Over the weekend our team had the opportunity to experience a very different side of Saudi Arabia. As a result of last week’s workshop, we were able to meet some fantastic women from the Jeddah community. One of these women, who also happens to work at Dar Al-Hekma, was kind enough to invite us to her beach resort compound north of the city. As we drove up the coast (or more technically as our cheerful and chatty Egyptian driver drove us up the coast), we began to see a series of buildings, each with very high walls and secure doors (like the one below).
When we arrived at Fal Beach Resort and began to explore the grounds, I finally understood why all of the buildings were surrounded by high walls. Inside, men and women were able to mix and women did not have to wear abayas. There were children swimming, women reading books, men playing cards, and music playing. It was just like a beach resort that you might find in another part of the world. From what I have gathered, these compounds are only open to non-Saudis and allow them to live a lifestyle that is more familiar to what they are used to back home, wherever that may be. There seems to be an abundance of these compounds throughout Saudi Arabia.
For us non-Saudi ladies who had been wearing abayas for the past two weeks, it was quite a nice change. My skin thanked me for being able to see the sun! Here are some pictures of us and the grounds. As part of the compound, there are apartment style rooms, pool and beach facilities, and a poolside cafe.
We had a lovely and leisurely day swimming, tanning, reading, eating, and playing Taboo. I was also finally able to complete the “trifecta” of my favorite things in Saudi Arabia. They are 1) the fresh juice, 2) the shisha, and 3) the beach resort compound. Here’s me and Eve partaking in all three activities at the same time! We were in heaven.
All in all, it was a fabulous day and one of the highlights of our trip! We are so grateful to Dania and Hadeel for making this happen!
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