Riyadh by Day and Night

Riyadh by day and night. Simply put, what a place. There is something for everyone in Riyadh, whether you're looking for fine dining to go-karting, Riyadh has it all.

With a long weekend and my best friend coming to visit, we decided to venture out and explore what the city of Riyadh had to offer, and trust me it didn't disappoint. Having spent time here previously, it was great to see just how far this place has come over what is a relatively short period of time.

To begin we we ventured to the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) on the first evening for some food. Like most places in Riyadh you're spoilt for choice with cuisine for all tastes and budgets. We opted for the Black Tap, a vibrant restaurant serving burgers and mocktails. The place was cool, music was good, staff attentive and always smiling and most importantly the food was spot on.

After this we took a walk around KAFD lapping up the impressive buildings and array of coffee houses. Being a Wednesday evening, it wasn't overly busy, however there were still plenty of people out enjoying themselves.

The following day, yep you guessed it, more food. This time at Urth caffe, also in the KAFD area, however there are a few of these places dotted around Riyadh. A very pretty little place offering fantastic breakfast options and great coffee.

In this day and age who hasn't heard of Riyadh Season, hosting some of the largest sporting events in the world, on the second evening we decided to head over to Boulevard City and check it out.

As expected, we weren't disappointed. The place is one huge fun filled vibrant mini city, housing Riyadh's answer to New York's Time Square, attractions for children, adults and families, the place was amazing.

Whilst there wasn't a main event on during our visit, the place was still full and in the centre we had the pleasure of listening to some incredible live music.

With Boulevard City behind us, time for something a little different and slightly less busy. About 2 hours outside of Riyadh and deep into the desert is a place called Edge of the World. If you're reading this and thinking of heading to Edge of the World, please do not attempt this on your own, there are arranged tours which I'd highly recommend you use.

This said, we opted to do it solo. Upon arriving at the Edge of the World we were greeted by two very friendly police officers who asked us what we were doing and kindly gave us 2 rules. Rule 1, don't go to close to the edge (given), rule 2, take all rubbish with you. With these rules acknowledged and understood off we went. 42 degrees and heading into the desert.

Again this is a place I have been too before, but I forgot just how stunning the scenery was. Yes you aren't greeted by the lush green hills which we find in the UK, however this is KSA and you expect sand and rock, and you get to see a lot of that.

Back to Riyadh and finally the malls. If there's one thing Riyadh isn't short of is shopping malls. Shops for budgets of all sizes, there's something for everyone. We ventured to a few, and whilst I was limited with my purchases, my friend certainly made up for it. Unlike the UK where the majority of the malls are relatively tired looking with many of the shops closed, Riyadh malls are the complete opposite. The malls are spotless, shops all open and crowded with people enjoying themselves. The pictures below are from VIA mall in Riyadh, an upmarket place with some very exclusive shops.

Other things we were able to slot in:

• Visit to the Diplomatic Quarter - lots of lovely walks and coffee houses

• Visit to Diriyah Fort and old town - Traditional shops, gold souk, coffee houses and places to eat

• Kingdom Tower and the Skybridge (picture below)

This is it for Riyadh by day and night, honestly this place is amazing and without a doubt KSA is going to be a huge player in the tourism market in the very near future.

So, 6 weeks into my expat life in KSA. As you know this is a solo experience for me, with my wife and kids remaining in the UK. No one said this was going to be easy and boy has it tested us already. Whilst this blog was about my little Riyadh adventure, I'm going to sign off with the importance of close communication. Never forget your roots, keep communication fresh and try to focus on each other rather than the negatives of being apart.