A travel guide to Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia

Riyadh the capital is the largest city in Saudi Arabia. It sits atop a large plateau. In Arabic the word “Arriyadh “means “the gardens” and the city does enough justice to the meaning of its name. It was King Saud who initiated the modernization of this beautiful city and today it has blossomed from a relatively narrow and isolated town into a vast and spacious metropolis.

About forty to forty-five years ago the population of Riyadh was a mere 100,000. Today it is close to seven million with around sixty one percent of those being native Saudi nationals. The maximum number of the expatriates living and working in the city are from the Indian sub-continent ( mainly Bangladesh , Pakistan and India ),Indonesia and the Philippines  .There is also a substantial amount of workers from other Arab countries like Yemen , Sudan , Lebanon , Egypt and Syria .

Riyadh has many state of the art shopping malls. Some of the best malls in the world are located in this majestic city. It is indeed a shopper’s paradise with all the top brands and products available all across the city.

Riyadh City is a wonderful mixture of old and new. On one hand you get to see a number of old yet well preserved forts and palaces and on the other you see skyscrapers and modern infrastructure with the latest and the most advanced technology.

 There is a lot to do and see in this wonderful city. The National Museum is one such place amongst others that needs to be visited. It houses a captivating representation of the rich history of Saudi Arabia from ancient to contemporary times. It is a humungous yet beautifully built structure with plenty of vast open spaces. In fact, the museum is so large that you need to come back a couple of times to thoroughly experience and enjoy everything that it has to offer.

Another place that merits a visit is the Al Faisaliyah centre. You can find a lot of clothing stores here. This well designed structure is surrounded by numerous Restaurants and eateries offering delicious cuisines from almost all parts of the world.

Built around 1865 under the reign of Mohammed ibn Abdullah ibn Rasheed , the Masmak Fortress holds a significant place in the history of Saudi Arabia. Today the fortress is a museum and is in the vicinity of the Clock Tower Square. It deserves a visit for its beauty and its place in the kingdom’s history and perhaps most importantly for its theme that is the heroism and bravery of King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud.

The capital of Saudi Arabia is a great and phenomenal city that ranks very high in history and culture and hence is a must visit for every traveler.

Source: - http://blog.daleeli.com/a-travel-guide-to-riyadh-city-saudi-arabia/

The Restaurant industry in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia continues to evolve its hospitality industry. Many of the largest hotel brands in the world have been operational in the Kingdom for quite a while now. It is an ever increasing and growing market for the food industry.

The number of Pakistani and Indian restaurants in the Kingdom is constantly on the rise. This is not surprising given the fact that the population of expats outnumbers the local population in this part of the world.  Cities like the capital city of Riyadh and Jeddah are major business hubs which attract diverse cultures and people from all across the globe, especially from the Indian subcontinent.  Hence, it is no coincidence that some of the Best hotels in Riyadh or Jeddah for that matter serve Pakistani and Indian cuisine. Pakistani and Indian restaurants are by no means restricted to these two cities though; you can find such eateries spread all across the country, even in lesser populated and comparatively smaller cities and towns.

Restaurants in Saudi Arabia feature cuisines from many different countries. There is fantastic and often inexpensive food to be found everywhere, from Indian, Chinese and Pakistani to Italian and Middle Eastern cuisine, including delights such as humus, flatbreads and kebabs .All are served in abundance in the Kingdom. You will find delicious ethnic cuisines, with well- spiced, herb-induced foods, awaiting you at most of the restaurants.

The country is as passionate about food as it is about football .Hence; there is never a shortage of good restaurants serving delicious food. It is not alarming to find a bunch of different themed restaurants clustered together at almost every major street across all cities and towns of the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia can be called a rainbow nation atleast for the sake of the multi cultural cuisines it has to offer. So many people with so many different nationalities scattered all over the region is one of the primary reasons for the boom of this sector of the hospitality industry in this country. The demand for respective native cuisines is such that it becomes imperative for let’s say a locality largely comprising of people of Indian origin to have restaurants serving Indian food and such is the case with most other nationals as well. It is worth noting that an eatery serving ethnic Indian food does not cater to Indian customers exclusively. As is the case with most other popular cuisines, Indian restaurants too cater to customers of different nationalities. Hence, it is normal to find a Saudi national enjoying a plate of Biryani at an Indian restaurant or a Chinese biting into Italian food. The human tendency to experiment and to break away for the norm can be credited for the immense success of these restaurants and hotels. People prefer to try new cuisines as most are bored with eating the same stuff day in and day out .One day you might want a biryani and the next you may have a craving for a Shawarma or a plate of Mandi.

The hotel industry is one of the most rapidly growing and fruitful businesses in Saudi Arabia. No matter how long and where you stay in the Kingdom, you will never be short of restaurants serving delicious food. More often than not there will be one right around the corner. 

