Category: Saudi-Arabia

Maya La Chocolaterie- Chocolate Lovers Heaven!

“Forget love, I’d rather fall in chocolate!” Can you imagine a restaurant where you can not only eat and drink chocolate, but smell its fragrant aromas, experience the different textures, feel its silky softness, taste exotic and surprising chocolate flavors and be surrounded byRead more

A Male Perspective On Marriage, Tribes And Love In Saudi-Arabia

We hardly ever hear the candid voices of Saudi men in regards to relationships, marriage and thoughts of living in a tribal society. The following post is written by an anonymous Saudi man. He could be anyone, his thoughts and feelings are probably shared by many others out there. I came acrossRead more

Best Of Blue Abaya 2012

Happy New Year 2013 to Blue Abaya readers! 2012 was a great year for Blue Abaya and I want to thank all my readers for the continuous support and positive feedback. I could not have done without you! There are moments when I feel exhausted and discouraged but your comments and encouragement toRead more

Oh Christmas Tree? Oh-Uh Black Market Christmas Tree!

Christmas decorations such as trees, ornaments and other holiday season decorations are pretty much non-existent in public during the holiday season in Saudi Arabia. Christmas is viewed as strictly a Christian religious holiday and all items that celebrate it are supposed to be forbidden here.Read more

Blog Fan Mail: Hall Of Fame

The Blue Abaya blog recently won gold at the Expats Blog Awards 2012! Woohoo!! I am so thrilled! A huge big shout out and thank you for each and every one of you who voted. I want to take the chance to thank all the readers and fans out there for all the amazing support and positive feedbackRead more

The Curious Case of Samsung Godfathers And Washing Machine Eating Mice of Saudi Arabia

You’ve probably heard about the crappy customer service in Saudi-Arabia before. Disservice, un-service, no service, customernoservice..WHAT service? To give you a better idea of how things work (or don’t work) in the Magic Kingdom, read this experience with SAMSUNG Saudi Arabia customerRead more

Il Terrazzo-Brazilian Breezes In Riyadh

Il Terrazzo is a lovely outdoor buffet restaurant in the very heart of Riyadh. This Brazilian barbecue restaurant is situated on a large terrace overlooking the fountains and courtyard of Rosewood hotel Al Faisaliyah.  You can dine under the stars while enjoying a fantastic view of the Globe on topRead more

My Interview with InterNations Expat Community

In case you haven’t heard of them, InterNations Expat Community is a very useful site aimed at expatriates residing in Saudi Arabia (or anywhere in the world). InterNations offers a platform to share information, network, meet other expatriates and find interesting places and things to do.Read more

The Return Of The Saudi Post Chocolate Monster

There is no wrath like the one of a pregnant Finnish woman whose long awaited Finnish mega chocolate bar has been stolen by the Saudi postal guy. AGAIN. Don’t attempt to steal chocolate from a pregnant woman. Ever. So my long awaited package from the online Finnish food store calledRead more

Saudi Salary Racism- What is the Color of Your Passport?

You might have heard how employees in Saudi Arabian workplaces get different pay for the exact same job based on their passport alone. Western passport holders might earn ten times more than their just as qualified Asian country passport holder colleagues for the same amount of work. How does thisRead more

Blue Abaya Interviewed- What is Life in Saudi Arabia Really Like?

I did some interviews for a couple of magazines which focus on what life in Saudi Arabia is like from my personal point of view, as a Finnish expatriate nurse. I think these interviews will be beneficial in answering questions of readers who are new to Saudi Arabia and/or new to Blue Abaya blog.Read more

15 Things to Do in Riyadh in the Summer

Many expats and locals find themselves “stuck” in Saudi for the summer with nothing to do, fearing death caused by boredom. Not everyone is lucky enough to escape the Saudi heat. With the schools now closed, children and youth get very bored! This causes frustration in parents, what toRead more