Two years before the launch of Saudi Vision 2030 in 2016, Al Balad Town was already declared a heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It was one of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s proactive efforts in realizing the first of the vision’s theme: A Vibrant Society. Diving into the…
Category: The Wandering Feet (& Mind) in the Middle East
Travel Stories from my Stay in the Middle East
Enchanted and Revived by the Red Sea in Jeddah Corniche
Visiting the second largest city in the Kingdom, Jeddah, has already crossed my mind a few years ago since I saw pictures of that UNESCO Word Heritage Site in Al Balad and the Corniche nestling in city. The site is a reminiscent of the “Ushaiger Heritage Village” in Najd region of Riyadh Province and “Calle…
The Doors, Windows, Lamps, and Mud-Built Structures Of Ushaiger Heritage Village
Facts of the past were my academic energizers back in the day. Memorizing names, dates, events, and anything akin to history interest me—still. When I was invited by a good friend to join his squad’s trip to Ushaiger Heritage Village, the wandering feet’s engine automatically zoomed off to say, “Yes!” A grant-in-aid for The Stories…
Beyond the Claddings of King Fahad National Library
It was a random winter day in 2012 when my optical organs got magnetized by those claddings that surround the King Fahad National Library while cruising over King Fahad Road in Olaya District. I’ve always been fascinated by the unique architectural design of the building. There wasn’t a time that I didn’t take a gander at…
Back to Basics with Indoor Plants in Riyadh
Our company had us worked from home last 16 March 2020. We got back in the office after five months or last August 17. During that period, it was inevitable to develop a face-off against a tsunami, a duel against the invisible. Coping with the inconveniences, anxiety, and stress this situation brought upon us was…
Riyadh’s White Canyon: A Home to Grand Gorge and Other Desert Wonders
The Hiker’s Maxim: “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time (J.K.).” When I received the internal communication regarding a big discount offers relative to the celebration of International Men’s Day on 19 November 2019, I immediately chose and registered in Hikemania Club’s hiking trip to the White Canyon in Nemar….
Hail: Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Attention Seeker
Recently, I visited Hail for work-related reasons. It was an accidental trip I may say as my position does not entail going on business trips. It took me a 45-minute plane ride from Riyadh and another hour and a half drive from the airport to get to the plant in the wee hours of the…
20 of the Most Beautiful Sunsets in Riyadh from 2019
I have always claimed that sunset is the most reliable fuel to my muse. I pride myself for being able to articulate the fleeting experience it gives me each time I stand in awe or sit for pleasure during an encounter with this nature wonder. Today is yet another special day because it is a…