Annoyances in Riyadh

Not Japanese related but bear with me, I'm now in Riyadh on a business trip and its the weekend and its boring.

There are a couple of annoying things here that I want to talk about:

First, it's the fact that all restuarants close during prayer time. This is by law and not voluntary. If a restaurant had its doors open, or lights on, or people inside it, and the police saw that, they're screwed.

Two days ago, I and my colleague went to Tazaj to eat something after working from 8 until maghreb with only a small sandwich for breakfast. We were starved of-course and arrived right when the Maghreb call to prayer was raised. Naturally, the restuarant's door got closed and lights turned off and we waited for what seemed like an hour standing outside. Other guys joined us in the wait and the numbers kept increasing. And we were knocking and telling them just to let us sit inside or order or anything, until they open. And they waved that they can't and ignored us. And we felt it was rude. And one Saudi guy actually burst shouting at them after they openned the doors.

It is rude to let your customers stand waiting outside but the law in Riyadh forbids them to open before a set time following the Athan. It is most stupifying during break times when employees supposedly have time to go outside and eat or something and find the restaurants closed for prayers.

I wonder how can the police catch a restuarant open.. Shouldn't they be busy praying for instance? And if they're done praying, shouldn't this mean that almost everybody else is done too?

I think that in a "pious" society closing for prayers should not be mandated and enforced by law. Prayers are not home work; you should be free to do them as you like and as God accepts. There is no Sharia law that says all public places must be closed during Salah. In a "pious" society stores and restuarants would be closed voluntarily and by the full will of the owners. Customers should be politely excused and admited entrance instead of waiting outside in the heat/cold/etc. The law should facilitate professionalism and respect of one's customers, not the opposite.

This is number one, number two is feinting progressiveness by having female staff. Once I heard an executive mentioning his company's "female PMO" to his clients. I thought it was weird. At first, I thought it was normal because 99.999..% of employees here are males. But then I thought again, why say "female"? Was it to show that you are a progressive company? progressive for having females co-workers in a country which has historically secluded females?

I wonder if it is just me imagining things or if having female employees (employettes?) is being used as a selling-slash-marketing point in Saudi Arabia.

I tend to imagine things sometimes, so don't take my word for it.


I'll just shut up now and try to study a few Kanjis tonight.