COLORS OF SAUDI

ORANGES IN THE DESERT

DELICIOUS DATES

COLORFUL SPICES

ART & TEXTILES

BEDOUIN ROOM WITH QATT WALL DESIGN

A big Thank You to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit him on Instagram - @NajranTours  and on FACEBOOK.

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DESERT X AL ULA 2020

RIGHT BEFORE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC GRIPPED THE WORLD, DESERT X AL ULA WOWED PATRONS AS AN INTERACTIVE ART EXHIBITION DURING THE WINTER AT TANTORA FESTIVAL IN EARLY 2020.  

SET AMIDST AL ULA'S UNUSUAL ANCIENT LANDSCAPE OF HUMONGOUS SANDSTONE ROCK FORMATIONS AND POWDERY BEIGE SANDS, THE ART INSTALLATIONS OF DESERT X WELCOMED VISITORS TO PLAY AND REVEL WITH ART AND NATURE.

A big Thank You to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit him on Instagram - @NajranTours  and on FACEBOOK.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXHIBIT AND THE ARTISTIC GENIUSES BEHIND THE CREATIONS, CLICK HERE.  

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LINKING TO - SKYWATCH

THANKFUL THURSDAY

 

FLORA IN SAUDI ARABIA

PURPLE JACARANDA TREES - SPRINGTIME IN ABHA

DESERT ALIVE WITH VIBRANT BLOOMS

A big Thank You to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit him on Instagram - @NajranTours  and on FACEBOOK.

LINKING TO - MOSAIC MONDAYS 

SOUVENIRS

ALL SEASONS

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FACES OF ARABIA 9

SHISHA NIGHT - PHOTO BY FRANTISEK STAUD

FLOWER MEN OF ABHA REGION

VENDOR IN TAIF

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PICTORIAL TUESDAY

SPECIAL THANKS FOR THE USE OF TODAY'S PHOTOS TO NAJRAN TOURS, KERRY MILLS, & FRANTISEK STAUD.

 

VARIED TERRAIN OF SAUDI ARABIA

DESERT - HOME TO THE CAMEL

MOUNTAINS & STREAMS IN THE SOUTH

FERTILE FARM OUTSIDE OF JEDDAH

LAGOONS ON THE RED SEA, WEST COAST OF KSA

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WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

 

SAUDI DESERT, SEA & SKY

CAMELS IN THE WILD

WHEN COMPLETED, THE TOWER IN THE DISTANCE IS SET TO BE THE WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDING, NORTH OF JEDDAH. CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN HALTED FOR A WHILE NOW

DISGUISED SAUDI CELL PHONE TOWER

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WEEKEND ROUNDUP - LETTER "Q"

STARTS WITH "Q" - "QUADRUPED" IS AN ANIMAL WITH 4 FEET

A FAVORITE - "QUILT" OF A SAUDI DOOR (SAW IT AT A BAZAAR)

"QUALITY" - SAUDI GOLD IS PRIZED FOR ITS HIGH QUALITY

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LINKING TO - THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP

FRIDAY BLISS

 

FACES OF ARABIA 4

A DESERT BEAUTY

MUSICIAN

VENDOR WITH A SMILE

LINKING TO - THROUGH MY LENS

TUESDAY'S TREASURES

A big thank you to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit his Instagram page  @NajranTours

https://www.instagram.com/najrantours/

https://www.facebook.com/najran.tours

Saudi Arabia Bedouin Living

A typical desert camp scene in Saudi Arabia - an open fire on the desert floor for barbecuing or making tea, resting on a magic carpet, and enjoying the weather, the clear skies, and the quiet of the end of the day.

Carved rock paintings can be found in many areas of the country of Saudi Arabia - some are thousands of years old.  

A traditional Bedouin style interior with the familiar red geometric carpeting, located in Shaqra Heritage Village.

Special thanks to Khaled Al-Sheraihi for allowing me to post today's lovely variety of photos from Saudi Arabia.  You can follow him on Instagram.

