92
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s
Spouse
is conducive to thinking and meditation and brings back
memories. Calmness here is unique and so is the fresh
and transparent air. The temperature here is two to three
degrees below that of the city. This is attributed to the
height of the building of the Ministry of foreign Affairs,
the plants and the waterways. Moreover, all the buildings
of the embassies and diplomatic missions are engulfed
in verdure; while the many pools, ponds and waterfalls
impart humidity and cool the air (the weather in Riyadh is
extremely dry).
On the pavements (sidewalks) and in the middle line
of the roads in the Diplomatic District, rows of palm trees
provide shade that provides protection against the burning
heat of the sun. The cross roads have been designed in
the form of green circles in the middle of which trees and
flowers are planted. The Diplomatic District is surrounded
by a protecting fence, except in the part where the hills
form a natural protection. Access is only possible through
the main boulevard which runs from north to south. At
the main entrance is found the location of the guards and
the main roundabout which is intercepted by the masts
over which fly, during festivals, the flags of the accredited
embassies and diplomatic missions in the Kingdom.
In addition to embassies and the premises of diplomatic
missions, one can find in the Diplomatic District branches
of major banks, schools, clubs, as well as the women’s
luxurious center termed “Manahel”. Here both grown
ups and children can practice various activities, ranging
from study of the Holy Quran, learning foreign languages,
operating computers, drawing, pottery, silk engraving,
93
Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia
Seen by a Diplomat’s Spouse
playing tennis, swimming, wrestling and many other
activities. There is also a compound where are situated
hairdresser saloons, restaurants, cafés and large halls for
exhibitions and charity bazaars. The spouses of diplomats
are regular guests at this hospitable place. Local women,
on the other hand, prefer to spend here a great part of their
spare time. Most of them bring along their children, who
are provided with various academic studies. Women have
the opportunity of seeing to their appearance and beauty.
They do shopping and exchange relaxed conversation
with their friends while sipping their coffee. Obviously,
membership and study involve payment of fees, which is
not, I believe, a heavy burden on people like the citizens
of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Every year, the Manahel Center gives banquets and
parties for the spouses of ambassadors, during which
games are played in the form of questions and answers
(guess) . Once I was lucky enough to win first prize, which
was a dinner invitation for two persons (to be honest, the
questions were very simple). Along the main boulevard, a
large compound was built which is three hundred meters
long. Its design resembles the old buildings; it has a
parking lot for cars in an underground tunnel. In it have
been established administrative offices, an exquisite hall
for official receptions, a supermarket, souvenirs stores
and a hotel. At the level of the third storey, the latter was
divided into two parts. There is also a clean path where
a genuine garden was grown like a “hanging garden”. I
personally like to take walks here where are found high
rising palm trees, acacia trees that have dense crowns in