Five years of Arabian Adventures

Today marks 5 years since we landed in Saudi for our Arabian adventure and I am conscious that I have been quiet on here during that time, though I am still very much an avid reader and follower of my colleagues past and present, and businesses that I have worked for and with.

When I tell people I live in Saudi Arabia, I am usually met with expressions of surprise, and whilst I do think it is impossible to explain in words how it really is here, I hope to enlighten you, even just a little bit, with a very small selection of highlights from the last 5 trips around the (very hot!) sun…

The Wonders of Saudi Arabia

We have certainly made the most of desert and beach trips, but my favourite places have to be Wadi Al Disah and Al Ula. Al Disah translates to “the valley of palm tree” and the luscious valley floor awash with fresh springs is surrounded by massive sandstone cliffs.

Al Ula is an ancient Arabic oasis city in Medina Province, in the Hijaz region. This region features prominently in the history of Islam as well as several pre-Islamic Semitic civilisations. Al Ula was a market city on the historic incense route that linked India and the Persian Gulf to the Levant and Europe. It has been a crossroads between civilisations for thousands of years and is home to Hegra (also known as Mada’in Salih), Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hegra is renowned for its more than 110 well-preserved monumental tombs with decorated facades dating from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. It is absolutely awe-inspiring. In stark contrast to Hegra, and not too far away, is the Maraya, the largest mirror-covered building in the world, and at certain times of day the structure seems to evaporate into the surrounding desert. We have seen John Legend and Alicia Keys in concert there, and Bruno Mars at the Azimuth Canyon – an utterly electrifying experience watching such a fantastic artist in amongst the mythical canyons.

There are apparently 94,000 mosques in Saudi Arabia, and I have had the absolute privilege of visiting just two of those. The first visit was to one of the newly constructed mosques on the King Faisal Air Base where my husband works (there are 18 in total on the base!) to learn more about the Holy Month of Ramadan, fasting and iftar. The second was a school trip to Tabuk’s Walidain mosque, which was commissioned by Provincial governor Prince Fahd bin Sultan in honour of his parents. On both occasions we were welcomed with open arms, learnt so much and spoilt with Saudi hospitality.

Saudi style

As you can imagine, the bustling souk areas are a feast for the senses, with incredible colours and patterns which make my creative heart sing. Along with the thick, luxurious scent of incense (Oud) burning to welcome guests, another delightful sensory experience for me is the Qahwa coffee, made from green coffee beans and cardamom, and usually served with dates. I never thought I would eat so many of these sweet, chewy, little fruits! Coffee is the simplest expression of hospitality (its preparation alone is an intricate cultural tradition) and almost everywhere we go we are offered a cup.

We have been out in the middle of the desert, literally in the middle of nowhere, and locals appear and stay a while to share coffee and dates dipped in tahini (a great combination if you have never tried it!). We were gently waking up in our roof tent on top of our truck one morning during one particular adventure and a local goat herder spotted us and disappeared off to fetch us some warm bread. Generosity is an engrained part of the Arab culture, along with kindness and honour.

A new era

I tell people I feel like I have been living through a period of massive social reform here in Saudi Arabia, while the country seeks to improve its reputation and attract tourists as part of their “Vision 2030”. Since our arrival, I have witnessed the end of segregated restaurants and am no longer required by law to wear an Abaya.

Whilst fact-checking for this article, I came across an interesting piece that explained how increased female participation in the labour force is seen as essential to the success of the Vision 2030 plan and how this goal has actually been met a decade early. Life generally seems less male-dominated than it did when we arrived in 2019.

Vision 2030 also has a goal to increase women’s participation in sport and, under the guidance of a former RAF PTI, I have been training with and playing for Tabuk’s first netball team! We have competed in 3 tournaments across the Kingdom, and at one of these tournaments, I had the pleasure of meeting Princess Ghada Bint Abdullah, chairwoman of Netball Saudi, who is helping to drive this campaign.

Community & Volunteering

Another thing I find hard to describe to people who have never experienced this environment is compound life. Our compound here in Tabuk is less than half a mile square! It is a small world and at times can feel like a bit of a goldfish bowl.  

Throwing myself wholeheartedly into the community with various volunteer roles has helped me to build relationships and gain great personal satisfaction. I have helped to run the thrift store where we hold regular bake sales to raise money for charity and we have contributed several thousand pounds over the last 12 months alone.

 As a proud ex-military Wife and ‘veteran’ myself (though I don’t feel like my few years in the Territorial Army qualifies me for the term ‘veteran’ as such…) and strong supporter of armed forces charities, I help co-ordinate the Remembrance Service held each year.

We are very fortunate to have the most incredible school here and I have thoroughly enjoyed supporting them as a reading volunteer and by running an after-school club, teaching French to years 4, 5 & 6.

Fractional CMO 

During the last 3 years, I have undertaken several missions as a Fractional CMO with passion and dedication. It has been great to get back to what I do best and work on some very interesting projects in the Telecoms, Managed Services, FinTech and Cyber Security world.

Covid finally made everyone realise that you really can work from anywhere and I am grateful to have been called upon by various people in my network to help out remotely for them.

Next Chapter

There’s still plenty on my Saudi bucket list including further attempts to improve my Arabic (don’t ask!), continuing to support Neom SC (formerly Al Suqor), visiting the rose festival down in Taif, and checking out the Al-Qatt Al-Asiri (a traditionally female interior wall decoration) in the Asir region, along with the with the mountains, plains, and valleys of the Arabian highlands.

I am also delighted to say I am starting a new job, based out here in Saudi Arabia, in August. I am hugely looking forward to meeting my new team and taking on a challenge in an area that I am passionate about.

A suivre…

Very difficult to choose from the millions of photos I have taken over the last five years but here are a few memorable moments...