I've been in Saudi for over 6 months now and there is some other stuff I've noticed about life here in Riyadh:
Most cars have dinks. There are a great mix of cars including predominantly GMC, Nissan, Hyundai and Kias, interspersed with the occasional supercar and most have dink in, including the supercars! I've also see more Mustangs in the last 6 months than I've ever seen in my life.
The kids love sequins on their clothes, especially the ones where you can stroke it to change the colour or design. This is especially useful when you are teaching as the sequins help the children concentrate and are good for the environment too... said no one ever!
Saudi's love their sweets (*sigh* candy) and fizzy drinks (*sigh* soda) -diabetes and obesity will be in fashion here soon I'm sure as kids are generally quite big here and don't exercise much. They are often ferried from air-conned building to air-conned building. It is a major health concern, so much so that the Prince has issued a 'Sugar tax' very recently.
The old crusty looking tower block buildings in the old part of town hide flashy offices, dentists, cosmetic surgery places etc. Seriously, I thought I was back in the Gascoigne Estate in Barking (the English version of 'the projects') as I had to walk up a crusty flight of stairs in some echoey room (no smell of urine though, which should have been a giveaway) only to find an oasis of dental calm. All marble and chic lighting. It is sorta like Chunking Mansions in Hong Kong, a huge tower block with hundreds of businesses that looks ghetto but actually is full of cool and thriving businesses and industry.
The toilets are often like something from Trainspotting as people use bum guns here and they are in use all the time due to the 5 daily prayers. The floors of toilets are often soaking wet but on the plus side my bottom is squeaky clean so pros and cons eh?
The mobile phone top up system is confusing, you have to go to pods in malls manned by people and actually pay that way. The queues are long and boring with a ticketed system. Or, you could get the app and DIY but initially it's confusing and all linked to your personal ID, the Iqama. This limits what you can look at and research, including in incognito mode so stay mainstream and clean you weirdos.
The airport is super efficient and the staff are the friendliest I've ever met at any airport, and I've been to over 30 in my travels.
Saudi's are ready for gigs, concerts and events but the etiquette at these events is still being worked on. So for example, if you are watching a boxing match and have awesome seats a few people will think nothing of standing in front of you and having a proper conversation about the meaning of life... I mean, sit the heck down! You've got prime seats, chill!
The cinema is a massive deal here. They will show movies in their original form but any kissing scenes or LGBTQ issues are sliced with some interesting and abrupt editing. I'd be interested to see how Quentin Tarantino movies would be edited here, they'd be short film after the cuts I reckon... Once Upon A Time In Hollywood would be under 5 mins!
It gets cold here. Now that might be surprising for some imagining unbearable heat, mirages and whatnot but apart from the fact that at night there is little to no cloud cover to keep the heat in, because science, Riyadh has seasons. Yup, from November to about March Riyadh feels like early British spring with temperatures being about 7 degrees during the day to about 3 degrees at night. It warms up during the day reaching the heady heights of about 17 degrees but this place does get cold so you need your North Face and Berghaus jackets.
Lynx Africa is not sold here. Lynx is rebranded as Axe in Saudi and I've looked for Africa high and low but, alas, to no avail. There are many other scents available here but they emphasise the woody smelling ones. When I went back to England at Christmas I bought 2 XL cans of it as it's been my smell since I was about 11. Jeannie says my scent is garlic and onions but I and Mr. Lynx Africa disagree.
The driving test centre is a pretty depressing place, as most are, but if you have a British or American driving license it's all plain sailing and fast-tracked and you may not even have to touch a car... Which is useful at the DVLA.
The banking system here is very tight. You need an Iqama (special personal ID card provided by the government when granted permission to enter the country) and lots of paperwork. It's a nuisance getting anything done as the queues are crazy long (think over an hour for basic banking needs and about 3 hours to get a credit card) but fraud and money laundering are much tougher so that's good!
LINK- High Tea and High Times in the Riyadh Globe
LINK- Reflecting on Life in Saudi Arabia After 5 Months
LINK- Life in Saudi Arabia 3 Month On