouba St. Tel: +966-11-4653060 SAUDI SUGEONS Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4653030 SSC Tel: +966-11-2335000 URANUS MEDICAL Orouba St. Tel: +966-11-4657000 WHITE WING MEDICAL Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4834286
DENTAL CLINICS AAGI DENTAL CENTER Tel: +966-11-2080107 DIMA DENTAL Tahlia St. Tel: +966-11-4661200
GAMA DENTAL CLINIC King Abdulaziz Road Tel: +966-11- 4542929 Mob: +966-534542929 NOBLE SMILE Abdullah Al Angary St. Tel: +966 11 4197740 RAMAH DENTAL Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4800931 SANAYA DENTAL Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-2174888
EYE CARE
LUTHAN HOTEL & SPA Tel: +966-11-4807799 LUMIERE Olaya Tel: +966-11-2169030 SCENTED Tel: +966-11-2112003 SPECTRUM Mob: +966-552007897 Olaya main st. YIBREEN Off of Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4411115
HOSPITALS
AL HOKAMA Mallaz Tel: +966-11-4797777
ABAS MEDICAL GROUP Rawda-Hamra-Dabab Tel: 920000172
MENSHAF EYE CARE Al Rawda Mob: +966-565869059
ADMA Makkah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4660000
THE EYE CENTER Tel: +966-11-4623094 www.eyecenter.com.sa
ALAMAL COMPLEX FOR MENTAL HEALTH Al Khuzami Dist. Tel: +966-11-4804548 www.alamal.med.sa
FITNESS CENTERS KIDS MY GYM Panorama Mall Tel: +966-11-42814870
MEN APPLE FITNESS Tel: +966-11-4538800 BODY MASTERS Tel: 920000626 Tel: +966-11-4875531
AL FALAH INT’L Tel: +966-11-4463737 www.alfalah.com.sa AL HAMMADI HOSPITAL Khalid ibn Yazid Muawiyah St. Tel: +966-11-4643312 www.hammadi.com AL JAFEL HOSPITAL Western Ring Rd. Tel: +966-11-4322222 www.aljafelhospital.com
FITNESS TIME Tel: 920003131
AL MOUWASAT HOSPITAL Western Ring Rd., Exit 114 Tel: +966-11-4455555
GOLD’S GYM Tel: +966-11-6912077
DALLAH HOSPITAL Tel: +966-11-4720777
LIFE FITNESS Tel: +966-11-2061133
DR. ABDUL RAHMAN AL MISHARI HOSPITAL Olaya Dist. Tel: +966-11-4657700 http://drabdulrahman almishari.com.sa
UP SCALE CLUB King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4871502
WOMEN AL MANIHAL CENTER Diplomatic Quarter Tel: +966-11-4881069 CURVES Olaya St. Tel: +966-11-4633219 KINETICO Tel: +966-11-2815595 Mob: + 966-530034010
DR. SULAIMAN AL HABIB Olaya Medical Complex Tel: +966-11-4622224 www.drsulaiman alhabib.com GREEN CRESCENT Abdul Malik Bin Marwan St. Tel: +966-11-4644434 www.gch.com.sa
KING FAHAD MEDICAL CITY (KFMC) Makkah Rd. Tel: 8001277000
SPECIALIZED M.C.H King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-41164000
KINGDOM HOSPITAL Tel: +966-11-2751111 KING FAISAL SHRC Al Zahrawi St. Tel: +966-11-4647272 www.kfshrc.edu.sa
KING SAUD MEDICAL CITY Al Imam Abdul Aziz ibn Saud St. Tel: +966-11-4355555 www.ksmc.med.sa
NATIONAL GUARD HEALTH King Abdulaziz Medical City Tel: +966-11-8011111 www.ngha.med.sa OBIED SPECIALIZED Al Farazdaq Rd. Tel: +966-11-4767222
