Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani
This podcast follows a resident's slow route through Saudi Arabia, where the terrain is mostly sandy desert and the climate is harsh, dry, and extreme. It explores travel across a country without rivers, between the Persian Gulf and Red Sea, and how settlement has shifted since oil was discovered in the 1930s. The host moves between Riyadh, Jeddah, Ad Dammam, and the oasis city of Hufuf-Mubarraz over two years, experiencing all seasons. The show builds knowledge gradually, returning to streets and coastlines as temperatures shift, capturing markets, roads after rain, and cities through repeated visits. It's an unhurried, in-depth perspective on daily life in Saudi Arabia beyond the typical tourist experience.
حلقات
Bank Cards, Painted Doors and the Call to Prayer
Layla finishes her banking and takes a taxi back to Al-Balad for a quiet afternoon of juice, painted doors, and the call to prayer. She reflects on the cost of settling in and plans her escape to the mountains.
Episode 4 of Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani. Layla Al Qahtani is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Places in this episode: Al-Balad, Red Sea Corniche, King Abdulaziz International
Iqama, Mango Juice, and a Night in Al-Balad
Layla completes her iqama paperwork with Omar, savors a mango juice in Al-Balad, and explores the old town after dark during Jeddah Season. She reflects on the city's night rhythms and starts plotting her escape to the Sarawat mountains.
Episode 3 of Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani. Layla Al Qahtani is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Places in this episode: Omar's office, Al-B
Mangoes, Chess and the Red Sea at Night
Layla navigates Jeddah's summer heat, from the final steps of her iqama paperwork to a quiet evening in Al-Balad during Jeddah Season. She shares the city's night rhythms, a chess tournament, a mango feast, and her plans for the mountains ahead.
Episode 2 of Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani. Layla Al Qahtani is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Places in this episode: Al-Balad, J
First Steps in Jeddah's Summer Heat
Layla lands in Jeddah, tackles the expat paperwork, and takes her first evening walk through Al-Balad and along the Corniche. She tastes the city's seafood and street food, and plots her escape to the cool highlands.
Episode 1 of Saudi Arabia Travel Podcast with Layla Al Qahtani. Layla Al Qahtani is in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Places in this episode: King Abdulaziz International Airport, Al-Bala
