Category: Saudi-Arabia

What is a Wasta?

If you live in Saudi Arabia chances are you’ve heard the word ‘wasta’ mentioned before. A wasta is a widely used term for a well connected individual in the Arab world. It refers to using one’s influence or connections to getting things done, cutting through bureaucratic red tape,Read more

An Expat’s Guide to Riyadh

Excited to announce Blue Abaya’s recent interview and collaboration with Riyadh’s Radisson Blu Hotel!  The following is my interview with Radisson Blu hotel in Riyadh which contains some sightseeing & activity tips for newcomers and business travellers to Saudi Arabia’sRead more

How I Met My Saudi Prince

The following is my personal love story from the ‘Magic Kingdom’ of Saudi Arabia. How I met my Saudi Prince post was originally published 2012 on the 4th anniversary of the day I randomly met who I thought was (and is) the most handsome and charming man I ever laid eyes on. I had leftRead more

Complete Guide to Janadriyah Cultural Festival 2015

Your Complete Guide to Al Janadriyah Cultural Heritage Festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia brought to you by Blue Abaya. An Updated guide to visit the National festival of Heritage and culture can be found here: Janadriyah 2016 Festival Guide.  Find all you need to know about the Janadriya festivalRead more

185 Things to Do in KSA- The Ultimate Saudi Arabia Travel Guide

185 things to do in Saudi Arabia! All the best Saudi Arabia ‘Top Ten’ travel posts that have been published on Blue Abaya are now easily accessible at your fingertips all in one place. Find travel inspiration and things to do in Saudi Arabia from Riyadh and beyond. In this compilationRead more

Blog Love- Reader Testimonials

The Blue Abaya blog has reached over 3 MILLION views and it’s time to say a huge big heartfelt THANK YOU for all the readers and fans of Blue Abaya for the continuous support and encouragement since this blog started in 2010. To celebrate this milestone and share some love, we’veRead more

Life Changing Pumpkin-Nutella Cake

How can a pumpkin cake be life changing, you ask? Well have you met a person who never tried pumpkin cake before? Can you believe I lived on this planet for over 30 years without having experienced pumpkin cake, pumpkin bread or pumpkin cupcakes? This might come as a surprise to my American friendsRead more

5 Reasons an American Wants to Visit Saudi Arabia

It’s my pleasure to share with you a guest post written by an amazing lady I’ve been blessed to have “met” through blogging. Jenny Ballif has been a fan and follower of Blue Abaya blog for many years and two years years ago she contacted me with a very special request..Read more

Happy 84th Birthday Saudi Arabia! Time to Celebrate!

September 23rd 2014 marks the 84th year of the Unification of Saudi Arabia by King Abdul Aziz Al Saud. To check out the year’s 2015 National Day festivities, go to this post: Saudi National Day and Eid Al Adha 2015. Saudi Arabia is gearing up for the festivities and KSA’s biggest citiesRead more

Saudi Life Series Volume 1

Something new and exciting on Blue Abaya.. I decided to start a series of posts, kind of like a photo challenge of day to day life in Riyadh after some readers have been asking me to share more family photos and to show what the everyday life is like in Saudi Arabia.. . Many of you have beenRead more

Takalamy. A Conversation with Young Saudi Females

While a part of the Saudi society is sometimes seen as moving backwards in time, there is another part, less known, which is going in the opposite direction. The western media will rarely show us this side. I recently learned about the Takalamy initiative. I would describe the Takalamy initiativeRead more

Guide to Riyadh’s National Museum

The National Museum, which is part of the King Abdul Aziz Historical center in Riyadh, is one of the largest in the Middle East and undoubtedly the most famous and most visited museum in Saudi Arabia. An impressive collection of artifacts, scriptures and antiquities are inside this two storyRead more