7 things that surprised me about Riyadh (Saudi Arabia travel in 2025)

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025

ความคิดเห็น • 69

  • @M4a2aamM4a2aam
    @M4a2aamM4a2aam 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +22

    نحن لا نتعامل مع الأشخاص حسب
    عرقهم ولونهم.
    بل نتعامل معهم حسب احترامهم
    وانضباطهم لقوانينا واحترام ثقافتنا.
    نحترم المحترم أيًا كان لونه وعرقه
    وخلفيته الثقافية.

  • @roy3736
    @roy3736 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +9

    I’m Saudi, and I sleep for 8 hours, but not continuously. I wake up at 6 AM and return from work at 1 PM. Then, I take a long nap until 4 PM because it’s hot in Saudi Arabia. After that, I go out, and I sleep again at 1 AM after midnight.

  • @Zwzar9
    @Zwzar9 วันที่ผ่านมา +5

    As a Saudi I can tell you that a person would usually sleep at 11pm to 6:30 am in a school day and in weekends w sleep at 1 or 2 am but we wake up at 8 or 11 am

  • @lullahutube
    @lullahutube 2 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    You just presented the importance of archeology as a science , very observant and keen insights

  • @aziz9610
    @aziz9610 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    I'm Saudi, and I think that with all the caffeine I've consumed throughout my life, it doesn't affect me anymore I can drink coffee at night and then I go straight to bed, and I have pretty good sleep for around 7-8 hours . Thank you for those two amazing videos Marshall!! As a Saudi, I really appreciate it!

  • @TheBardsCorner
    @TheBardsCorner วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Dear Marshall,
    thank you so much for this video (and the one on Riyadh metro). I particularly appreciated your honest and unbiased approach, definitely something rare nowadays!
    I'm from Italy and, in 2023-24, I worked as music engraver (the responsible for preparing score and parts for orchestra and singers) for the first grand opera of KSA, Zarqa Al-Yamama, composed by Lee Bradshaw (Australia), and premiered in Riyadh on April 25th, 2024, in the King Fahd Cultural Centre, with a top-level cast (Dame Sarah Connolly, UK, in the title role). This was part of the Vision 2030 initiative and the opera told the pre-Islamic story of the blue-eyed prophetess Zarqa. So, a pre-Islamic story with a woman as protagonist! Quite an opening, I would say.
    In the seven days we spent there leading to the premiere, we were blown away but how clean the whole city was, how kind and open everyone behaved towards us-a lonely young man even airdropped me the location of a market where to buy a thobe! It was an eye-opening, unforgettable experience, and we relived all those emotions again through your videos, so ... thank you!
    On a darker note, I tried to bring the news of this opera to my country, Italy, with three blog posts in English and Italian on the history, the staging, the music, but I received only silence or clear opposition from my countrymen. Hopefully, this will change!
    Please keep going with these videos!
    Thank you, and all the best!

    • @ghaidad5998
      @ghaidad5998 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      What an amazing experience you had! It’s truly disheartening how negative the sentiment is towards saudi. As a Saudi woman I couldn’t be more happier to have been born here but media can be very corrupt and biased

  • @n.a.a
    @n.a.a วันที่ผ่านมา +6

    5:10 in the summer months we have regulations for working in the sunlight, it's forbidden from approximately 10:30am to 3:30 pm (depends on the province and it's weather)

    • @ghaidad5998
      @ghaidad5998 วันที่ผ่านมา

      And then they say ‘saudi is abusing cheap labor’ when literally you’ll see people stopping cleaners and workers if you see them working under the hot sun, give them money and water and ask them to take a rest!

  • @symtrial
    @symtrial 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +15

    Great video!
    at 8:25 , The Ottoman presence in Arabia was not a direct occupation in the traditional sense but was based on alliances and loyalties with local powers against Al Saud, such as the Sharif of Hejaz and Al Rashid in Najd. The Ottomans didn’t conquer Arabia (KSA today) because conquering a country means full control and direct rule, which they never established. After the fall of the first Saudi State in 1819, they relied on local allies rather than maintaining a permanent military presence. The Saudis fought back and re-established their rule in 1824, forming the Second Saudi State. Its eventual fall in 1891 was due to internal conflicts, not an Ottoman invasion. This proves that the Ottomans never fully occupied Arabia but rather influenced it through regional alliances. However, they did have full control over the two holy mosques under the rule of the Sharif of Hejaz as an alliance, with a promise to hand him the whole of Arabia (which didn't happen), The locals were against any foreign interference because they sought self determination.

