Never Stop Dreaming

I want to share with you dear Blue Abaya reader an incredible story of courage and inspiration. A while ago a young Saudi woman, with whom I had exchanged emails with a few years ago, contacted me again with some really great news. I had never forgotten about her and the dilemma she was facing inRead more

10 Amazingly Cool Things from Lapland

This winter we were lucky to be able to spend quality time with family vacationing in Northern Finland. We flew all the way up to the Arctic Circle! It’s holiday season so we went to Lapland to enjoy the christmas holiday break in a winter wonderland white scenery. Lapland is truly aRead more

Red Sands Flower Fields

Last weekend we were driving around a village West of Riyadh looking for a plot of land we wanted to check out. Because of the beautiful sand dunes nearby and lovely weather, we decided to explore the area further. Following a small road past some majestic rock formations we proceeded on to a dirtRead more

Sinta, The Indonesian Prisoner-Housemaid Part Two: Escape Plans

The story of Sinta, a remarkably strong and kind woman that had become a prisoner confined in a small hospital room somewhere in Saudi Arabia continues. For part one click here. Sinta’s story ends in the final part which can be read here.  As time went by Sinta came to terms with her newRead more

Bring the ‘Magic Kingdom’ into your home!

Dear Blue Abaya readers, As you may have noticed Blue Abaya has a whole new look going on for 2014! After some setbacks the new design is now finally (almost) finished. I ended up designing and building the whole website myself. More on that later! One of the new developments has been setting up aRead more

Camel Milk- An Elixir from the Desert

Camel milk is truly an elixir from the desert. The knowledge of the healing powers and nutritious benefits of camel milk have been known to nomadic peoples from Mongolia to Africa for thousands of years. The Bedouin saying, “water is the soul, milk is the life” may prove to be true due to theRead more

The King’s Forest- Rawdat Khuraim

The weather in Saudi Arabia is amazing during the winter months and perfect for making day trips out to the surrounding desert. Rawdat Khuraim, also called the King’s Forest, is an easily accessible and pleasant ‘getaway’ from the hustle and bustle of Riyadh. It really is like aRead more

Children Are Treasures, Not Airbags or Bullets!

This is a long overdue re-post of a very important topic, the use of (or lack thereof) car seats and seat belts in the Kingdom! The roads of Saudi Arabia are notorious for fatal car accidents with more than 300,000 traffic accidents occurring every year. Traffic accidents account for more than 30Read more

Riyadh’s Top Ten Eats With Kids

Riyadh’s Top Ten Eats With Kids-this is my article which was first published in Destination Riyadh’s October 2013 issue. Here are some of the best places to eat out with your children in Riyadh! Including child-friendly restaurants, bakeries, ice cream parlors, Friday Brunches and more.Read more

Destination Riyadh National Day Quiz!

Destination Riyadh Magazine together with Blue Abaya are hosting a ‘Name That Place’-Quiz to celebrate Saudi Arabia’s National Day, 23rd of September! By recognizing the historically significant place pictured at the end of this post, you get a chance to win a Saudi-themed smartRead more

Twelve Reasons You Should Learn Arabic!

Are you a new expatriate arrival in the Saudi Kingdom? Already been in Saudi Arabia for years, but never thought you should learn Arabic? Read these 12 points why you should learn the local language and get motivated to start today! 12 reasons you should learn Arabic: Make new friends and connectRead more

Sinta, The Indonesian Prisoner-Housemaid, Part One

When I first met Sinta, an Indonesian housemaid turned into a prisoner of a hospital room, her entire being had an effect on me that I’ll never forget. Sinta’s sincerity was so genuine it made her appear almost child-like in her trust of others. The kindness of her heart shone throughRead more