8 minute read
A MINOR OBSESSION
by JONATHAN DELISE
Kingdom Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Nearly a decade ago, before tourist visas were available for Saudi Arabia, I tried sweet-talking my way into the country. At the time, I was merely transiting the Gulf nation, en route from Cairo to Addis Ababa, with a 12-hour layover at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.
Like any westerner, I was curious about the country. Admittedly, my curiosity for the capital had intensified shortly before my arrival. As my Saudia Airlines flight was preparing to land, I had noticed an unusual skyscraper jutting out of the middle of this desert metropolis.
The building appeared to be in the shape of a bottle opener, which seemed ironic to me, given the strict rules regarding alcohol consumption. My sense of adventure and curiosity was peaked. Did it have an observation deck? Who were the tenants? What was used as scaffolding?
After whiling away a few hours in the strong air conditioning and sampling the local dates (I really love dates), my curiosity turned to obsession and I decided to approach immigration to see if there was a chance.
Of course, they protested. I volleyed back with Saudi points of interest I had looked up only moments before. Ultimately, the immigration officers had a good chuckle, held their ground, and hinted that tourist visas were “in the works.”
With no way to enter as a tourist and a lack of wasta – loosely translated as “clout” or “connections” necessary to get a work or business visa – I figured I would never have the opportunity to visit. Little did I know that my wasta would soon come.
Four years later, as part of a larger roundthe-world trip, I arrived at Saudi Arabia’s immigration desk once again and presented them with a recently minted work visa. Thirty minutes later, I was greeted at the Ritz-Carlton with cardamom-infused coffee and dates. Did I mention I love dates?
Even though it was 3:00 a.m., I couldn’t sleep. I was finally in Saudi Arabia and I wanted to savor every minute. With a 6:30 a.m. breakfast buffet reservation awaiting me, I spent the
early hours of the morning wandering through the palatial hotel and speaking with members of the diverse workforce.
As is the case with other Gulf countries there’s a massive expat contingent in Saudi Arabia, tending towards Egypt and East Africa, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Having recently returned from a visit to Kathmandu, I waxed nostalgic with Nepali butlers about momo dumplings and how grateful they were when the Saudi government sent aid to their country following the April 2015 earthquake.
At breakfast, I had a pleasant chat with the Venezuelan restaurant manager and the Syrian chef. I tried to sound casual as I expressed enthusiasm for Saudi dates, as well as the entire buffet. I could have stayed there talking for hours, however I had a city to explore and, within that, a skyscraper to find.
I asked my driver to drop me at the Ministry of Interior, so I could get in a nice New Yorker walk along Olaya Street, one of the city’s main thoroughfares. It was a Friday, the holiest day of the week in Islam, and most of the shops and restaurants remained closed.
Businesses also close for calls to prayer, which meant, for nearly 30 minutes at a time, you could be in a shopping mall, minus the shopping. Later that year, I moved to Jeddah and came to find this soothing—taking a break from conspicuous consumption was a welcome alternative to the zombie-like motions of swiping a credit card.
On my walk that day to the building I came to learn was the Kingdom Centre, I hardly encountered any pedestrians. Those I did come across were hospitable, though confused as to why a tourist was in the Saudi capital.
Riyadh has a number of beguiling government buildings, but taking photos of them is frowned upon. Opened in 2002, the 992-foot-high Kingdom Centre, on the other hand, is happy to show up in social media posts. The building’s distinctive shape aides in keeping it cool.
From the sky bridge, reached via two elevators, I could see the vastness of the Arabian Desert, and how Riyadh’s urban core is gobbling up the barren land. The 99-story monolith houses a mosque, Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh, AlMamlaka shopping mall, business offices, and luxury apartments.
Visiting the Kingdom Centre made my first visit to Saudi Arabia thrilling, but check-out at the hotel put a cherry on top. Upon returning the room key, I was gifted a box of nine different dates from various parts of the country. I knew in that moment I would be back. Saudi Arabia understands me.
Contact your trusted travel advisor to learn about exciting, new and upcoming tours in Saudi Arabia.
Sky Bridge at the top of the Kingdom Centre
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