Back to Saudi Arabia

We fly back to Saudi Arabia with Saudia Airlines on October 7. We could have easily stayed at home a little longer. But October 7 was a sensible decision. After all, we still want to visit the south-west of Saudi Arabia and the “climate tables” tell us that it will only be a maximum of 35° in October. “At least it won’t be 40° or 50° C,” we said to ourselves. As we landed in Riyadh in the middle of the night, we booked a hotel room for two nights, which was a good thing. Also because of the air conditioning.

MAN Truck & Bus

Well rested, we take an Uber to the official MAN dealership. Here, our defective bumper including the main light and the broken spring leaf were repaired in good time before our arrival. Before our arrival, our MAN was given fresh oil and new filters as necessary.

Of course, we are eager to see whether everything is in order on the body side too – and it is. After all, the MAN has been standing outside in the heat for a long time. But everything works perfectly. The only mess: around 70% to 80% of all the plastic edging has fallen off or is so loose that it falls off at the slightest touch.

We are also allowed to fill our water tank here and spend the night on the site. A member of staff takes us to the supermarket so that we can stock up on everything we need. We are now ready to travel again.

Later it turns out that a little too much engine oil has been filled in, that the headlights are shining into the sky and that the two valves on our air-sprung seats are defective. This means a second visit to the workshop. So despite all the perfection we have experienced here, we have to check again. The service manager and the whole team are very friendly and helpful. And more than once, we are delivered a meal from the “noble fast food” next door free of charge without being asked. Hospitality that is rarely seen here anymore.

Riad

Or Arabic ” ar-Riyāḍ” means “the gardens”. This name probably comes from the fertile and green Wadi Hanifa where the old capital At-Turaif was (or still is) located. With around 7 million inhabitants, Riyadh is the center of the country. The city is home to numerous universities, museums and monuments and is the seat of the Saudi Arabian government. Riyadh has been the capital since independence in 1932 and the main palace of the Royal House of Saud has been located in Riyadh since 1824.

Riad Boulevard

Riad Boulevard is a shopping and entertainment district that we want to see. Unfortunately, there seems to be a “season” for everything here and the boulevard season doesn’t start until tomorrow. However, as many more people are expected tomorrow when the Riad-Boulvard opens for the 2024-2025 winter season, we visit it today. We have a “typical Kuwaiti” meal in one of the many restaurants.

Riad Park Shopping Mall

We also need to talk about the climate. As we wrote at the beginning, we expected maximum temperatures of 35°. In reality, however, the daytime temperatures hovered between 36° and 39° and it only cooled down by around 10° a few hours before sunrise.
So today we retreat to a shopping mall to beat the heat. It’s not the biggest, not the shiniest in Riyadh, but it’s close by.
Saudi Arabia has been open to tourists since 2019 and a lot has changed over the past four years. For example, it would never have been possible to imagine displaying women’s underwear in a shop window for all to see. Also striking are the many perfumeries that offer a variety of Arabic and delicately scented perfumes for sale.

At-Turaif

The historic quarter of At-Turaif was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 and rises majestically above the Wadi Hanifah and the green oasis of Diriyah. Built of mud brick in the traditional Najdi style, the royal citadel was once the heart of the Emirate of Diriyah, the first Saudi state (1727-1818), and formed the basis for the foundation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, the Diriyah season only begins in December, which is why we find the complex somewhat lifeless and empty. Nevertheless, we do it and visit At-Turaif despite the heat. As At-Turaif is only open from 10 a.m., you can’t really avoid the heat.

Saudi Arabia is building and building. Many and huge construction sites make maps from last year look old again. You have to get used to detours and dust caused by construction work here.

Out, out of the city

It’s just too hot for us and we don’t want to have to spend any more nights in parking lots. We long for the desert and therefore decide to break off our visit to Riyadh. We will come back to Riyadh and can catch up on further sightseeing.