In Riyadh, you have a hard choice between an abundance of shopping opportunities where you can find almost anything. Simplified, one can distinguish here between the traditional bazaars and marketplaces, i.e. the souqs, and the shopping malls.
The city center and the many souqs attract a lot of pedestrian traffic and contribute to the intense liveliness of the city. The “life” really gets going in the late afternoon hours and drags on well into the evening hours. Many shopkeepers speak some English, so many souqs are very tourist-friendly and a visit can be an exciting experience. Negotiating skills are in demand.
The Al Deerah (Al Dirah) district in the historic center of Riyadh (just southwest of the current center), particularly the Bathah district, is home to some of the liveliest souqs. The Bathah district is home to many Indians and Pakistanis, who naturally have a strong influence on market activity.
The most important souq in this neighbourhood is Deerah Souq or Souq Al Zal, also known as Al-Thumairy Souq (along Thumairy Street). The souqs consist of hundreds of small stores selling everything from gold jewellery to handicrafts, clothing, textiles, furniture, silver, souvenirs, dusty antiques, and traditional Saudi items such as dallah (coffee pot) and mabkhara (incense burner), as well as squeaky-colourful toys. Some stores offer beautiful hand-woven carpets. You can also find the Bisht sellers, the carpet dealers and the Farwa specialists.
Batah Gold Market represents a collection of stores dealing in gold.
Al Maigliah Souq is a huge traditional Saudi market since 1986 with closed and organized stores. Gold and crystals, children’s clothing, women’s clothing (e.g. abaya, jalabia, dresses), fabrics, men’s clothing and honey are sold in 4 buildings. This souk also has a wide selection of perfumes and bukhoor (fragrant wood shavings that have long been soaked in perfume oil). It is usually frequented by Saudi locals and small shopkeepers looking for affordable prices and more.
Address: Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammad Road, Al Deerah, i.e., at the front of the bridge connecting Qasr Al Hukm Palace to the Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Grand Mosque (see infra); open Sat-Thu 9 a.m.-noon, 7 p.m.-midnight. Fridays 7 p.m.-midnight.
Souq Al Owais is often mentioned as a place worth visiting. It is considered one of the most popular among locals, who sell gold jewelry and beautiful fabrics, among other things.
Address: Olaya Street; open: Sat-Thu 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri 5-10 p.m.
The date souq is a well-known market for fruits and vegetables. The souq is considered one of the best markets for dates.
Address: Eastern Ring Branch Rd, 7623 Ar Rawabi; open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
A real contrast to these traditional markets are the numerous shopping malls, some of which are brand new. The life of the population takes place to a considerable extent in the numerous busy shopping malls. As in many Middle Eastern countries, the shopping malls in Riyadh cannot be reduced to their function as places of sales and shopping. Shopping malls are meeting places and places of social life. People meet with family members and friends to stroll together through the usually huge halls and aisles, to find out about the latest fashions, to sample coffee creations in the countless cafés or to fortify themselves in the – mostly – fast food restaurants of various kinds.
Popular shopping malls in Riyadh include (among others):
Riyadh Park Mall is located directly opposite the new King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) (Northern Ring Road) and houses the remarkable and worth seeing Museum of Illusions
Al Nakheel Mall with cinema, food court and Sparky’s amusement park;
Al Imam Saud Ibn Abdul Aziz Branch Road.
Kingdom Mall with high-end boutiques and a movie theatre (see Kingdom Tower infra)
Al Faysaliyyah Mall, sometimes called Star Dome, is an elegant mall with luxury stores (in the King Fahd Road / Olaya Street / Forty Street / Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Street neighbourhood).
Granada Mall, with an impressive atrium, more than 200 stores, a food court and an indoor gaming area;
Ash Shuhada District, Eastern Ring Branch Road
Sahara Plaza, with boutiques and stores of well-known international brands, is just another example of the numerous shopping centres.
And let’s not forget the new shopping experience at the recently opened Via Riyadh complex (cf. Food & Drink).