Source: - http://blog.daleeli.com/the-restaurant-industry-in-saudi-arabia/

Getting into the Beauty Salon Business

Don't know about size but yes appearances do matter. People have this insatiable need to look their best at all times. This is just one of the reasons that make beauty salons a better business option. If you have your heart set on getting into this industry there are a few things that you must consider first.

The location is important, although not as important as it is for so many other businesses like hotels, coffeeshops, clothing stores etc. The primary reason being loyalty (or something close to it). People get accustomed to the beautician or the hairdresser but seldom to the establishment itself. When one is satisfied with the services of a particular hairstylist he or she will stick to him or her for a long period of time. I personally know a few who have been going to the same stylist for decades. Hence, more than the location of your beauty parlor or hair salon, it is your expertise and your ability to build a healthy bond with your customers that will eventually decide the fate of your business.

Starting a salon can be a great and tiring task .For it requires you to do a number of things simultaneously, from hiring staff to buying cand salon equipment all of this can become too challenging and too demanding to manage.The equipmentis the most important purchases that you are going to make for your salon. You need to be extremely careful here before you actually set out to buy salon equipment you should be clear in your mind about the services that you intend to provide. Buyingequipment that you will not be able to use or cannot provide the services associated with it would be a waste of good money. As it is quality salon equipment can be pricey.Hence, you can ill afford to spend money on something that is not going to be of any use to you.

If you are an alien to the industry it is advisable for you to avail services of an expert. This will save you valuable time and money. The expert will know exactly what to get and where to get it from at a reasonable price.

Usually you can get everything that you need from a single supplier, be it salon chairs, equipment or furniture for the reception area. Make sure that the chairs are comfortable, adjustable and durable. The durability of the chairs is of great essence, for they are ideally expected to serve you for a long period of time. You will also need a number of different mirrors for your salon. While selecting wall mirrors keep in mind that it’s imperative for you to pick those that complement the decor of your salon. This requirement is not exclusive to just mirrorthough. Everything and every piece of furniture, from salon chairs to reception desk, shouldcomplement one another. This will make the place look classy and luxurious, and adds a sense of professionalism to the place. You will need to buy some small equipment like racks, side tables, stools,scissors,hair dryers and brushes, barber poles etc.And some specialized and treatments specific ones like massage tables,skincare equipment, pedicure and manicure equipmentetc. Once you are done with the purchasing you can start to work on the marketing aspect of your business.

The beauty salon business is generally a safe bet. It can be hugely profitable with minimal risks associated with it. All you need to keep in mind is that your expertise and your talent are the biggest assets of your business.

Benefits of hiring an Interior Designer

Many people feel that money spent on the services of professional interior designers is money wasted. Furnishing or re-furnishing a house appears to be an easy enough task. Why pay someone for a job that we can effortlessly do on our own? Some may argue.

Contrary to popular belief, interior design companies do not fleece their customers. In fact, they save precious time and money for them. It is a fact that many people possess the capability to design and decorate their homes according to their needs and desires, but to get that captivating sense of perfection, it is best to call in the experts.

An accomplished Interior designer brings with him or her years of practical experience. This is a job that they have been doing day in and day out and hence are more capable of doing it flawlessly. To add to that they'd have had years of training in designing, organizing and coordinating projects.

 Interior designers usually have their go-to men when they need advice on lighting schemes or plumbing requirements. These skilled contractors stay in touch with the home decoration companies as it is a mutually beneficial scenario for both the parties. This in turn saves the customer the pain staking job of finding a plumber or a handyman.

Home decorators have the expertise in finding the best furniture, fabric, carpets etc. for the customers. They have access to good lighting engineers and suppliers, and this accessibility presents as an excellent reason to employ them.

      The only thing constant is change, and fashion stays true to this statement. At times it becomes impossible to keep pace with the ever changing trends. A piece of furniture that was once craved for, owing to its exquisite design, may not find any takers now. Luckily, the designers maintain catalogues which are regularly updated. This gives you the freedom and the option to choose from a substantial collection of designs. Another huge advantage of hiring an interior designer is that you can have products made according to your requirements and desires.

        No two people are the same. Each has his or her own personality. A handful of people residing under the same roof can be very different from one another in their likes and dislikes, personalities, inclinations and styles. Designers have the capability and the knowledge to understand each individual's taste and preferences and the skill to deliver in accordance with each one's expectations.

        Interior designing plays a key role when the value of a property is being evaluated. There have been far too many instances of properties being de-valued or undervalued because of poor interior designing. A basic rule that extends beyond the boundaries of the home decoration industry is that - anything that looks good, sells well and anything that does not probably won't. This is perhaps the main reason that's driving more and more new home builders towards employing interior designers to decorate and design the show home of their respective developments. The builders are aware that the development will sell quickly if the show home looks appealing and attractive to the potential buyer.

       Therefore, it is always advisable to use the services of a Professional Interior Designer. They will not only save you time, but they will save you money as well. You can stay relaxed, leaving the worrying part to them and enjoy the enchanting feel of your ' new ' home once they are done with their assignment.