THIS POST LINKS TO - THE WEEKEND ROUNDUP 

Saudi Arabia Camels in the Desert

I think this is one of the most beautiful camel photos I've ever seen.  White camels are the rarest and they really stand out amidst the lavender colored wildflowers and the reddish soil.  

The silhouette camel photo below is also very special.  It was a matter of taking it at just the right time being in the right place.

Special thanks to Khaled Al-Sheraihi for allowing me to post today's lovely photos of the desert camels of Saudi Arabia.  You can follow him on Instagram.

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY 

THROUGH MY LENS 

Saudi Arabia Beauty of the Desert

Who knew the desert could be this beautiful?  Miles and miles of gentle sand dunes in shades of caramel, golden cream or even pale pink, swirling like a delicious hot cappuccino.

Special thanks to Khaled Al-Sheraihi for allowing me to post today's lovely photos of the desert sands of Saudi Arabia.  You can follow him on Instagram.

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OUR WORLD TUESDAY 

MY CORNER OF THE WORLD 

"Madas" Men's Sandal Shop in Al Balad

The distinctive looking Saudi man's sandals are called "madas." There are many shops that just sell this type of shoe only.  The design of the madas sandals are such that they cover a much larger percentage of the foot than most sandals, while still being open.  This design allows for more protection and support in this harsh climate and sandy desert terrain.

I love how the madas sandals are displayed and organized so neatly in the shops.  This madas shop in Al Balad maximizes a very small space to efficiently display a lot of product. The sandals come in a wide variety of colors, designs, materials, and embellishments.  You can see a wider variety of madas in these prior posts I made by clicking HERE - and HERE.

Our World: Saudi Arabia Watermelon Season

It's watermelon season here in Saudi Arabia.  On our recent weekend trip to Yanbu to attend the Flower Festival, we spied lots of watermelons for sale everywhere - in small town markets and many vendors in the desert along the highway.  The market above is in the town of Rabigh.

We bought a big sweet juicy watermelon from this distinguished looking vendor in Rabigh for 15 riyals.  Prices can be negotiable, which my husband is good at doing.

The above photo is of a watermelon field off the highway between Jeddah and Yanbu.  We saw many fields like this one.  The vendor tending to this field told us that he doesn't water the crops - he only relies on rainwater.  This was amazing to me, since there is not much rain in our area of Saudi Arabia, but apparently it is enough to grow big juicy watermelons.  The trash all around was disturbing...

This roadside vendor stacked his melons and sold them in sets of 2 or 3.  You can see that several are cut up and can be sampled before buying.  He looks pretty comfortable and relaxed on his red carpet.

The roadside vendors usually have drinking water and many of them have a fire for tea.  This guy also has a stool to sit on in case his feet go to sleep when he sits on the ground for too long, as mine do!

This desert vendor has his fire on the right and a nice tent where he can nap.  In the background to the left, you can see his field where he grows his melons.




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Saudi Arabia's Dromedary Camel

This camel was resting in the shade of a bush in the desert.  Yes, that's camel poop in the lower left corner of the top photo - pretty small for such a large animal, don't ya think?  That scar on the camel's hip is actually a branding mark indicating its owner.

Camels are well suited for desert survival.  Its long legs keep its body farther from the hot desert sand, keeping it cooler.  The soles of the camel's feet have a thick built in pad like the sole of a shoe which allows the camel to walk on the hot desert sand and rocks without feeling the heat at all.  Camel's eyes have lustrously long thick eyelashes which give protection from the sun and blowing sand.

Even the camel's nostrils and ears are designed to keep sand out while at the same time allowing for optimum function.  Its tough hide is covered with hair and tufts of hair in some places, providing protection from the hot sun and sandstorms.  And of course everyone knows that the dromedary camel's hump is made up of fat, which can be converted into energy for the animal when needed.  This unique capability allows the camel to survive in the desert for several days at a time without food or water.