The place to go for a walk in Riyadh

Families residing in Riyadh’s various district tend to gravitate toward various locations in the city to spend time, exercise or simply to get a whiff of fresh air.
One of the favorite spots is in Sulaymaniyah district, where the King Fahd Medical City hospital is also located.
“My wife and I come here with our two small kids whenever we have the chance to bond as a family,” said 29-year-old Abdul Nasser Ahmed, who works as a marketing specialist at Nafa Medical Co.
He said that they walk around the hospital with their children.
Ahmed said that his family is attracted to the spot because there are other families like them enjoying the ambience.
“The place is particularly attractive at night because it is well-lit. The palm trees are also pretty to look at, with their leaves gleaming in the spotlights,” he said. “This area resembles a park.”
Christie Sta. Ana, who works for a local firm, said that she and her other children also visited the area. “We had great fun as a family, sharing precious moments together,” she said.
“We still visit the place, although less frequently now due to work pressures, in addition to the fact that three of my four children are studying in the Philippines,” she said.
Others visit the place to jog to keep themselves physically fit, especially those with sedentary jobs.
“It has been a habit for me to jog and relax after office hours. I normally jog near my place, but I come here once in a while,” said one resident.
“I was jogging in the area a while back when I happened to meet somebody who helped my company hook a deal with a client.”
Nonie C. Sagadal, an RCBC-Telemoney marketing representative, said that he regularly jogs around the King Fahd Medical City.
“Sometimes, I jog with friends, while sometimes, I come here alone. When my wife was still working here, she used to accompany me,” he said. “I also jog in other areas for a change, like the park along Exit 10 or King Abdullah Road.”
He said that he regularly jogs in the area because his accommodation is in the same district “where I have resided since I came here in 1988.”
“It takes me around 45 minutes to get around the hospital,” he said.
Older residents go there merely to walk to keep themselves healthy.
“Since I cannot run anymore, I merely walk and it takes me a long time before I can complete walking around the hospital,” said Muhammed Bakhst, a Pakistani who has been living in Riyadh for several years.
He added that he normally walked in the street near his accommodation but “walking around King Fahd Medical City is different. It has an added touch of being special and significant.”
“This is perhaps because I meet people there that I don’t normally see,” he said.