Arrived last Friday to Riyadh in a business trip, we are participating in GITEX Riyadh 2007, for everyone the Saudi market is the most important market especially for the online business, but for me the best part of this trip is that I’m staying with my family for 2 weeks, I missed my nephews so much.
Last time I went to Saudi Arabia was like 12 years ago, I was a kid that time and since then I refused to go there again until the call of duty, I used to have a very negative image on Saudi; so very freaking hot, 3/4 of the internet is blocked, lots of restrictions and bounders, and a complicated life style.
I guess this trip might change my opinion about the country, from what I saw its not that bad to live in Saudi Arabia as long as you are living in a compound, its a very secured area contains villas and foreigners only are allowed to live there, few meters away from my brothers house there is a swimming pool, tennis fields and a basketball arena.
I was surprised when I was able to access flickr and YouTube, as far as I know such websites are blocked in Saudi Arabia, as for flickr it’s not working 100% photos sometimes doesn’t appear but at the end of the day you can work on it. When I asked my brother he said I thought they are blocked, strange.
When you are in a compound you don’t feel like you are in a country that forces lots of restrictions specially on females, the only thing you see is black dressed women, but inside the compound girls wearing shorts playing tennis, riding bikes and having fun, and swimming with bikinis, its a totally different world.
Marketing Saudi Arabia will begin now, my family who tried hard to convince me to work and live in Saudi will do the best they can to make the country look so beautiful and suitable to live in, but who knows they might succeed this time.
