Riyadh. An eternal transfer to Saudi Arabia via New York, with corresponding stopovers of not a few hours, seemed to have its great reward with a walk through Jeddah, a historic city belonging to the Mecca circuit, but an unsuspected flood in the midst of the infernal heat spoiled The plan and everything ended the night of the day of arrival with a meal and some non-alcoholic drinks watching the boring World Cup game between the United States and England.
The Radisson Blu hotel is in the center of a large complex known as the Diplomatic Quarter of Riyadh, where the main embassies are located and which has a construction of buildings no larger than four or five floors where businesses of various kinds stand out, from a school of the French Alliance to a true Fight Club, but with a harmony in its design based on the historical infrastructure of the area and with its ocher limestone façades. A labyrinthine Arab city to scale.
But before being able to reach that area, full of passageways and squares, you have to pass a checkpoint with an access boom and armed men who make sure they know who crosses into that exclusive area of the Saudi capital. It’s Friday night and the crowd in the complex’s squares seems to be normal for the day, with many women in the cafes and children playing volleyball, badminton or skateboarding.
The King Abdulaziz airport in Jeddah, Jeddah in English, and King Khalid in Riyadh look impeccable, with trains that operate smoothly, with notorious order and cleanliness. The sparingness of the women who receive foreigners in the migratory zone contrasts with the friendliness of those who deal with guests at the Radisson. Black tunics spread among them and white among men.
A city of contrasts, Riyadh is the venue for the Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council, headed by Julia Simpson, attended by more than a thousand leaders from 70 countries, with the participation of Gloria Guevara, senior advisor to the Ministry of Tourism saudi
Alfredo Campos Villeda