RIYADH CARE HOSPITAL Tel: +966-11-4933000 www.riyadhcare.com
S.B.H King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-4636666
AL FARABI Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4880843 AL HOZAIMI Ibn Sulaiman Commercial Center Tel: +966-11-4722054 AL JAZA Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4642072 AL LIZAM Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4655595
AL THALATHEEN Talatheen St. Tel: +966-11-4623529 AL SHAMSIA Jamal Center Tel: +966-11-4057296 ARAC HEALTH CARE Talatheen St. Tel: +966-11-4645107 ASIR PHARMACY Prince Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4811629 DAR AL DANA Abdullah Bin Sulaiman Al Hamdan Tel: +966-11-4643373 MAZIN PHARMACY Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4624562
OLAYA INTERNATIONAL Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4160349 PRINCE PHARMACY Talatheen St. Tel: +966-11-4611418 RAJAA PHARMACY 2 Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4624942 RIYADH CORNER Jareer St. Tel: +966-11-4780759 SARA SPECTRUM MEDICAL PHARMACY Akkariya Buildings Tel: +966-11-4601018 SHRAZAD Sitteen St. Tel: +966-11-4787047 UNIVERSITY PHARMACY Akkariya Buildings Tel: +966-11-4191944
AL MOWASA 3 Prince Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4568598
MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL SERVICE Dabbab St. Tel: +966-11-4629680
AL MUTANABBI Jareer St. Tel: +966-11-2910981
MEDICINE TIME Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4569140
WARDAT AL-OROBA Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4622904
AL OLAYA Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-46411501
MOHAMMMED AL HOZAIMI Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4628758
WHITES PHARMACY Tel: +966-11-2886877 / 4895994/ 4897750 / 4897751 www.whites.net
NABRA PHARMACY Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4887329
ZAHRAT AL RAWDA PHARMACY Prince Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4804935
AL RAJA NO 2 Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4624942 AL RAWABI Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4828028 AL RIYADH Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4643108
NAZAAR PHARMACY Al Awais Market Tel: +966-11-4541408
UNIVERSITY (2) Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4626338
ZAHRAT SAMI Oruba St. Tel: +966-11-4653060
RELIGIOUS
0544408585
GENERAL
RIYADH MILITARY Makkah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4791000 www.rmh.med.sa
AL DIMISHQI Prince Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4707887
AL TERIAQ Prince Abdullah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4828289
NOORANA PHARMACY Al Malaz Tel: +966-11-4785006
HEALTH
PRINCE SULTAN CARDIAC CENTER Makkah Rd. Tel: +966-11-4783000 www.pscc.med.sa
ADHWAA AL SEHA Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4887455
