JEDDAH SOUVENIR T-SHIRTS

I saw these souvenir t-shirts at Bawadi souk. There were other styles and colors, including several styles bearing graphics of the different sculptures of Jeddah.

 

SAUDI SOUVENIR - PLAYING CARDS

A favorite souvenir that I like to take back as gifts for people back home are these cool playing cards.  Even though they are made in India, they are unique in that the face cards are dressed in Middle Eastern garb.  Each suit is clothed differently. The back of the cards can be found in a variety of colorful designs and each set also comes in a plastic case which is inside the box.

KING IN ARAB HEADGEAR & QUEEN IN FACE VEIL

AREN'T THEY BEAUTIFUL?

For those of you in Jeddah who are interested, these playing cards can be found in many small shops around the city.  Ask for the NAP brand that says ARABIA on the box or just show the clerk this photo. I've seen them in red, blue, and gold.

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OUR WORLD TUESDAY

MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

SOUVENIRS

ALL SEASONS

PICTORIAL TUESDAY

FUN QATT ART MUGS

DIFFERENT QATT DESIGNS ON MUGS

INTRICATE AND COLORFUL QATT ART

QATT ART MUGS MAKE LOVELY SOUVENIRS

 

SAUDI ARABIA SLICES OF LIFE

Souvenirs - starts with S

 

Scene from the Souk - A favorite

Silver Trinkets from the Souk

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Saudi Arabia Souvenirs

Figurines replicating life in Saudi Arabia

Roshan - the wood latticed window coverings typical of this region

 LINKING TO - SOUVENIRS

Saudi Pride - on Souvenir Apparel

Products promoting Saudi pride are readily available for purchase in many shops here now.  It didn't used to be so easy to find products like these, but with tourism opening up here in Saudi Arabia, souvenirs like these have really taken off. 

Graphics of the smiling king, maps of the country and the Saudi flag, the familiar symbolic crossed swords and the palm tree, and the emerald green and white themed colors - all of these can be found on clothing pieces, scarves, coffee mugs, and trinkets.

What a huge change from when I first moved here in 2007 and it was practically impossible to find any kinds of souvenirs in this country.  Progress!

 LINKING TO -  OUR WORLD TUESDAY,  

SOUVENIRS,  TRAVEL TUESDAY,

MY CORNER OF THE WORLD  

Jeddah Market Souvenirs

More Miniatures and Figurine Souvenirs

Friendships, dance, traditional clothing, architecture - I wanted to show you more of the lovely variety of souvenirs now available in Saudi Arabia. 

Mosque minarets and roshan window coverings, artisans and children at play - these are all depicted in these well made handcrafted knick knacks available as gifts or reminders of one's time spent in the Magic Kingdom.

Personally I have a very difficult time deciding on what I want when there is such a great assortment to choose from! 

Of course there are also the usual refrigerator magnets, keychains, postcards, and coffee mugs available too.

Jeddah Souvenirs from Al Balad

Buying souvenirs used to be quite challenging here in Jeddah just a few short years ago.  Now souvenirs have become much easier to find.  Al Balad, the oldest part of Jeddah, has several shops where an assortment of souvenirs can be found.  There are now many colorful and well made figurines featuring typical clothing, activities, careers, and customs of Saudi residents. 

There are also miniatures offered which feature some of the beautiful architectural details of this region, especially the beautiful and unique window coverings here.

Not everyone here dresses the same, so it's nice to see the variety of different types of traditional clothing that many people can be seen wearing.  

I'm especially fond of the figurines which show many "slices of life" here in the kingdom, such as restaurant workers serving tea to friends leisurely sharing tea and conversation together. 

Here is the link to one of the souvenir shops in Al Balad, with a map to its exact location - 
Al Balad Souvenir Shop

Saudi Arabia - Yellow Souvenir

I have to admit, souvenir shopping in Saudi Arabia has gotten easier in the 11 years since I moved here.  It used to be practically impossible to find anything with Saudi Arabia written on it, or specific city souvenirs.  So it seems that true tourism commericialization has arrived in this country. 

City Daily Photo is an online community of photo bloggers that share images of life in their cities around the world.  The first of every month is Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers.  This month's theme is "Yellow."  Be sure to visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day.

Jeddah: Jewelry with Arabic Calligraphy Letters

A nice souvenir from the Middle East is a piece of jewelry with your name spelled out in Arabic script or even just the first letter of your name.  A shop called "Extraordinaire" (or "Extraordinary" - I'm not sure!) in the Serafi Mega Mall has a nice selection of Arabic lettered jewelry.

Extraordinaire has bracelets, rings, earrings, and necklaces with Arabic script on them.  I believe they also do special orders.

I think this medallion is just beautiful with the Arabic calligraphy on it.  I cannot read or write Arabic, so to me it looks like beautiful art.

This one is the letter "ayn." My good friend Vicki got me one for my birthday with the first letter of my name on it.  Thank you, Vicki!

Our World - Saudi Style Serving

Hi Y'all!  I can't believe I have taken such a long break this year.  I recently returned to Saudi Arabia after spending a very busy summer in the USA.  Did you miss me?

This photo is of a gift I received from my husband's lovely sister.  It is a large platter shaped basket (about 2 feet across), covered with the red and white checkered scarf that Saudi men wear.  The smaller accompanying cups are made to be little Saudi characters holding baskets.  Handicrafts such as this are becoming very popular and more commonly found. I love finding things like this to take back to my family and friends as souvenirs.

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Saudi Keychains and Ornaments

Forever on the lookout for souvenirs from Saudi Arabia, I found these cute keychains and ornaments for sale at the Yanbu Flower Festival.  They are lightweight, handmade, and adorable, as well as easy to pack and reasonably priced.  

Saudi Arabia Incense Burners

I love finding souvenirs from here that I can take back to the US as gifts for friends and family.  These incense burners are available in abundance now at Danube Supermarkets.  These ceramic souvenirs come in several different sizes.  The female versions come in different dress and colors.  They are also pretty reasonably priced.  I think they are really cute and I love how the male version is short and stocky while the female towers over him.