Please Help!! Advice meeting up with girlfriend in Riyadh..

Honestly to say; I don't think there is a fool proof way to do so with zero danger.

I can understand that this all looks hassle to you having different cultural background. However, living in a different country and culture (due to whatever reason) requires and expects everyone to follow and respect their cultural values. For the locals, it is similar to like if you are wearing a swimsuit to a restaurant at dinner or dressing like a groom /bride at the beach. Everywhere in the world, we have locations where we have to follow their dress codes with zero tolerance. I think to respect a culture is above all of them.

My 2 cents...

Khurram.

Hie.. Thats just one problem, imagine even when she gets pregnant and deliver, during the time to leave the country she might be questioned bout the baby and even forced to leave back the baby. Very hurting.

Thanks for the reply Khurram, but really I think what you are trying to say is that I should just stop seeing my partner for the time being. Is that so? Also wearing a swimming costume to a restaurant and spending time with a person you love are slightly different don't you agree? We do plan to marry at the end of the year but until then I don't see the point of being here if I can't see her.

I respect your emotion! And I am not condemning by any means. You ask for advise and mine was there to take.

Let's say, in your last post you said: "We do plan to marry at the end of the year but until then I don't see the point of being here if I can't see her..."

Does the Saudi culture allows or would allow it? Both of us know that it wouldn't because it's against their culture and moral values. That is what I am conveying. It's totally your decision to agree or not; or agree with someone else advice. From my point of view, there is no way to do so in public unless you want to skip the moral values and dishonoring their culture.

Thanks.

Don't risk public meetings....especially in Riyadh.  The time together isn't worth the risk and punishment.  Think about it,...you'd be so uncomfortable meeting "outside" anyways....always looking over your shoulder - unable to relax and so on.

Not sure of your situation, but if you are in Saudi to stay for now - just continue getting a male to sign you onto her compound.  That's all you've got, by the sounds of it, so make the best of it.

Don't forget to thank that male with something, ...a small gift, dinner invite, etc.

After you are married, you'll look back at this time and laugh. 

best of luck

ReLLeK wrote:

After you are married, you'll look back at this time and laugh. 
best of luck

Absolutely!

I was trying to convey the same idea but I admit you have used better words 

dorahray wrote:

Hie.. Thats just one problem, imagine even when she gets pregnant and deliver, during the time to leave the country she might be questioned bout the baby and even forced to leave back the baby. Very hurting.

da hell...why u discussing that ?

you been seeing your girlfriend in a compound in private. people here are fighting to have their lives private.  ;-) gee what private activities do you want out in public?

i don't think Khoram is suggesting you leave your GF.

but i'll let you in. follow the steps.
You and your GF go to Hayat Mall in King Abdulaziz road, Riyadh. When you hear the adhan, go immediately to the second floor of Marks & Spencers restaurant, you can stay inside the restaurant with your girlfriend. M&S closes their gates during prayers while customers can wait inside the restaurant drinking coffee, cold drinks, with cakes and other pastries.

Don't do holding hands or embracing in public dude. You can walk together but not that close, not close enough. That way you are in public.

if there is mutawa in that restaurant, most probably someone read this post and made them aware. Anyway if they catches you, boredom will  be out of the window. just kiddin'.

Good luck!

A small suggestion: does her parents live here?

If so, maybe you can all out together?
And if you already have plans, why not make it officially by getting engaged and have this proof with you?

I have no idea of this works in the KSA but at least you can try...

Being engaged won't cut it, either. Unless you have a marriage certificate approved by the Saudi government, you could find yourself in big, big trouble. Your safest option would be to meet up in a compound. Doesn't necessarily have to be hers, you could go to friends' compounds, or go to a compound where you have to pay an entry fee. Either way, if you do, for whichever reason, decide to meet in public, make sure to be cool, calm & collective. Try your best not to look like you just killed someone😜 & definitely don't show any type of affection (holding hands, touching, kissing, nada!) also, avoid being in the same car together. Instead, both of you take separate transportation & meet up with each other in family-oriented places. Hope this helps.
Cheers!

simply,  get married.  all of these  will be  eradicated!
good luck man!