AL SHAMEEAH Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4880595
NISSAH PHARMACY Al-Rajhi Five Buildings Tel: +966-11-4041573
TRAVEL
MAGHRABI HOSPITAL Tel: +966-11-4455049 www.maghrabi.com.sa
PHARMACIES
AL SAGGAF 25 Talatheen St. Tel: +966-11-4645274
NEO (NEOINTERNATIONAL) Olaya Main St. Tel: +966-11-4615089
RESTAURANTS
KING KHALED EYE SPECIALIST HOSPITAL Oruba Branch St. Tel: +966-11-4821234 www.kkesh.med.sa
SULTAN BIN ABDULAZIZ HUMANITARIAN CITY Exit 6 Tel: +966-11-5620000
AL SAGGAF Takhassusi St. Tel: +966-11-4640716
FASHION & SHOPPING
SAUDI GERMAN HOSPITALS GROUP King Fahad Rd. Tel: +966-11-2685555 www.ryd.sghgroup.com.sa
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
KING ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY King Abdul Aziz Rd. Tel: +966-11-4775524 www.medicine.ksu.edu.sa
DESTINATION RIYADH 91
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
BANKS AL INMA BANK Tel: +966-11-2185000 www.alinma.com
RESTAURANTS
FASHION & SHOPPING
AL JAZIRA BANK Tel: +966-11-4317474 www.baj.com.sa AL RAJHI BANK Tel: +966-11-4603333 www.alrajhibank.com.sa ARAB NATIONAL BANK Tel: +966-11-4029000 www.anb.com.sa BANK AL BILAD Tel: +966-11-4971905 www.bankalbilad.com BANQUE SAUDI FRANSI Tel: +966-11-2899999 www.alfransi.com.sa NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK Tel: 920001000 www.alahli.com
TRAVEL
RIYADH BANK Tel: +966-11-4013030 www.riyadbank.com SABB Tel: +966-11-2764356 www.sabb.com
HEALTH
SAMBA Tel: 8001242000 www.samba.com SAUDI HOLLANDI BANK Tel: +966-11-2548500 www.shb.com.sa
AUDI Tel: +966-11-4660044 BG Khurais Rd. Exit 30 Tel: +966-11-2300000 BMW Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-2391000 CADILLAC Tel: +966-11-4924048 CHEVROLET Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-4454040 CHRYSLER Khurais Rd. & Dabbab St. Tel: +966-11-2332222
RAM Khurais Rd. & Dabbab St. Tel: +966-11-2332222 RENAULT Khurais Rd. Tel: 8002445050 ROLLS ROYCE Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-2391000 SEAT Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-2301515 SKODA Tel: +966-11-2301515 SUBARU Tel: +966-11-2300000 TOYOTA Tel: +966-11-2486777
COMPOUNDS
DODGE Khurais Rd. & Dabbab St. Tel: +966-11-2332222
VOLKS WAGEN Tel: 920000380
ISHBILIA Tel: +966-11-2406000 Mob: +966-593111389 www.ksacompounds.com
FUSO Tel: 8002440060
VOLVO Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-4923539
AL HAMRA OASIS VILLAGE Tel: +966-11-2490440 www.alhamra.com.sa
GMS Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-4454040
UNIC Tel: +966-11-2300000
AL ISSA COMPOUND Tel: +966-11-4918400
HARLEY-DAVIDSON North Ring Rd. Exit 5 Tel: +966-11-4554499 HONDA Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-4454646 ISUZU Tel: +966-11-2300000
CAR RENTALS AL FALAH Tel: 920001678 AL MODDARRAJ Tel: +966-11-4779902 AVIS Tel: +966-11-4884887
