For newbies to Riyadh or those planning an extended visit to the city, riyadh-today.com provides all the details on how to get through life in the Kingdom’s capital. The site is a little out of date, not reflecting recently implemented security procedures, but it still presents plenty of good information.
Riyadh Today’s compound directory gives more than just telephone numbers. In many cases photos and descriptive write-ups are included, too. The directory also tells what to look for in a compound, especially which features are essentials and which are nice extras. There’s also information about heath care, shopping, landmarks, Riyadh’s history and even a KSA survival guide.
The information at the site is straightforward and unfortunately true. For example the section on getting around Riyadh states, “The only major problem in negotiating Riyadh’s streets is that, once away from the main highways, all the road signs are in Arabic only.” On arriving at the airport, “If you are the impatient type, bring a book to read while standing in the queue, as waiting times of one hour and a half are not uncommon and can reach three hours or more.” Read it and weep.
- Arab News Compu-net 2 September 2003