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Riyad — Desert Or Metropolis?

Changing faces of the city over the last 40 years — Episode 6

Back in the days of the mid-70s, as a child, I remember Riyad (capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) as a dusty old town when I lived there for two years. These are the few glimpses that I can recall…

The era of the 1970s

It was the time around the oil boom of the petrodollar. Things were in a pretty rustic form. All we could see were a few international shopping brands and heavy-duty American cars. The rest was all in its infancy.

Business, education, real estate, and so on were all very basic. But as the big chunks of money were coming into the country and things were progressing rapidly.

The era of the 1980s and beyond

A decade later, I again went to the Saudi capital. This time, only for a few days. But the difference was that of a day and night. I saw lights everywhere. There were bridges, shopping centers, fast-food chains, and more than anything else, foreigners everywhere! So, things were transforming pretty fast, and that too for the good. I left Riyadh with a smiling face. The country was on a path of development that made me thrilled and I was hopeful for its better future more than ever before.

Into the new millennium

The Middle East became the center for liquid gold and Saudi Arabia, with the most oil reserves and overall stable political/economic conditions in the region, became prosperous and powerful. The rest is all history in passing. Now the country is doing things that the world has never seen before.

Women are now driving, beaches are open for families, visa regulations are being relaxed, and travel is being promoted. There is even a 2030 vision of the kingdom making Saudi Arabia ready for the unseen challenges of modern times. Hope it passes the test without jeopardizing its morals.

Teaser: Tomorrow’s featured city is Toulouse

Tip of the day

Add a kicker above the Title of the story. This is the same concept as that of a hashtag. This may be something new and interesting, especially for the new writers on Medium.

I hope you enjoyed today’s episode. See you tomorrow!