AL JAZEERA BADER Tel: +966-11-4921135 www.badercompound.com AL MANAR Tel: +966-11-2460100 AL MOHAEYA Tel: +966-11-4821222 AL MOSTAQBAL HOMES Tel: +966-11-4816666 www.almostaqbal homes.com
JEEP Khurais Rd. & Dabbab St. Tel: +966-11-2332222
BEST RENT A CAR Tel: 8001249955
LEXUS King Fahad Rd. Exit 9 Tel: +966-11-4566600
DIPLOMAT Khurais Rd. Tel: 920008008
AUTO GARD Tel: +966-11-2924343
MAZDA Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-4968888
EUROPCAR Al Ahsaa St. Tel: 920000153
AL OLA NO 7 Tel: +966-11-4608095
LLUMAR Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-2912929
MINI COOPER Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-2391000
FAZ Prince Sultan St. Tel: +966-11-2912679
RED CAP Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-4913212
MITSUBISHI Khurais Rd. Tel: 8002440060
ICAR Tel: +966-11-4561099
AL RABWA Al Rabwa Area, Exit 14 close to Nahda Rd. Mob: +966-544096296 www.almutlaq.com
SOLAR CONTROL Khurais Rd. Tel: +966-11-4966633
MOPAR Khurais Rd. & Dabbab St. Tel: +966-11-2332222
SAJIL Tel: +966-11-4935222
UNIQUE YOUR CAR Mob: +966-566225544
PEUGEOT Tel: +966-11-4666614
CAR ACCESSORIES 3M Tel: +966-11-2884135
RELIGIOUS
GENERAL
CAR AGENCIES
PORSCHE Tel: +966-11-4667788
92 DESTINATION RIYADH
THEEB RENT A CAR Khurais Rd. Tel: 920000572 UBER Application: Uber.com/app support.riyadh@uber.com
AL NAKHEEL RESIDENCE Tel: +966-11-4704191
AL RAYAN RESIDENTIAL Tel: +966-11-2089027 AL WAHA VILLAGE VILLAS ROSSAS Tel: +966-11-4864711 AL YAMAMA VILLAGE Tel: +966-11-4012550 ARAB INVESTMENT Tel: +966-11-4823444
ASASCO VILLAGE Tel: +966-11-4199000
Mob: +966-541362462 ROC COMPOUND Tel: +966-11-2412800 www.roc.com.sa SAHARA TOWERS Tel: +966-11-4625666
BONITA VILLAGE Mob: +966-597721361 www.alwakkan.com
STAR COMPOUND VILLAS ROSSAS Tel: +966-11-4881139
CORDOBA OASIS VILLAGE Tel: +966-11-24834711 www.cordoba.com.sa
VILLAS ROSAS AL-WADI Tel: +966-11-4881139 http://villasrosasco.com
DELTA - 11 ESTATE VILLAS ROSSAS Tel: +966-11-4803201 DELTA - 2 ESTATE VILLAS ROSSAS Tel: +966-11-4804084
EURO COMPOUND Tel: +966-11-4780718 FAL COMPOUND Tel: +966-11-2490091 www.falcompound.org
GREEN CITY Olaya - Rahmaniah Dist. Mob: +966-559623393 www.gccompound. tripod.com JADAWEL COMPOUND Tel: +966-11-2406000
NAJD COMPOUND Tel: +966-11- 2481040
RIYADH VILLAGE Khurais Road, off exit 36 Tel: 08111010101
EGYPT Tel: +966-11-4810159 Tel: +966-11-4831458
OGER TEL Tel: +966-11-4889826 www.ogersystems.com
ERITREA
ARABIAN HALA Tel: +966-11-4884887 www.hala.com.sa
PRIMENET Tel: +966-11-4193000 www.prime.net.sa
ETHIOPIA
ARAMEX Tel: +966-11-4160353 www.aramex.com
SAUDI INTERNET COMPANY Tel: +966-11-4603031 www.sol.net.sa/en
DHL WORLDWIDE EXPRESS Tel: +966-11-4654200 www.dhl.com.sa
SAUDI NET Tel: +966-11-2180300 www.saudi.net.sa
FRANCE
FEDEX Tel: +966-11-4633999 www.fedex.com/sa
SHABAKAH NET Tel: +966-11-4193193 www.shabakah.net.sa
