Since I was put out of action with a permanent walking disability more than nine years ago, going shopping and visiting shopping malls for fun has ceased to interest me. Not only that, I have always found shopping in Jeddah to be an extremely frustrating experience. Apart from supermarkets, the shops are closed all afternoon. However, I have been wanting to visit some of the new Malls that have been mushrooming up all over Jeddah. My opportunity came as surprise out of the blue. My husband went for a joy-ride on his Harley-Davidson with a fellow biker who loves to stop at a café on the way home. This time, they decided to ditch their favorite Corniche café and head over to the new Red Sea Mall. He gave me a call and invited me to join them: “They have electric scooters and wheelchairs here!” he said enthusiastically. On arrival at the huge Mall, we headed straight for the scooter and wheelchair reception at Gate 1. Smart electric scooters were on hire for SR.15 in exchange for your ID card, and zoom! I was off! This was going to be fun. This new shopping Mall has only recently opened and the first obvious thing about it is its size: it is vast. It is flooded with natural light because a smart architect has designed an impressive steel and opaque glass roof that soars over the entire center. The spokes of three stories of shops, restaurants and cafes are situated around lofty, galleried atriums, allowing natural light to diffuse throughout the Mall. Although many of the rental spaces are not yet occupied or open, there are lots of people in there, shopping, eating, relaxing in cafes, or just watching the entertaining musical fountain display, clearly visible from all levels. Tall palm trees add to the “indoor-outdoor” feel. To help move customers around the mall, there is an amusing electric boat-train which glides silently along the corridors, carrying slightly self-conscious looking passengers – not surprising, as they briefly become the centre of attention. Opening times are what makes this Mall a great place to go because, for a start, the shops stay open all day, including the afternoons, as well as late into the night. The Saudi community might like shopping late at night, but most western expatriates I know prefer to shop in the afternoons when they are not plagued by the horrendous traffic jams that have recently become part of Jeddah life. If I dared to suggest to my husband that we go shopping at 8.30pm or later, I know what kind of response I would get. However, morning shopping with a break for lunch, followed by more shopping and then home for afternoon tea could meet with approval. With the luxury of an electric scooter to get me around, I could happily go cruising by myself – except that the scooters don't have shopping baskets on them. The Mall has most of the usual high street shop names along its corridors but is, so far, lacking in men's wear shops. We did see one selling good-looking sports clothing. Shopping is clearly designated as a female activity, and although they are lots of men accompanying their wives and families, we saw the security guards refuse entry to a few young men. As is the case in all shopping malls in Saudi Arabia, there is the standard ladies' lingerie shop staffed by men. When I first arrived here 24 years ago, I was dumfounded when I discovered that ladies lingerie and clothing shops weren't staffed by women. It seemed so completely at odds with the strict social rules governing male and female mixing. In Saudi Arabia, of all places, one would expect that it would be obligatory for ladies shops to be staffed by women. The Mall offers a large and diverse range of Cafes and Restaurants, as well as a huge, open eating hall on the top floor. There are food stalls catering to all tastes, including the usual fast-food chains, but some of the staff attending the stalls aren't well trained. The ones at the Moroccan stall were slow, and despite our order being delivered in Arabic, they got it wrong and we had to make several requests before we eventually got what we wanted. Overall, this new Red Sea Mall has a great atmosphere with more to enjoy than just the shops, and I can see myself heading back there again on a regular basis. I would especially recommend it for anyone with a walking disability, or for families taking elderly relatives out with them. It has lots of parking space too, and of course the shopping hours mean you can choose a time to suit you, rather than having to plan your day around when the shops are open. __
