“Home sales to Americans in Europe keep growing”; “The number of Americans living in European countries is increasing”; “Americans relocating to Europe is a trend.”
14.08.2023 - 19:41 / cntraveler.com / Art
Ask A Local is a new series where we ask clued-up insiders to share their top tips for the place they call home.
“I like to show people the beautiful sides of Riyadh—it’s a really underrated city,” says Rae Joseph, founder of 1954 by Rae Joseph, the first vintage fashion retail platform in the Gulf. While she splits her time between Riyadh, Dubai, and New York, she loves to spend hometown weekends (Friday and Saturday in Saudi Arabia) hiking, gallery-hopping, and scouring historic souks in search of antique finds.
Ruins of Salwa Palace, Ad Diriyah, At-Turaif District.
“Whether it’s Friday or Saturday, we have to do a hike. I pick up a couple of my friends, and then we go to DQ—the Diplomatic Quarter, or Al Safarat, as we say. The hiking trails are not too hard, but it’s enough to get your body moving. The views are spectacular: It overlooks some farms, and you have a sea of palm trees and beautiful rock formations.”
Rae’s go-to for a post-hike breakfast is Bateel, a much-loved chain of homegrown Saudi cafés and restaurants. “The way they make Arabic coffee and the types of dates they serve are super authentic,” she says. The branch in the DQ is always full of familiar faces: “We meet other people by coincidence and the table gets bigger and bigger.” As a sufferer of celiac disease, she seeks out gluten-free options that are “tasty, not just healthy” and the staff here are “really well-educated” in choices that are safe for her to eat. Rae loves the salads, but the breakfast menu here also includes organic date and yogurt bowls, date French toast, and truffle scrambled eggs. After breakfast, she’ll drink Arabic coffee made in the authentic way with fresh cardamom, served with organic dates from Bateel’s farms outside Riyadh. “My first coffee in the morning is more like a let’s-get-the-day-started, let’s-go-on-a-hike coffee, but the coffee after breakfast sets the mood for the day,” she says.
When the city heats up, Riyadh’s residents hit the malls. For high-end designer brands, Rae heads to Centria and the new Via Riyadh, a much-hyped collection of luxury boutiques, restaurants, and cinemas. For a mix of designer and everyday items, she’ll go to two of the city’s most iconic buildings—the mall at the Kingdom Centre and Mode Mall, attached to the Faisaliah Hotel. But far more exciting are the city’s concept stores. To discover an interestingly curated selection of local brands, Rae recommends Eastway Market, an elegant, modern, colorful space with “a refined aesthetic.” She also loves Pattern, for its young, cool vibe and sneaker lab.
Souq-al-Zal, which translates to carpet market, sells souvenir-worthy home decor and jewelry.
“In the old downtown of Riyadh, where the king had his court years and years
“Home sales to Americans in Europe keep growing”; “The number of Americans living in European countries is increasing”; “Americans relocating to Europe is a trend.”
Famed as the birthplace of Chinggis (Genghis) Khaan, Mongolia will make you feel like you are on another planet, with its ancient nomadic culture, endless blue skies, and wild and untouched natural environment.
For those of us who may get a bit overwhelmed by outfit planning for an upcoming trip fashion blogger Emily Schuman has a seamless packing tip that may eliminate any stress.
Japan has been knocked off the top spot for the world’s most powerful passport for the first time in five years.
Reading this breathtaking account of the transformations of the French Riviera over the last two millenniums is like riding shotgun with a racecar driver in the Monaco Grand Prix.
Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as COVID-19 cases in the country surge following its relaxation of “zero-COVID” rules.
Saudi Arabia, which has bid to host the Expo 2030 world fair, is pushing ahead with plans to turn its capital Riyadh into a major global metropolis, a government official said on Thursday.
In line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the recently-launched New Murabba Development Company will be developing what it calls the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh. The New Murabba project will be built around the concept of sustainability, featuring green areas and walking and cycling paths, according to a release. “It will also feature an iconic museum, a technology and design university, a multipurpose immersive theatre, and more than 80 entertainment and culture venues,” the release further stated. Built over an area of 19 square kilometers, the project will also have its own internal transport system and will be located at a distance of 20 minutes’ drive from the airport. As part of the project, Saudi Arabia will also be developing a 400-meter-high-cue shaped skyscraper Mukaab touted to be the world’s first immersive destination offering an experience created by digital and virtual technology with the latest holographics. The project is expected to add $48 billion to non-oil gross domestic product and create 334,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030. The project is due to be completed in 2030.
Update: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced on Sunday the launch of Riyadh Air, a new national airliner that will serve more than 100 destinations, state news agency SPA said.
New York’s tourism industry has roared back from its rough pandemic years, but local pessimism and empty offices could hamper the sector’s long-term trajectory.
Boeing Co is working on a deal to sell at least 150 737 Max jetliners to Saudi Arabian startup Riyadh Air, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday.
Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s newest airline, has unveiled the first of two new livery designs set to be featured on its aircraft when it commences operation in 2025 on its social media channels.