Tupai and some of the Malaysian connection in Riyadh
On Thursday night, we went across Riyadh to get to Bro Mohamad Suwandi's spacious house within a compound, which is a common residential concept here. It is an enclosed community with very high concrete walls (5 meters or so) and various amenities thrown in, e.g. swimming pool, tennis courts etc (not unlike our condos back home, just that they are units of linked houses/townhouses instead). Residents do not need to wear hijabs in a compound and women can drive!
Typically, the level of security into compounds is strict and is directly linked with the existence of western expat residents. I was told that they are not as many as before, since the last car bomb went off in a compound in December 2004....
It was an excellent mini-gathering of Malaysians in this city. Many thanks to the host and family for the invite, their generosity and the delicious dinner.