    • @marshallschurtz
      @marshallschurtz  2 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      Great explanation! You will definitely like when I post more archaeological videos 😄 I did a whole section in my dissertation about ottoman emirates in the 19th century, it’s interesting stuff

    • @dr.dolittle4606
      @dr.dolittle4606 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Then how can you explain the slaughter of many Saudis ancestors in Deriyah by the Ottomans, and what is known as "Safarbarlik" which happened all over the Arabian peninsula, Egypt, and Al Sham by the Ottomans, and their conquering of many southern parts of the Arabian peninsula?!
      This is a history and well-documented events that happened to actual people, grandfathers that lived it and passed it down.
      Maybe it's not emphasized today due to the Kingdom rulers turning a page and having good relations with Turkey, but it's known by the Arabs in many of the countries and in Saudi Arabia, but twisting the facts about historical events does not make them facts or true!

    • @symtrial
      @symtrial วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@dr.dolittle4606
      well, you just answered your own question. "Then how can you explain the slaughter of many Saudis ancestors in Deriyah by the Ottomans, and what is known as "Safarbarlik" which happened all over the Arabian peninsula, Egypt, and Al Sham by the Ottomans" < where did I say they didn't fight each other in Saudi? also, I didn't say they didn't conquer Yemen. I think you missed my point.

    • @dr.dolittle4606
      @dr.dolittle4606 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@symtrial I did not mention Yemen when referring to the south of the Arabian peninsula, this is first, second, my question was for you, for you said they did not occupy, when they actually did, maybe you were referring to the whole of Arabia, but this is not what you stated, since they actually did and their armies settled in parts until they completed the displacement of many people from those parts, where they managed to kidnap many and transfer to Istanbul......etc.
      If you want to twist my words, that's fine..

    • @HayatTeeh
      @HayatTeeh 23 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      و ماذا عن احتلال عسير من ١٨٦٩ إلى نهاية الحرب العالمية الأولى و ما انسحبوا الا في بداية ١٩١٩ يعني تقريبا نصف قرن من احتلال صريح و مباشر و كان هناك متصرفية عثمانية في أبها و الحاكم يسمى المتصرف العثماني

  • @ghaidad5998
    @ghaidad5998 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    As a saudi, this is the best review i’ve seen on saudi. I don’t understand why you needed to explain yourself in the beginning (almost apologetic about have a positive experience) but hey I live in nyc and I totally understand how misinformed people here about saudi hence needing to apologize. It’s truly an amazing country to live in!

  • @Shenepoy
    @Shenepoy 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +11

    1:12 it's amaze me how many people are only thinking of drinking, like there's life away from drinking

    • @marshallschurtz
      @marshallschurtz  2 วันที่ผ่านมา

      It is interesting - when I don’t drink the US I feel like there are things I miss out on. But in a country that doesn’t have alcohol, there’s so much to do

    • @الصقر-ز5ر
      @الصقر-ز5ر วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      الكحول سموم قاتله يشربها بعض الناس للهروب من عالمهم الى عالم غير موجود الحياه بدون كحول هي الافضل حياة جميله بعقل متزن

  • @Yasser.R
    @Yasser.R 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Lately, my sleep has been quite limited. My daily routine is exhausting-I spend 9 hours at work, endure 2 to 4 hours commuting through traffic, and dedicate about 2.5 hours to the gym. That leaves me with roughly 4 hours of personal time before I finally get to sleep for just 5 to 7 hours.
    I tried adjusting my schedule by cutting down on my personal time and sleeping earlier. Physically, it worked-I slept better and felt more energetic throughout the day. But mentally, it was brutal. I fell into a deep sense of emptiness, like my life had been reduced to nothing but work, commuting, and obligations. I had no time to breathe, no space to feel like myself. It felt like I was just existing, not living. The routine became suffocating, and the lack of personal time drained me more than the lack of sleep ever did.

  • @a19890503
    @a19890503 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    The fact you have to explain yourself that you have a positive experience 😂

  • @MamduhAlotaibi
    @MamduhAlotaibi 12 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    I am Saudi and i sleep 4-7 hours a day. i believe it is because i consume lots of caffeine ( once at the morning, twice at afternoon and sunset and sometimes at night. almost all the time with family and relatives)

  • @fmm876
    @fmm876 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Well put, enjoyed both videos. Thanks

  • @alansariammar
    @alansariammar วันที่ผ่านมา

    Your observations and conclusions are spot on. What I always say is you are welcome in Saudi and we extend our hands to you & your family however be respectful and be assured that you will do it the Saudi way and not any other way because we are proud people :)

  • @D7EEEMA
    @D7EEEMA 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +6

    I’m glad you noticed our pride in our culture and we are honestly trying to establish our identity away from the extremism that we found out most of us don’t actually agree with. Think of it as going along with it because we thought those around us want it.

