RIYADH, 30 December 2004 — Memories start rolling back of a city I landed in more than 25 years ago. I had no idea what to expect. I was a young bride starting a new life in a new country. I had mixed feelings of excitement, apprehension, hope and despair. The first shock was when I entered the terminal which was a long hall with a corrugated roof with gusts of cool air blown by desert coolers.
As I was waiting for my luggage, looking around for a conveyor belt, I saw a man carrying luggage from the plane and putting it on a low wall. We picked up our luggage and presented it for customs inspection.
Eager to see my new home, we drove down Shara-e-Matar (Airport Road). It was the main street with the Sahara Palace Hotel near the airport at one end and Deirah at the other. On either side were the ministries. The street continued on into Batha, Riyadh’s own Oxford Street. A real outing was a visit to Spinney’s supermarket even if I didn’t need anything. Two or three hotels greeted visitors with warm and gracious Saudi hospitality. Women were conspicuous by their absence in most places. I realized this when we were the only couple in the Green Valley restaurant on our first anniversary, all dressed for the occasion. The Green Valley restaurant is now long gone but surprisingly the signs still hang on the building, reminding everybody of what it once was.
When I left Riyadh in 1986, it was through the modern King Khaled International Airport. What a contrast to my initial arrival in 1975. After living in Canada for some years, we are now back in the Kingdom. I cannot believe the immense changes that have taken place.
The Kingdom Tower dominates the skyline and is the new landmark. It has also won an award for outstanding architecture and design. In this vibrant city, I can feel the social, economic and cultural diversity that makes this city and its inhabitants so remarkable. It is a real modern metropolis. Franchises of international chains and brandnames are on Olaya Street. Malls are full of shoppers and merchandise. The city’s strength lies in its ability to take advantage of modern technological advances, enriching them with the best of Arabian tradition to create its own unique style. Hotels and restaurants are everywhere, not to mention cafes and bistros.
When I was here the first time, there was only one TV channel; those days were of course long before satellite TV or the Internet. If you wanted to make an international telephone call back then, you had to book the call through an operator. What a change.
Another big change has been the empowerment of women. Women are in many professions and are entrepreneurs successfully meeting the challenges of modern business. For the first time women cast their votes in the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry elections. And a pioneer has achieved her ambition of flying in the skies and becoming the first Saudi woman pilot.
My three sons were all born in Riyadh and I would love for them to come and see their birthplace. My coming a second time has reinforced my positive experiences and viewpoint and I am sure I will soon have many more happy memories.
What, I wonder, will Riyadh be like in 2010?