GABON
COURIER
OVERSEAS COURIER SERVICE Tel: +966-11-4647193 www.ocstracking.com www.ocscouner.com UPS GLOBAL Tel: +966-11-4626655 www.ups.com
DSL NET
EMBASSIES
Tel: +966-11-4801731
Tel: +966-11-4824055 FINLAND Tel: +966-11-4881515 Ext 9
Tel: +966-11-4881255
Tel: +966-11-4567173 GAMBIA Tel: +966-11-2052158
ALGERIA Tel: +966-11-4887171
GERMANY
ARGENTINA Tel: +966-11-4652600
GHANA
AUSTRALIA Tel: +966-11-4887788
GREECE
Tel: +966-11-4880700
Tel: +966-11-4545122
Tel: +966-11-4801975
ADVANCE TELECOM COMPANY (ATC) Tel: +966-11-4601877 www.atc.com.sa
AUSTRIA Tel: +966-11-4801217 BAHRAIN Tel: +966-11-4880044
ARABIC COMPUTER SYSTEMS (ACS) Tel: +966-11-4763777 www.acs.com.sa
BANGLADESH Tel: +966-11-4195300
HUNGARY
BELGIUM Tel: +966-11-4882888 BRAZIL Tel: +966-11-4880018
INDIA
ATHEER Tel: +966-11-4198000 www.atheer.net.sa AWAL Tel: +966-11-4600111 www.awal.com.sa CYBERIA Tel: 8001248124 www.cyberia.net.sa DIGINET Tel: +966-11-4192009 www.digi.net.sa
BRITAIN Tel: +966-11-4880077
GUINEA Tel: +966-11-4881121
Tel: +966-11-4546707
Tel: +966-11-4884144 INDONESIA Tel: +966-11-4882282 IRAN
BRUNEI Tel: +966-11-4560814
Tel: +966-11-4881444
BURKINA FASO Tel: +966-11-4652244
Tel: +966-11-4882300
CAMEROON Tel: +966-11-4880022
IRELAND
ITALY Tel: +966-11-4881212 DESTINATION RIYADH 93
RELIGIOUS
PALM COURT Tel: +966-11-4850288 RANCO VILLAGE Tel: +966-11-4924411 www.ranvil.com
DJIBOUTI Tel: +966-11-4543182
GENERAL
KINGDOM CITY Tel: +966-11-2750275 www.kingdom-city.com
NTG NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY GROUP Tel: +966-11-4763777 www.ntg.com.sa
DENMARK Tel: +966-11-4880101 Ext 111163
HEALTH
GRANADA VILLAGE Tel: +966-11-2488387
NOUR NET Tel: +966-11-4728900 www.nour.net.sa
CZECH REPUBLIC Tel: +966-11-4503617
TRAVEL
EID VILLAS Tel: +966-11-2483366 www.eidvillas.com.sa
NESMA Tel: +966-11-4633100 www.nesma.net.sa
CHINA Tel: +966-11-4832126
RESTAURANTS
SEDER VILLAGE Tel: +966-11-2280000 www.sedervillage.com
GULFNET KSA Tel: +966-11-4628562 www.zajil.net
CANADA Tel: +966-11-4882288
FASHION & SHOPPING
BARADA VILLAGE ARABIAN HOMES Tel: +966-11-4541888 www.arabian-homes. com
GO Tel: 8111011180 www.go.com.sa
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ARIZONA GOLF RESORT Tel: +966-11-2484444 www.agr.com.sa
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FASHION & SHOPPING RESTAURANTS
JAPAN
QATAR
Tel: +966-11-4881100
Tel: +966-11-4825544
JORDAN
RUSSIA
Tel: +966-11-4880071
Tel: +966-11-4811432
KENYA
SENEGAL
Tel: +966-11-4882484
Tel: +966-11-4880146
KOREA
SIERRA LEONE
Tel: +966-11-4882211
Tel: +966-11-4643982
TRAVEL
LONDON CAB CLUB Tel: +966-11-4966670 http://londoncabclub .com
TINY TOTS Mob: +966-580473602 TWINKLE KINDERGARTEN Mob: +966-559268188 WHITE ROSE PLAY Mob: +966-563296205
MINISTRIES
SINGAPORE Tel: +966-11-4803855
LEBANON
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: +966-11-4804060