  • @tofa221122
    @tofa221122 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +14

    As a Saudi working mom I make sure that my kids get enough sleep but for me I think I sleep only 5h a day

    • @marshallschurtz
      @marshallschurtz  2 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Glad that the kids get enough sleep! When they’re young, sleep is so important

    • @Anonymous-cs3yf
      @Anonymous-cs3yf วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      ٥ ساعات مره قليل انتبهي لنفسك

  • @euclid4703
    @euclid4703 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +6

    the bit at the start of the video where u said that it’s based on ur experiences as a straight white man would exactly be the same no matter whether ur any ethnicity/skin color, man or woman or even if ur queer, as long as ur a kind person who adheres to the public decency laws and ur respectful there’s no reason why u won’t be treated as such

  • @dammamboy2002
    @dammamboy2002 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Welcome to my Country , Saudi Arabia

  • @Croco_G
    @Croco_G 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    3:53 That’s actually mostly an exception for Riyadh, when I go to Jeddah(the second biggest city) I always get out at midnight expecting stores to be open but almost everyone closes.
    I always found it interesting honestly

  • @MrRakanMan
    @MrRakanMan วันที่ผ่านมา

    i am saudi and we tend to go till the morning on weekends (3-5 am usually) and i think that come from our avoidance of going out when the sun is up especially during the summer, but its also a cultural thing where you might find coworkers that have not slept since the pervious day

  • @HughGaines
    @HughGaines 14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Go Birds!! 🦅

  • @hmoood-xq7lu
    @hmoood-xq7lu 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    so many saudi arabia videos is this new dubai

  • @D7EEEMA
    @D7EEEMA 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Definitely would love to show you around and help you dive deeper into our culture. I was at Mdlbst as well

  • @ragad6780
    @ragad6780 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    نحن في الحقيقه لاننام كثيرا لكي نجتمع مع عائلتنا واصدقائنا ونذهب لنزهة
    عندما كنت عاطله كنت انام الفجر واستيقظ العصر وبعدها ابدأ يومي ويومي يذهب كله مع الأصدقاء و الاهل
    ولاكن انا الان ادرس بي الجامعة واستمتع فقط ب الإجازة القصيرة
    و الكحول خطيرة جدا على العقل ويبدأ الانسان اهمال مثلاً الدراسه ويصبح متقلب المزاج ولا يهتم بنفسه ويهمل صحته و عند شرب الكحول لانسان لايدرك مذا يفعل ويمكن ان يفعل شي غير قانوني وينتهي بسجنه او يأذي الأشخاص الذين حولينه مثل الاهل و الأصدقاء لذالك هوا حرام بدين الاسلامي وممنوع ب المملكة العربية السعودية
    و شكرا لك على زيارة السعودية ❤

  • @Shenepoy
    @Shenepoy 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    3:54 true my sleep throughout this year is less than 6h

  • @narimanalnsiri1779
    @narimanalnsiri1779 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Hot summer with long days, if i sleep and miss the night i wont leave my house😅
    Then I get 3 months- give or take- of winter, not enough time to adjust sleep habits. So 5 to 6 hours of sleep is all i can afford 🤷🏻‍♀️

  • @TheGhostbuster1989
    @TheGhostbuster1989 17 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    If you think we don't sleep now, just wait until Ramadan 😂 where we'll sleep the whole day until sunset then stay awake until sunrise.

  • @الشيبة-خ2ب
    @الشيبة-خ2ب 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    واحد من أكثر الفيديوهات عمقا في تناول الظاهر السعودية، بصرف النظر عن الاتفاق أو الاختلاف مع بعض أجزائه، ولكني سعيد بهذا "التمحيص" عند تناول الظاهرة التي تبدو في المجمل إيجابية، أنا رجل في الخامسة والستين، وأعتقد أنني كنت واعيا لمراحل تطور البلاد خلال العقود المنصرمة، ويهمني أن أوضّح أنني كنت أتوقع هذا التحول طيلة هذه السنين، بل ويمكنني الادعاء أنني كنت أتوقع الآلية التي سيتم بها هذا التحول، أي أنه تحول من القمة، وليس ثورة من القاع، وأسبابي في هذا كثيرة ليس أقلّها أن نظام الحكم، من نسيج المجتمع، وليسوا طبقة من الخارج أو منفصلين عن الداخل ويسعون إلى "ترقيع" هذا النسيج... أشكرك كثيرا، وأتمنى أن أشاهد لك أجزاء أخرى تتناول فيها نفس الموضوع بعد توسيع منظور الزيارات، تعرف عندما يتقدم المرء في العمر فإنه يميل إلى ادعاء الحكمة، ومحاولة تأطير تفاصيل الحياة في تابلوهات صغيرة، أو وضع المعارف والأفكار في كبسولات تشبه المضاد الحيوي للمرضى😊

