What Souvenirs to Bring from Saudi Arabia – Popular Malls in Saudi Arabia: Go Prepared.
Where to shop for souvenirs in Saudi Arabia? The answer is a no-brainer: head to the nearest mall! This advice might seem lousy if you don’t know what you are looking for, but I’m here to help out. The trick is that you should go prepared.
One of the Saudi Arabian malls
First, locate the nearest mall in your area. The shortlist that I compiled in the previous post might be useful.
Second, check the prayer times. There is a handy website here
Third. Now that you know to which shopping center you are going, browse through their website to find the shops you want to visit and their location. Saudi malls are enormous, and we don’t want you to get tired and disappointed after a couple of hours walking around and finding nothing exciting.
Tip: you can also do a backwards search. Check out the website of the brand you are interested in. They will have a list of shop locations on their website and most likely you will find their shop in one of the malls.
Let me show how it works. Say, you are in Riyadh and are shopping for Arabian Oud perfumes.
Check out their website.
Cross-check on the website of the nearby mall.
Print out the mall location and store location maps, and optionally some products photos for easier communication with salesmen, check prayer times and opening times … and off you go! Have a great shopping time!
Hey, a couple more tips: some of the shopping centers have sections in traditional Arabic style (like Qaisariya floor of Al Rashid mall in Khobar).
Qaisariya floor of Al Rashid mall in Khobar
Make sure you check these out! Ask at the mall information center or look for an information stand with the mall map.
Alternatively, there might be more things to do at the mall of your choice. For example there is an open observation deck of Al Faisaliah Mall in Riyadh. Just imagine: at the height of 40 floors sits a Globe which houses a multi-floored restaurant and lounge with panoramic views of Riyadh sprawling at your feet. The observation deck is right below the Globe.
The elevator will take you to the floor of your choice, chose The Experience button for the observation deck
You can either have a coffee at one of the eateries of the Globe or head directly to the observation deck. The entrance will come at a cost which is currently 40 SAR. Take great photos of the city!
Check opening times for eateries in the Globe, you might need to make a reservation.
One of the Globe restaurants
Al Faisaliah Mall in Riyadh
For a sneak peek of the view from the observation deck check out this beautiful panoramic picture.
One more example is the Sky Bridge of the Kingdom Center in Riyadh. For 60 SAR you will get a ticket and have a chance to overlook the whole Riyadh from the 300-meter height tower (you will need to change elevators to go up!).
Sky Bridge of the Kingdom Center in Riyadh
Remember to always check if there is anything else exciting to do in the shopping centers so you can combine shopping and sightseeing.
