VISITORS WELCOME
What we saw was an open, friendly nation that welcomed visitors. We blended in as well as any foreigners would in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, and we didn’t spot the much-feared religious police. In Medina, we accidentally roamed into the courtyard of the Prophet’s Mosque, not knowing that it was for Muslims only. When a policeman asked us to leave, his tone was apologetic.
In just a few years, entertainment options have ballooned in a nation where the median age is only 30. Perhaps because of the desert heat, nightlife there is booming. From Riyadh’s Boulevard City – a sprawling commercial development that includes an amusement park, outdoor cinemas and retail stores – to Jeddah’s Red Sea waterfront, people crowded into the streets, singing, dancing and hanging out in cafes and hookah lounges well into the night.
Female drivers are now commonplace. And while most Saudi women are still wearing long, flowing abayas as well as face coverings, fashionistas have tossed off their hijab and are wearing their abaya like a cloak. No one judges or casts disapproving glances.
What about men? We took plenty of Uber rides and talked to Saudi drivers. One laughingly quipped that traffic in Riyadh got a lot worse since women began driving.
A 69-year-old in Jeddah said he was okay that two of his five adult children were unmarried. One 22-year-old said he was a huge fan of American rapper Eminem, who will perform in Riyadh next month. And people just assumed we were in the Kingdom for business, as if career women were a fact of life.