  • @khaloood199
    @khaloood199 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Any time you want alcohol you can visit Bahrain for 2 hours if you looking for alcohol not a big deal

  • @ViserysTheFirst
    @ViserysTheFirst 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I'm Saudi and caffeine does not affect me at all, it's like drinking water. I think the reason is that I was a coffee addict a few years ago, talking about 200g of coffee beans every two weeks. *All types of coffee at any time do not affect me.*

  • @abdullaha9786
    @abdullaha9786 21 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Thank you for this video. I would like to invite everyone who sees this comment to visit Saudi Arabia and enjoy our culture and people. PS we have delicious food 😊

  • @x7mdNet
    @x7mdNet 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    I'm a Saudi and I don't have enough sleep... 04:55

  • @RS-dw2ql
    @RS-dw2ql 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    Well i just had my second cup of coffee at 9 pm after my saudi coffee that i had at 6 pm. I sleep at 5Am

    • @marshallschurtz
      @marshallschurtz  2 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Is that a habit you got into because of hot summers?

    • @AfterDarkV
      @AfterDarkV 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@marshallschurtz I think it might be genetic, I have no explanation for it.. Or maybe we do have a caffeine addiction now that I think about it

    • @feb2024tugu-bi5st
      @feb2024tugu-bi5st 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

      When i was in saudi as pilgrims i saw local kids, families having fun at parks around 3am
      Thats crazy😂

    • @joody7943
      @joody7943 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@marshallschurtz it’s increased after 2017, and we Saudi people love to live, we always excited and want to do things, also part of the reasons is that we hate the sun and the heat 😅

  • @alzahraaalkhamis5336
    @alzahraaalkhamis5336 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

    Riyadh is 100% a night city

  • @ragad6780
    @ragad6780 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    وأيضا لاتوجد عنصريه ب السعوديه ان كنت ابيض او اسود لو تلاحظ ان السعودين لون جلدهم اسمر مابين الابيض و الاسود

  • @ItsYara11
    @ItsYara11 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I think we have immunity against coffee because even if I drink it i go to sleep right after. It doesn’t affect us anymore 😂

  • @Abonida
    @Abonida 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Saudi here and I barely sleep xD

  • @saadmahimi7537
    @saadmahimi7537 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

    Its pretty common to be outside till 12am in this region.
    We dont have fear of being stabbed like in london or being robbed again like in american cities or london or munich.
    It's safe . And womens are treated like queens , exempted from lines and given space in metro or bus and so much respect(ofc some men can be weird and creepy but only some.)

  • @vand1537
    @vand1537 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    I'm Saudi and I have enough sleep... 04:55

  • @halahmcmviii
    @halahmcmviii 23 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    when they talk about alcohol so much you know it takes a big part of their lives and its actually sickening and a red flag. they love it so much it controls where they choose to live. Alhamdulellah always and forever

  • @KDx-ym5jz
    @KDx-ym5jz วันที่ผ่านมา

    we dont look at gender or races bro just be respectful we will respect you

  • @faisl6125
    @faisl6125 5 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Mr marshall thank you for this video about Saudi Arabia but you should have known that diriyah is not an archaeological institution its a historical institution and iam saying that not as just saudi iam saying that because iam a Saudi and an archeologist my self and if you came back to Saudi Arabia anther time contact me and you will see somethings that are unusual to the normal tourist

  • @Croco_G
    @Croco_G 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    2:17 8-9 years*

  • @INol
    @INol วันที่ผ่านมา

    It is a good city but still hard to live in no good jobs high prices and traffic take most of your time

    • @FMG908
      @FMG908 วันที่ผ่านมา

      What Do you mean there is no good jobs are you talking about Riyadh or Haiti?

    • @INol
      @INol วันที่ผ่านมา

      @ cringe bot

  • @mz6367
    @mz6367 วันที่ผ่านมา

    please just get out

  • @KhalidKsa
    @KhalidKsa วันที่ผ่านมา

    I am saudi
    I have never slept more than 6 hours

  • @Croco_G
    @Croco_G 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    3:53 That’s actually mostly an exception for Riyadh, when I go to Jeddah(the second biggest city) I always get out at midnight expecting stores to be open but almost everyone closes.
    I always found it interesting honestly

    • @marshallschurtz
      @marshallschurtz  2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      That is interesting! That’s why I wanted to make sure I was just describing Riyadh. I want to go back and visit more of the country!