Riyadh – first impressions in 2023

The sights in Riyadh aren’t endless — at least not yet — but more are coming, and the new metro already makes everything easier to reach. On my first visit in 2023, I had a clear plan: the National Museum, the Sky Bridge, the old fortress with the Addoho neighborhood, and of course the famous malls that everyone talks about.

Today’s Riyadh, a metropolis of around eight million people, only became the capital of Saudi Arabia in the 19th century. Until the 1940s, it was still enclosed by defensive walls. At its center lay a town square and bustling souq, surrounded by neighborhoods of mosques and adobe houses, each built around a shaded inner courtyard. Beyond the walls stretched orchards of date palms — the reason the city was named Riyadh, meaning gardens.

Everything changed with the start of commercial oil production in the 1940s. Urbanization accelerated almost overnight, and the city rapidly shifted from traditional mud-brick architecture to modern buildings, highways, and sprawling neighborhoods — the Riyadh we see unfolding today.

Old Rijadh- Addoho neighborhood

National Museum

The National Museum sits in a park-like setting, surrounded by trees, shaded walkways, and several historic monuments — including the Murabba Palace. Scattered throughout the grounds are sculptures and art installations tucked beneath the greenery, inviting you to slow down and wander. It’s the kind of place where you can easily spend a few unhurried hours, moving between history, architecture, and open space.

Overview of area around the National Museum

The spacious and expensive-looking museum is the place to learn about the history of the kingdom, my absolute favorite was a display of precious jewellery.

Exhibition of jewellery inside the National Museum

Rules of Saudi Arabia inside the National Museum

Area outside the Museum

Lucky me I had booked a hotel within walking distance, the Hayat Al Riyadh Hotel (the pink dot north of the green quarter). For 70 US a night, a perfect location and cozy hotel on top. It was pure luck I had choosen this hotel, and luck struck again. When I returned for the ISCOCARP conference in 2025, I stayed there again. The venue was right next to the museum, plus right next to the Metro stop of the same name.

Lobby of Hayat Al-Rijadh Hotel

Even on the 5th floor window are covered

At night the facede of the hotel is lit in bright pink which makes it easy to find, even from far away you can see it.

Entrance to Hayat Al- Riyad Hotel

Metro station National Museum- closest to Hayat Al- Rijyad hotel

Al-Masmak Fortress — Addoho Neighborhood

Just one metro stop south of the National Museum sits Al-Masmak, a beautifully restored 19th-century mud-brick fortress. With its towers and sandy walls, it looks almost like a giant desert sandcastle. Inside, you’ll find displays of traditional costumes, handicrafts, and historical exhibits surrounding a peaceful central courtyard. Step outside and you’re immediately in Al-Zal Market, home to antiques, curiosities, and a lively flea market where bargaining is part of the fun.

The surrounding neighborhood is called Addoho. Until the 1950s, this was the heart of Riyadh before the city stretched north. Its name comes from the Arabic word “Al-Dahou,” meaning crowded—a nod to the area’s once-bustling social and commercial life.

When I first visited in 2023, Addoho was in the midst of a major restoration project. The goal: preserve its traditional architecture and historic character while re-imagining it as a cultural destination that captures the spirit of old Riyadh with a modern touch.

Today, the entire district is pedestrian-only—popular with locals, especially families—and it feels like a welcome escape from Riyadh’s wide, traffic-choked streets. Wandering its lanes, you get a rare sense of how the city once moved at a slower, more human pace.

Al Masmak Fortress

Al-Zal Market – flea market

Addoho Neighborhood around Al-Zal market and Masmuk Fortress

From lovely gentleman I bought incense wood for me newly acquired incense burner

shopping for incense burner

Riyadh  getting ready for the winter season

Riyadh  getting ready for the winter season

Sky Bridge at Kingdom Tower

View from Sky Bridge – Kingdom Tower

View of  Rijadh at night from Sky Bridge – Kingdom Tower

Shopping malls

Long before I ever traveled to Saudi Arabia, I’d heard the saying that shopping malls are where Saudis hang out. And it’s still partly true. Shopping remains a favorite pastime — even close to midnight, the metro can be packed with families and women carrying armfuls of shopping bags.

It was even more true before 2019. Since then, the government has been rolling out Vision 2030, bringing a wave of new entertainment options: cinemas reopened, concerts and festivals became common, and mega-projects like Boulevard World and Qiddiya City began reshaping the leisure landscape.

Malls are still social hubs, but now they’re part of a much wider mix of places where people go to meet, wander, and enjoy the evening.

shopping malls in Rijadh

I kept forgetting that places in Saudi Arabia are deserted during the day, people come out at night, even during the cool season, when I visited.

These experiences can be disappointed and frustrating but it happened again and again, since it is so engrained in our culture that shopping is done during the day and not at midnight.

Shopping mal only get busy at night

shopping malls with expansive shops

Eating Out in Riyadh

In a city as sprawling — and often unwalkable — as Riyadh, it isn’t always easy to simply wander around and stumble upon a great restaurant. Distances are long, roaads often to wide to cross, and most places feel designed with cars in mind.

Still, I managed to eat my way through all kinds of spots: cozy, family-run kitchens full of warmth and home-style dishes; no-frills eateries where the goal is simply to fill your stomach and move on; and, at the other end of the spectrum, what might be one of the best restaurants in the city — tucked inside the Hilton, polished and unforgettable.

Lovely family run restaurant where I was treated like a queen

simple eatery near my hotel

simple eatery

my Iraqi friend Dana invited me for dinner to the Hilton

excellent food at the Hilton Hotel

Excellent food at the Hilton Hotel

Metro – game changer

Now with the metro other neighbors are easily accesable and every year numerous projects are completed, like Boulevard World, Qiddiyh City, Sport Boulevards. These may not qualify as typical sights, but so unsual they are worth a visit.

Riyad was my first base during my very first trip to Saudi Arabia in 2023. It was a super spontaneous decision, a flight for 25€ from Budapest to Riyadh popped up and two days later I went. The visa application was done in 15 minutes online.