Tel: +966-11-4429728
MALAYSIA
SPAIN
Tel: +966-11-4887100
Tel: +966-11-4880606
MALI
SRI LANKA
BABY DAY CARE
Tel: +966-11-4012220
Tel: +966-11-2290753
Tel: +966-11-4608232
Mob: +966-582657594
MALTA
SUDAN
BIRDS OF HOPE
COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Tel: +966-11-4615315
Tel: +966-11-4887979
Mob: +966-569754506
Tel: +966-11-4637225 CULTURE AND INFORMATION
MAURITANIA
SWEDEN
BRITISH ISLAMIC
Tel: +966-11-4014440
Tel: +966-11-4646749
Tel: +966-11-8806700
Tel: +966-11-4649666
DEFENSE
Ext 204
www.britishislamic
Tel: +966-11-4785900
Tel: +966-11-4808822
SWITZERLAND
MOROCCO
Tel: +966-11-4881291
Tel: +966-11-4826382
SYRIA
NEPAL
Tel: +966-11-4887481
NETHERLANDS Tel: +966-11-4880011
HEALTH
BLUE CONNECT Tel: 920004948 www.the-blueconnect .com
Tel: +966-11-4199017
Tel: +966-11-4883500
Tel: +966-11-4645170
TANZANIA Tel: +966-11-4542833 THAILAND
NEW ZELAND
Tel: +966-11-4881174
Tel: +966-11-4887988
TUNISIA Tel: +966-11-4887900
NIGERIA Tel: +966-11-4823024 NORWAY Tel: +966-11-4881904 Ext 300
GENERAL
AILAF Tel: +966-11-2713377
TARBIA PRE-SCHOOL
KUWAIT
MEXICO
OMAN Tel: +966-11-4823120 PAKISTAN Tel: +966-11-4884111 PERU Tel: +966-11-4822474 PHILIPPINES Tel: +966-11-4823559
RELIGIOUS
GROUND TRANSPORTATION
TURKEY Tel: +966-11-4820101 UAE Tel: +966-11-4881227 UGANDA Tel: +966-11-4544910 UKRAINE Tel: +966-11-4508536 URUGUAY Tel: +966-11-4620739 USA Tel: +966-11-4801831 YEMEN Tel: +966-11-4881769
SAPTCO Tel: +966-11-2884400
KINDERGARTENS
school.com BUSYBEE Tel: +966-11-2193900 www.busybee.com.sa DAZZLING STARS Mob: +966-545682945 FIRST STEP Mob: +966-500320566 KIDS WORLD Tel: +966-11-4006000 www.kidsworldschool.net LITTLE ROSAS Tel: +966-11-4865128 MY HOME Mob: +966-569598011 PLAY HOUSE Mob: +966-556365035 PLAY N LEARN Mob: +966-564684094 SM NURSERY Mob: +966-558391591 SUPER KIDS Mob: +966-564460167
PORTUGAL
www.superkidseducation
Tel: +966-11-4826964
center.com
94 DESTINATION RIYADH RIYADH 94 DESTINATION
AGRICULTURE Tel: +966-11-4016666 CIVIL SERVICE Tel: +966-11-4026900 COMMERCE
EDUCATION Tel: +966-11-4042888 FINANCE Tel: +966-11-4050000 FOREIGN AFFAIRS Tel: +966-11-4067777 HAJJ Tel: +966-11-4022200 HEALTH Tel: +966-11-4012220 HIGHER EDUCATION Tel: +966-11-4644444 INDUSTRY Tel: +966-11-4772722 INTERIOR Tel: +966-11-4011944 ISLAMIC AFFAIRS, ENDOWMENTS, CALL AND GUIDANCE Tel: +966-11-4730401 JUSTICE Tel: +966-11-4057777 LABOR AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS Tel: +966-11-4771480 MUNICIPAL AND RURAL AFFAIRS Tel: +966-11-4415434
WATER AND ELECTRICITY Tel: +966-11-4016666
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
AL ALAMEEN INT’L Tel: +966-11-4649666 AL AMJAD NATIONAL Tel: +966-11-2494188 AL ANDALUS NATIONAL Tel: +966-11-4936585
AL ROWAD INT’L www.rowad-is.com AMERICAN INT’L Mob: +966-567990096 www.aisr.org
