aibarA iduaS morf مرحبً

The attentive, regular reader might wonder – why have I been going to Saudi Arabia so often of late, when it’s hardly one of the most common tourist destinations? Indeed, I was here a year ago – in December 2024; before that in September 2023 (opening a regional office); and in 2022 I was here a full three times! And in all this is already my eighth visit here!

It’s quite simple really. Saudi Arabia is rapidly changing and developing (see those links above); you can see it in the more relaxed social rules, the number of buildings under construction, and the new airport terminals across the country. Naturally, special attention is given to the IT sector, and logically, cybersecurity is also a key focus. So for us, the Middle East is real interesting, and Saudi Arabia is of particular interest. Year after year, we’re growing here by double digits, and our Saudi business is one of the most significant slices of the company’s revenue “pie”.

So, of course, we have an office here, which I absolutely had to drop in on for an informal, friendly visit:

By the way, we already have more than 60 folks working here – mostly sales, marketing, and tech support.

That evening – a big dinner with clients and partners, where I gave a speech about the sad realities of today’s cyberspace, and how we’ll come out on top and save the world.

For dessert – traditional Saudi melodies:

And lots of photos with dinner participants; I especially liked this one:

Curiously, traditional Saudi women’s clothing looks completely different.

There was also time for tourism: I’d long planned to walk through the Wadi al Disah gorge – an amazing spot with mountain landscapes, cliffs, and palm trees. Stunning views! ->

Hmmm. Wikipedia there states that Wadi Al Disah is “4000 square meters away from Tabut”! Clearly something lost in translation, so here’s the map showing it’s less than a hundred kilometers between the two (as the crow flies; by road it’s much farther).

Since it was only the other day we were there, my photos are still being sifted through and processed; therefore, all the snaps here and below were taken by my travel companion, NK, on her smartphone ->

Off we race!…

Part 1: entrance to the gorge ->

Part 2: the gorge – dry section ->

Part 3: water ->

Also ->

And that’s all for today folks. Time to be heading back to the airport. But – you’ve guessed it – I’ll be back with more tales from the Saudi side and my own pics later…