Talk:Riyadh

Thinking of going to see a beheading?

Actually it depends on your temperament, if you are emotional and sensitive or tough mentally. First time I went to see it I was trembling like a leaf. Second and third time I was battle hardened. Didnt bother me, even had a hearty lunch. Special:Contributions/82.194.62.200

That's a little harsh. Keep smiling, (WT-en) ee ^talk 18:02, 5 November 2008 (EST).

Speaking of Chop-chop Square, is it officially called As Sa'ah Square or Deera Square or are they just one in the same? (WT-en) Zainiqbal 17:53, 1 April 2009 (EDT)

I suspect that the official name is As Sa'ah Square and nobody ever uses it (which seems to be the case for most official names in Riyadh). Deira Square is probably the most common name. (WT-en) Jpatokal 22:16, 1 April 2009 (EDT)

cats and dogs banned in Riyadh

I recently read at ABC that cats and dogs are banned in the capital. Should I add that in for travelers who travel with pets (particularly blind people who rely on sight seeing dogs)?--(WT-en) Dark Paladin X 11:46, 15 December 2008 (EST)

You can't go to Saudi on vacation (there are no tourist visas), and business travelers don't take their pets. If you're moving to Saudi as an expat, you can still bring in your dog, it's just a "guard animal" and not a pet (and this has been the case for decades). (WT-en) Jpatokal 22:15, 15 December 2008 (EST)

On saying that, on the Western compounds you can, somehow, get around this. I have family in KSA on a Western compound who do, along with many others, have pets. Of course, these are people who are there for the long term rather than a traditional business trip of a couple of nights or so.

Also, sorry to go slightly off-topic, but is that strictly true about tourist visas? I was under the impression that you could go to KSA as a tourist; just that it had to be on an organised tour with everything arranged by the tour operator, and that you were kept under strict supervision by the tour guide. Basically, that it is possible, but under heavily regulated conditions? (WT-en) Nrms 03:46, 16 December 2008 (EST)

Yes, expats can bring in their pets as "guard animals". (Beware being licked to death by ferocious guard kittens!) I'm also not sure whether the muttawa prohibition is enforced, but I'm not sure it makes much difference either way, as I don't remember seeing any animals out in public before the ban either. What goes on behind compound walls is another story.

And yes, tourist visas are technically available through licensed tour operators, but tourists in Saudi are still as rare as hen's teeth — the point is that it's not the kind of place you can just choose to visit on a lark next weekend. (WT-en) Jpatokal 06:52, 16 December 2008 (EST)

Hi to all, since the subject shifted to Tour Operator, I am a licened Tour operator in saudi and uthorized to issue tourist visa, and we are required to coordinate with ministery of interior in order to ensure the safty of the tourists in Saudi. Tourism is one of the new aims to Saudi government and it is taking very heavy steps to compete in tourism map. Saudi have many thing to do and see, but the problim is that most of the people do not know where and how to do it. if any one have any inquireis about tourism in Saudi please do not hesiate to send it to 'meteb@alsarhtours.com. aditionally I am arranging weekend tours for expacts in Saudi such as ( desert camping, desert advanture, desert wonders, cultural tours, diving programs, city tours, hunting programs, and more ). I realy haven't heard that pets are not allowed in Saudi where we have pets shops and I have a cat home, but having pets in Saudi is not commen, where normally people may have camels instead "hhh".

Taxis and deadness

Riyadh is, by any standard, more conservative than Jeddah or Damman... and the two female expats I knew in Saudi certainly refused to take cars driven by anyone other than trusted company or compound drivers. (WT-en) jpatokal 06:37, 26 June 2011 (EDT)

Yes, but compared to everywhere else bar Khobar and Jeddah, it's a liberal oasis. If memory serves me correctly, the original article stated that it was the most conservative part of the country (or something to that effect) and that is simply not true. The fact that a few ignorant compound residents call it the "dead center" of the country does not mean it is true and, in fact, it is misleading for the reason I stated above. If you think Riyadh is "dead", try Bureidah, Hofuf, Abha, Taif or any other Saudi city other than Jeddah and Khobar. I don't know about Western expat women, but single women in Saudi Arabia use taxis all the time (a minority among women for sure, but male taxi riders are a minority among men as well).

There are very few expats or foreign visitors outside the big 3, and Riyadh certainly is dead as a doorknob compared to, well, pretty much any other city of the same size outside Saudi. (WT-en) jpatokal 05:28, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

Demotion and removals

So Saqib demoted this to usable on the grounds that it only covers a "few" of Riyadh's attractions. Pray tell, what would those missing attractions be...?

Also, AFAIK, beheadings are still done the way they've always been done, on Fridays in Deira after the noon prayers, and very much in public. Jpatokal (talk) 10:31, 3 January 2014 (UTC)

Let's be objective

Although I agree that there are limitations to many forms of entertainment in Riyadh, the notion that everything in the city is negative would be an incorrect description. I noticed that the first paragraph in the topic is a misleading one that pictures Riyadh as a miserable site of collisions that are apparent for all visitors. I agree that the cultural controversy exists, there are a number of places to see in the city that are more enjoyable than focusing on the negative. Riyadh is not a destination for tourism from outside Saudi Arabia, but if you come to Riyadh for business or you live elsewhere in Saudi and decide to come to Riyadh, you can plan your visit in a way to enjoy the most of it! There are a few great restaurants around the city as well as shopping malls and hotels that are pleasant to be in. —The preceding comment was added by Bionkid (talk • contribs)

• I was treating this text with an emotion that Buddhist/Hindu holy people would call "attachment"; I thought the prose very clever and well-written, but I see and respect your point. I have never been to the place and cannot opinate. Please plunge forward and excuse my former interventions. Ibaman (talk) 19:21, 2 June 2016 (UTC)

phone number format

In Eat entry Taste Of India, how should the phone number 4091333/0505923330 be interpreted? --Traveler100 (talk) 07:30, 26 July 2017 (UTC)

Royal Saudi Air Force Museum

This listing was added earlier today by a new user and was reverted shortly after. It appears to be a genuine museum. Should it be listed here? AlasdairW (talk) 20:05, 2 June 2020 (UTC)

• 1 Royal Saudi Air Force Museum, ☏ +966 11 476 9777. A museum devoted to the history of the Royal Saudi Air Force, it houses a great collection of its airplanes, pictures and historical documents.