Residents of the Saudi capital have complained of lack of parking spots at the King Khaled International Airport (KKIA) at certain times of the day.
“It’s probably high time concerned authorities devised ways to provide parking spots available at any time of the day to motorists ,” said Mohammed Haider, a Pakistani.
He said that he was going to fetch a friend from Dammam last Thursday night and it took him a long time before he could find a spot at the designated parking areas at Terminal 3 of KKIA some 35 km north of the city.
“My friend had to wait quite a long time before I could see him and leave the airport whose multi-story car parks have a total capacity of 11,000 vehicles,” he said.
He said the only reason he could think of why the parking areas were full was the week-long school break in local schools. Classes are scheduled to resume on Saturday.
“Saudis and their children could have gone out for short trips to other parts of the Kingdom like Jeddah and Dammam for short vacations and left their cars at the airport,” he said.
A local businessman added that he has the same problem whenever he travels to Jeddah or Dammam.
“There have also been instances when I had difficulties in finding a parking spot at the airport where I leave my car for a few days because of so many cars whose owners could also be on business or pleasure trips,” he said.
However, he added, he has no difficulty when he goes to the airport early in the morning.
A Saudi engineer suggested converting the floor above the two-level parking area into an additional space for motorists leaving their cars at the airport for a short period of time.
“This is a practical idea considering the fact that the number of cars plying the streets of the Saudi capital has also been increasing,” he said.
Riyadh residents deplore lack of parking spaces at KKIA
Riyadh residents deplore lack of parking spaces at KKIA
Lucia festival lights up Swedish Embassy in Riyadh
RIYADH: A celebration of light and traditional choir singing illuminated the Swedish Embassy in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter on Wednesday evening for the country’s Lucia festival.
Based on ancient pre-Christian traditions intertwined with the story of Saint Lucy, who is depicted wearing a crown of candles, the festival is cherished for bringing some respite from the dark Scandinavian winter.
The Riyadh embassy hosted a number of dignitaries and members of the Swedish community in Saudi Arabia, with catering provided by Ikea.
Swedish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Petra Menander spoke to Arab News about the significance of the festival.
“It's a very, very old tradition that leads back to our peasant times when we needed to fight the darkness with light,” she said.
“And so we actually adopted an old tradition from Italy where Lucia comes with light in her hair and that made us all feel very, very comfortable.
“And it’s something that we actually celebrate just as much as the other holidays, like Christmas or so on. It’s inescapable, at all schools, everywhere.”
Holding the festival in Riyadh was particularly special as it not only brought a glimpse of Swedish culture to Saudi Arabia, but also helped Swedish nationals living in the Kingdom reconnect with their homeland.
“I think it’s a very nice way to bring Swedish culture overseas, but it’s also a nice way of getting the Swedish community together,” said Menander.
“We just have many people who come from mixed backgrounds and they’re very happy that they can introduce their children to this tradition even if they’re living very far away from Sweden. So, it’s a very warm feeling for me.”
