Shopping in Saudi Arabia - outlets, shopping streets and boutiques

Shopping in Saudi Arabia is one of the main attractions due to the lack of sufficient other entertainment. The country's religiosity affects all areas of life, including shopping. You can bring religious souvenirs, including beautiful rosaries or an ornate edition of the Koran from Saudi Arabia. A traditional men's headscarf can be worn as a scarf. Its checkered pattern never goes out of fashion. Food souvenirs are sweets (Turkish delight, sorbet, halva, and baklava in boxes), dried or candied fruits, as well as sets of spices. It is better to buy them in the markets. Camel milk, hermetically packed in a factory way will be an unusual gift. A curved Arabic dagger can be hung on the wall as a reminder of the trip. The scabbard is usually decorated with gold and silver. Arabic calligraphy is very beautiful. You can buy a text written on paper and enclose it in a frame or buy a necklace with an Arabic script. Aromatic oils are made from natural ingredients. Jewelry made of gold or silver with traditional ornaments. Leather sandals in the traditional Arabic style can be worn for a long time. You can also bring a coffee pot, a small rug or a pillow with a traditional pattern.

You can find the most interesting, authentic, and unusual things in the markets. Al-Thumairi in Riyadh is popular among tourists. You can buy various Arabic products there. The Old Bazaar in the Medina is hundreds of shops, cafes, and kiosks. This is one of the oldest markets in the country. You can buy both cheap and luxury goods here. Taiba Commercial Center is a well-maintained indoor market in the Medina. You should definitely bargain in the markets.

Saudi women love expensive things. Expensive clothing of fashion designers is often hidden under the Abaya. Bags, shoes, jewelry, and accessories are bought of the best quality because these are the only things they can demonstrate. Women also apply very bright makeup. Therefore, the choice of cosmetics is also very large in the country. You should buy the most luxurious items of clothing, shoes, and haberdashery in large shopping centers. There are many of them in the country. These are real entertainment centers. Cafes and restaurants, children's rooms, water parks, recreation areas, fountains, prayer rooms, and cinemas are equipped here along with shops. You can easily spend the whole day in the center because there is everything you need inside it. Al-Faisaliyah at the foot of the eponymous skyscraper in Riyadh is the most fashionable and pretentious shopping center in the country. You can spend time in a great food court after shopping. Mall of Arabia is the largest in the country. It opened in Jeddah recently. Its main competitor is Heraa Mall. The third floor of the Al-Mamlaka shopping center is occupied by the "Women's Kingdom". Accordingly, the entrance to men is closed there. Red Sea Mall in Jeddah accommodates stores of the world's leading brands, as well as an excellent food court and entertainment center for children. 180 stores are located in the Sahara Mall (Riyadh). Jeddah Mall in Jeddah has a great food court. You can find luxury clothing stores in Al Hayat Centre in Jeddah. Al Basateen is very much loved by local teenagers. Jeddah International Mall is the oldest in Jeddah, specializing in jewelry. Panorama Mall represents a wide variety of mass-market clothing stores. You can not bargain in large shopping centers. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Payment in stores and markets is made in the local currency – the Saudi real. Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere. Stores are mostly closed on Fridays. This day is sacred for Muslims. You should also consider the five-fold prayer. Its time is strictly observed. The prayer lasts at least for 20-30 minutes. Customers will not be served at this time. It is better to know the prayer schedule in advance. The third prayer, which is performed around noon, the fourth – a couple of hours before sunset, and the fifth – at sunset can catch tourists in the store. Many large shopping centers and outlets are located outside the city. You can get to them by taxi.

Shopping has its own characteristics in Saudi Arabia. Single men who have reached the age of 16 are not allowed to enter shopping centers unless they are accompanied by a woman. A woman can't try on clothes in a store where a seller is a man. Just the thought of a woman changing clothes nearby can provoke him to have unholy thoughts. Fitting rooms are not available as a class. Women pick up clothes and, if they don't fit, just return them back to the store. It is considered unacceptable and non-prestigious to buy non-brand items. This is the fate of the service character or people from poor countries.