DAR AL MAAREFAH Tel: +966-11-2314010 ÉCOLE FRANÇAISE INTERNATIONALE DE RIYAD www.efi-riyad.com EDUCON STUDY ABROAD Tel: 920001338
FURSAN AL JAZEERAH Tel: +966-11-5457505 FUTURE WINDOW Tel: +966-11-2063371 http://fwis.edu.sa/
GIRLS SECTION Tel: +966-11-2323248
MANAHEL AL ELM Tel: +966-11-4770419
AL YAMAMAH UNIVERSITY Tel: +966-11-2242222 www.yu.edu.sa
MANARAT AL RIYADH Tel: +966-11-4509916 http://maarif.com.sa
ARAB OPEN UNIVERSITY Tel: +966-11-2742277 www.arabou.org.sa
MIDDLE EAST MODERN EDUCATION Tel: +966-11-4622815 NAJD NATIONAL Tel: +966-11-4914434 NOUR AL MAAREF RIYADH Tel: +966-11-4028411 www.riyadhschools .edu.sa SAUDI ARABIA MULTINATIONAL Tel: +966-11-2751751 www.mns-r.com
SOCIAL SERVICES ORGANIZATION ABERR CHARITY SOCIETY Tel: +966-11-5448654 AL BIR CHARITY Tel: +966-11-4056666 AL NAHDA Tel: +966-11-4650029 www.alnahda-ksa.org AL WAFA Tel: +966-11-4650029 CHARITY COMMITTE FOR ORPHANS CARE www.ensan.org.sa CHARITABLE SOCIETY FOR MEMORIZATION OF THE QURA’AN Tel: +920011799 www.qk.org.sa CHARITY IBN BAZ ORGANIZATION Tel: +966-11-2293333 www.alzwaj.org
DAR AL ULOOM Tel: +966-11-4949000 www.dau.edu.sa IMAM MUHAMMAD IBN SAUD ISLAMIC Tel: +966-11-2580000 www.imamu.edu.sa INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION Tel: +966-11-4740412 www.ipa.edu.sa KING SAUD UNIVERSITY Tel: +966-11-4670000 www.ksu.edu.sa KING SAUD BIN ABDULAZIZ UNIVERSITY FOR HEALTH SCIENCES Tel: +966-11-2521300 MUNISIYA CAMPUS Tel: 920000183 OLAYA/QUATOBA CAMPUS Tel: 920000182 PRINCE SULTAN UNIVERSITY Tel: +966-11-4948000 www.psu.edu.sa
AL-AMEEN CROM HOTEL Markazeyah al Gharbiyah Tel: +966-14-8198000 AL-ANSAR GOLDEN Few steps away from Al-Haram Tel: +966-14-8290177 AL-ANSAR NEW PLACE Al-Siteen St. Tel: +966-14-8207770 AL-HARAM HOTEL Abi Zar Road Tel: +966-14-8182300 AL-KARAM HOTEL King Abdulaziz St. Tel: +966-14-8155500 AL-MADINAH CROM Markazeyah Al-Gharbiyah Tel: +966-14-8192020 ANDALUS CLASSY HOTEL King Fahad St. Tel: +966-14-8290000 ANDALUS DAR AL-KHAIR HOTEL Few steps away from Al-Haram Tel: +966-14-8181114 ANWAR AL-MADINAH MOVENPICK The Courtyard of Al-Haram Tel: +966-14-8181000 BARAKAT ANDALUS Al-Siteen St. Tel: +966-14-8208884 DALLAH TAIBAH HOTEL King Fahad St., crossing Al-Siteen St. Tel: +966-14-8290180
PRINCESS NORA BIN ABDULRAHMAN UNIVERSITY +966-11-2297290
DAR AL-HIJRA INTERCONTINENTAL King Fahad St. Tel: +966-14-8207777
www.pnu.edu.sa
DAR AL-IMAN INTERCONTINENTAL Off Al-Siteen St. Tel: +966-14-8206666
RIYADH COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY AND PHARMACY www.riyadh.edu.sa
DAR AL-TAQWA INTERCONTINENTAL Off Al-Siteen St. Tel: +966-14-8291111 DURRAT ANDALUS HOTEL King Fahad St. Tel: +966-14-8291114
DESTINATION RIYADH 95
RELIGIOUS
INTERNATIONAL INDIAN BOYS SECTION Tel: +966-11-4934688 www.iisriyadh.com
AL NAMUTHAJIGAH CAMPUS Tel: 920000842
MADINAH
GENERAL
ELITE INTERNATIONAL Tel: +966-11-4627224
