lanes and streets are given over to vendors selling their wares in the open and from quaint old shops in markets such as the Al Batha’a Souk. The Antique Souk is the oldest in Riyadh and today it still maintains its traditional narrow passageways, enclosed atmosphere and character. Other souks in the area include the gold souk and the women’s souk.
JEDDAH Saudi Arabia’s second largest city, Jeddah has been at the crossroads of important trading routes since antiquity. The fi rst modern shopping centre here was the Heraa Mall, a one-stop wonder with over 240 international and local retailers selling everything from branded fashion items to locally made traditional fare. The mall also features a number of restaurants and coffee shops. Fashionistas, though, head for
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Tahlia Street in the heart of Jeddah. This is the hub of designer brands, with El Khayyat Shopping Centre stocking the likes of Armani, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and DKNY. For cheaper unbranded goods
the best place to shop is Gabel Street, where the road is lined with open-air souks displaying traditional Arabian tea pots, rugs and Arabian perfumes. The shopping experience in
Jeddah can never be complete without a trip to the various gold shops where you can haggle to your heart’s content for a suitable price.
DAMMAM The best shopping on the east coast can be found in and around Dammam, the largest city in the Eastern Province and the fi fth largest in Saudi Arabia. Malls of
vegetable to spices and tea, as well as local handicrafts. Most of the agricultural produce is grown locally. The perfumes are produced from local fl owers and the honey is harvested in the region.
The biggest and most popular souk in the kingdom is the Souk Al Khamis, or Thursday Market, in the Al Baha Province.
NAJRAN
particular interest are the Mall of Dhahran and the Dareen Mall. The Bin Khaldoum Plaza Mall also comes highly recommended. For a more traditional
experience in the Eastern Province, there are street-level markets selling handicrafts, traditional ornaments, domestic birds and agricultural products. Among these is the Thursday market in Al Qateef, where shoppers can bargain for handicrafts, rugs and baskets. Another traditional market in the Al Nairiyiah area is full of merchants selling local ghee, herbal incense, pots and pans. Dates, coffee, cardamom,
cattle and domestic birds are also on offer and the spectacle comes complete with the smells, sounds and atmosphere of Saudi commerce.
AL BAHA Each souk in this province is open on a particular day of the week and is named after that day. The range of products is diverse, ranging from fruit and
MANIA MALL
A clear sign of the current power of the Saudi retail market – worth around US$60 billion – is the
arrival of regional brands into the mall business. Trough a joint venture with the kingdom’s Al Ghazzawi Group, Dubai- based MAF Shopping Malls, most famous for operating Mall of the Emirates and the City Centre brand, are now entering Saudi Arabia. One project is a US$29 million shopping centre in Jeddah called the Jeddah Riviera Mall, which will cover 93,000 square
metres. Te complex will host more than 300 retail outlets including a Carrefour.
For something more eye-catching, head south to Najran, where the people wear bright, multicoloured, sarong-like izars, topped by black embroidered jackets. This region is famed for its honey, but handicrafts, folklore and dancing all thrive here also. Najran, on the Saudi-Yemen
border, is where you can fi nd an authentic handmade jambia, the traditional dagger. The Souk Al Jambia, or Souk Al Khanajer, is the only souk in the kingdom that specialises in the locally made daggers, making it an essential part of any itinerary. Other handicrafts include gold and silver jewellery, textile weavings, leather goods and wood carvings. Souk Al Nisa’a is the women’s
souk, the only one of its kind in the province. Apart from clothing, toiletries and perfumes, it sells a range of spices, incense, and household objects. There are several other souks in this province, selling everything from ironware to handwoven baskets and handicrafts.
IN THE HISTORIC OLD QUARTER OF RIYADH, AROUND THE QASR AL HOKUM DISTRICT, SEVERAL MAZES OF LANES AND STREETS ARE GIVEN OVER TO VENDORS SELLING THEIR WARES
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