I like shopping, especially at malls. This is not great for a young single male living in Riyadh, where shopping malls are restricted to families and single females. However, I discovered how I could manage to have a good time doing my shopping, without going to malls.

Apparently, nobody notices the fact that Olaya Street is loaded with dozens of brands from all over the world, with only few hundred meters that separate them. Imagine Olaya Street as a very big open shopping mall, or some kind of a modern bazaar.

As weather is getting calmer these days, you can take a walk along the street, starting at Sports City that is located near the intersection of Olaya St. and Orouba St. Then, you can walk until you reach Faisaliah Mall. If you think this is a very long walk, you can stop at Ya Mal Al-Sham Restaurant, which is in the middle between Zara and Jarir Bookstore.

Taking this short walk last night, I spent around SR 600 (US$ 160) at the likes of Next, Adidas, Attitude, and Jarir. I did not even enter Zara, because I was quite sure that I would not leave without buying a T-shirt or two, and I already had spent enough that night.