www.alfaisal.edu
HEALTH
BRITISH INTERNATIONAL Tel: +966-11-2482387 www.britishschool riyadh.com
Tel: +966-11-4401626
TRAVEL
AL KHALEEJ NATIONAL Tel: +966-11-2012112 AL OLAYA NATIONAL Tel: +966-11-4538867
KINGDOM SCHOOL Tel: +966-11-2755555 www.kingdomschools. edu.sa
AL FAISAL UNIVERSITY
ACCOMMODATIONS CLOSE TO THE TWO HOLY MOSQUES:
RESTAURANTS
SCHOOLS & INSTITUTES
KING SAUD INT’L Tel: +966-11-4633180 www.ksischool.com
UNIVERSITIES
FASHION & SHOPPING
AFTA SOCIETY FOR ADHD (HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER AND ATTENTION DEFICIT) Tel: +966-11-4815455 Mob: +966-554559086 Mob: +966-530034981
KING FAISAL SCHOOL Tel: +966-11-4820802 www.kfs.sch.sa
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
TRANSPORT Tel: +966-11-4042928
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FASHION & SHOPPING RESTAURANTS TRAVEL
GREEN PALACE HOTEL Abi Zar St. Tel: +966-14-8269040 HILTON MADINAH King Fahad Road Few steps away from Al-Haram Tel: +966-14-8201000
LE MERIDIEN MAKKAH Ajyad St. Tel: +966-12-5751111
LE MERIDIEN MADINAH Khalid Bin El-Waleed St. Tel: +966-14-8460777
LE MERIDIEN TOWERS HOTEL Rawabi Ajyad Road Tel: +966-12-5399999
MARRIOTT MADINAH Omer Ibn Al-Khatab St. Tel: +966-14-8180000 MOVENPICK In front of Al-Safeya Bridge, Opposite Al-Haram Tel: +966-14-8188888 RAMADA AL-HAMRA Abi Zar St. Tel: +966-14-8208084 RAMADA AL-QIBLA Islamic Court St. Tel: +966-14-8160008 THE MADINAH OBEROI Abi Zar St. Tel: +966-14-8282222
MAKKAH
HEALTH
AL-JAAD CROM HOTEL NAQA Al-Sulaimaneyah St. Tel: +966-12-5705555 AL-SHOHADA HOTEL Ajyad St. Tel: +966-12-5744401
GENERAL
INTERCONTINENTAL DAR AL-TAWHID Ibrahim Al-Khalil St. Tel: +966-12-5411111
HOTEL ELAF TAIBAH Saad Bin Maaz St. Tel: +966-14-8180050
AJYAD MAKKAH Ibrahim Al-Khalil St. Tel: +966-12-5720500
DAR AL-MANASEK HOTEL Ibrahim Al-Khalil St. Tel: +966-12-5394444 ELAF AJYAD HOTEL Al-Masafi St. Tel: +966-12-5722200 ELAF AL-SUD HOTEL Ajayad Al-Sud St. Tel: +966-12-5708586
RELIGIOUS
HILTON MAKKAH & TOWERS Hijrah St. Tel: +966-12-5340000
ELAF KINDAH HOTEL Al-Messyaal St. Tel: +966-12-5745555
96 DESTINATION RIYADH
MAKKAH CLOCK ROYAL TOWER King Abdulaziz Endowment Tel: +966-12-5717777 MANAZEL AL-AIN MESRCURE Al-Azizia St. Tel: +966-12-5578000 MERCURE GRAND UM AL-QURA Al-Jamaiza St. Tel: +966-12-5702212 MERCURE HIBATULLAH HOTEL Um Al-Qura St. Tel: +966-12-5498855 RAFFLES MAKKAH PALACE King Abdulaziz Endowment Tel: +966-12-5717888 SWISSOTEL MAKKAH King Abdulaziz Endowment Tel: +966-12-5718000 ZAM ZAM GRAND SUITES Adjiad St. Tel: +966-12-5715555
Hajj & Umrah Visa: www.hajinformation.com
Useful websites:
1- www.biblioislam.net 2- www.tvquran.com 3- www.rasoulallah.net 4- www.islamonline.com 5- www.quranexplorer.com 6- www.islam-guide.com 7- www.islamweb.net 8- www.islamicity.com 9- www.theholyquran.org 10- www.al-mawrid.org
NOTES