Riyadh Local Customs

First of all, seek around the VT site as other members have much more complete pages. My personal favourite are kalaika and hjohnso4.
So how's life in the kingdom? it generally follows a different rhythm than in Europe (not sure about other parts of the world since I haven't spent too much time in there).

We Italians tend to share with the saudis a firefighting way of doing business and a starkly opposite, laid-back attitude towards things outside work. We also value family a lot, like the Saudis. Finally, we appreciate (and have!) very good food, like the Saudis.

What's different? sex segregation, absence of nightlife (see my tip) and lack of social contacts are the main differences that I spotted. However, you easily get used to the social life in there, and the impact is a lot less painful than you would think.

I'll add more as I learn - I'd love to hear your comments!

Arabs are not shy in building new and questionably styled buildings right next to their (very few) monuments. This example shows a bank building (probably from the 1970s) standing right next one of the few pieces of the old wall that are still left standing (the rest was destroyed to make space for new buildings).

This is my second tip, and I would be more going to give an ideas about how the life style in my country for people coming here, or for who is interested about knowing how things going on.
Saudi Arabia known as Muslim country, and not like other countries, which are, known just with name as a Muslim but the reality is different. For Muslims there are 5 prayer times where every one (Muslim of course) stop what they are doing and goes to mosque to pray, therefore for non Muslims they should consider these 5 prayer times because the activities are hold for around 20 to 25 min till the pray finishes, for example you might go to a restaurant or a barber shop a few min before the pray time and you’ll get apologize that they can’t serve you or offer their services during this time because they have to close for the pray, this is something you should expect when you come here and always keep it on your consideration. But of course non of the emergency service stop like the hospitals, police, firemen ..etc
Prayer times: it’s not fixed but variable with the seasons, but mainly I can say First, very early in the morning. Second, midday. Third, middle of afternoon. Fourth, sunset. Fifth, two hours after sunset.
Recommend to use site www.islamicity.com/PrayerTimes/ which shows the prayer times during the day for the whole year, and you may check it before going out to avoid waiting for long time.
Hope this tip will be helpful for who is coming here for the first time.

is to touch nose of your guest by your nose two or three times. This represents the highness and proud dignity. If you want to insult someone, just show pity for their nose.
This greeting can be seen on TV when the princes receive their guests, and among ministers.

For those who have never been before in Saudi Arabia, maybe the different noticeable thing that you’ll not find women driving, some consider this as a lack of freedom to see this while for the Saudi themselves is not, at least for the majority.
From the other hand, maybe Saudi Arabia is the country number one from families having private drivers, and for those who doesn’t know about KSA, that the average of the families here normally not less than 5 sons and daughters and mostly more than this, therefore a private driver would be good idea to be in the service of the house’s ladies at any time they want to go wherever they desire.
Accidents is a big issue here, mostly because young guys who driving in early age without realizing the risk that they can bring for themselves or for the others, the finical losses or been hold in a police station is not an issue here because every body driving in Saudi Arabia “must” have insurance cover, this by law But always the worryness should be on what’s more important ..the people’s life.
So enjoy driving the big clean roads in Saudi Arabia, but always pay attention around you, as everywhere you should do.

Since one to two years fashion-oriented girls and women cover their head as follows:

Their use a face-cover with two sheets of different lenghts and bigger wholes for the eyes.
Once they had fixed this face-veil around their head they take the remaining end of their headveil laying it over their upper-head again.

Oh, some of them look extremely beautiful in it.
Imagine they have the right eye-make up, wearing expensive italian Designer bags suitable to their first class black Abayas, expensive italian designer shoes, moving their slim and tall figurein the right way
and
you forget all Naomi Campbells and Claudia Schiffers around the world.

This consists of two pieces, the external called 'degla' which is fancier than the inside one, which is called 'thobe'.
It's a fasion today for a groom's dress.
It's usually costy; SR500-5000.
You can see men dancers who hold the Saudi flags, dressing degla. When they lift up their arms for the flag, their sleeves lift down long--sign of pride and honor.

This dress is for old women. They're viewed as the head of all house ladies. Usually this dress is very clear and transparent, so a woman should dress another clothes under it.
It's commonly seen in Saudi Folklore and Dance shows.