Learning How to Shop Saudi-style

The malls in Saudi Arabia are incredible – and gigantic.  I’ve only been to the ones in Jeddah, but I’ve been told the ones in Riydah are just as fantastic.  

They are multi-leveled and have interesting things in them like a full-scale amusement park, a snow village where it actually snows fake snow, tropical lagoons, go-cart tracks and more.  The only thing they don’t have are movie theaters as those aren’t allowed here.  

And then you have the shops.  One of my friends asked if they have any shops they would know. The answer is "yes." They have them ALL.   There’s Sephora, Guess, Bebe, Boots,  Juicy Couture, Zara, Applebee’s, Burger King, Baskin Robbins and more.   They also have a few local shops, a bunch of designer shops and some British shops.  You name it; they have it…or they will have it soon.  I saw a sign for a Tim Horton’s coming soon at The Mall of Arabia.

So why so are the malls so amazing?  I think it’s because it’s hot here and the malls are air conditioned so people go there as a family and hang out.  And I mean they really hang out because they stay for hours.

The website says the malls are open from 10 a.m. until midnight, but with the prayer times, many of the actual shops close in the afternoon and reopen in the evening.  Then they are packed from 6:30 p.m. to closing. When I say packed, I’m talking Black Friday shopping packed. 

But while the shops are the same, the way you shop is different.

My first time in the mall, I picked out a bunch of clothes and wanted to try them on. Apparently you don’t do that as very few of the shops have change rooms. Surprise!

 At first I thought Saudi women simply guessed their size, then tried them on at home and brought back the ones they didn’t like.    

This wasn’t going to work for me.

First of all, I don’t enjoy shopping with crowds of people. Secondly, going to the mall is big endeavor as I take the bus from KAUST from 5 p.m. It takes an hour to get to the mall and then it only picks me up again at 11 p.m.  That’s a long time in a mall for someone who likes to get in and be done in 30 minutes.  And thirdly, I didn’t understand the return policies and some of the shops only give you 2 days to do exchanges. 

Not knowing how it’s done, I didn’t buy anything my first time to the mall. Instead I vowed to never go again and just buy everything online. Yes, that sounds drastic. But keep in mind, I just wasted 5 hours in a mall.  

It turns out there my drastic measures won't be necessary.  There is a secret to shopping in Saudi that nobody told me.  

Yes, you have to buy the clothes without trying them on in the shops.  But there is a place to try them on.  It’s in the restroom! 

I was wondering why the restroom was so big with these bare stalls on one side.  I thought they were for private praying or something (really, I knew nothing).  Nope, they are where you try on your clothes. 

So in summary…you buy the clothes, try them on in the restroom, and then return the ones you don’t like.  

PS  I haven’t bought shoes, so I don’t know how that works yet.