Thanks everyone for your tips and advice, we do plan to marry at the end of the year, until then we have found a solution.. If anyone needs details message me..

Dear there is horror
All are rumers
Don't do any hanky panky things on streets
Yes you can take her any where but be polite in car

Masood ahmed1998 wrote:

Dear there is horror
All are rumers
Don't do any hanky panky things on streets
Yes you can take her any where but be polite in car

okay......

Hi Ya....
" Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself"  Public dating or meeting is very risky despite of enjoying in parks or outside prefer to meet her in friend's place like i do... I have a gf and i meet her every weekend the only i do is to ask my good friends for their place and then Kabbooom.... But i wear Thoob and looks like Saudi and asks my gf to cover her face and wear full abaya...

Anyway i wish you good luck and hope  you can find a secure way to meet her every week.....

Dear Friend,
My advise is that if you are in love with this lady then you should marry her so that you can provide her security with honor. Also both of you can enjoy life and true happiness.

Regards,

W. Quadri

wajid_2001 wrote:

Dear Friend,
My advise is that if you are in love with this lady then you should marry her so that you can provide her security with honor. Also both of you can enjoy life and true happiness.

Regards,

W. Quadri

Indeed, a very good advice.. 

Yeah just get married, stop wasting time...

HAHAHAHA im sorry theres no way actually

waladkool wrote:

HAHAHAHA im sorry theres no way actually

where there is a will, there is a way....

marry the girl..if you really loved her theres no need to prolong the relationship..just to make everything legal,,,,

Hello Dear,

We all understand your emotion, it'e very difficult to feel like there are big gap between you and your GF, we all understand  that she will be your partner for hole life ahead, if you are already planning to get marry at the end of the year that's good, I suggest to expedite if possible and make your life easier.

It's okay to see her in a mall or restaurant, but to do that safely your GF should cover her face by a veil, Mutawwa people always looking for women who not cover her face and hair, but if she covered her face, believe me nobody will ask you, Also I recommend at prayer time to set inside a restaurant or coffee shop in family section, it's very important to be calm and confidence. tacking in your account you should do something embracing you like hold her hand or getting very close for her, otherwise, you will find yourself in big problem.

Also, you can meet her in a restaurant not in mall, I can give you sone restaurant names that provide you a nice and romantic place for couples, I can give you a compound that allow for couples to enter without asking you if she is your wife.

Last advise for you Mutawwa are getting more restricted because the government allow single bachelor to enter the malls all days in week, but if you go to Panorama Mall in Tahlia St. in THURSDAY & FRIDAY ONLY, the mall security don't allow bachelors to get in in weekend at all, for that reason Mutawwa will find them outside to remind shops to close for prayer only. 

Last but not least, I highly recommended to marry this girl asap, all the tips in above just to avoid unnecessary problems with government, it's the country rules, and we all should respect.

Good luck man, I wish you successful life ahead :-)
Have a nice day

I have just read this and I just want to share my experience.

I went out with my dad to buy some groceries. He dropped me off at the entrance then he parked. Since it was a family only mall, I had to wait for him at the entrance of the grocery. It must have seem to others that we were just meeting up.

A mutawa came up to us and asked for our iqama. Confident that I did not do anything wrong, I stupidly, ignorantly and regrettably gave it to him. I was sure that he would see that our Iqama shows the same surname and would let us go. Instead, he wrote a very long list of godknowswhat in arabic and asked me to sign it. If not, give my thumb's impression. Why the hell would I do that? I grabbed the paper from him and asked a random person to translate it to me to English and he grabbed it back. We came into a standoff, he wouldn't give back our iqama and let us go, and I wouldn't sign the paper.  A couple of hours later. Yes, HOURS! It was prayer time and I told him in broken Arabic to give back our Iqama and go pray. He just shook his head, tore the paper in front of me and let us go. Just like that.

If that could happen to me and my DAD, what could happen to you guys? Go on a vacation. Go to Bahrain or Dubai and meet up there. This is not a place for dating, go get married.