Visit the breadbasket of Saudi Arabia and enjoy a summer crop of dates, strawberries, and handicrafts!
Buraidah, the main city of Qassim province, is a charming place surrounded by date palms and populated by kind, welcoming locals. There is more natural groundwater in Qassim than most of the rest of Saudi Arabia, leading to its title as ‘the breadbasket of Saudi Arabia’. But bread is not its only attraction – be sure to visit in August during the date festival, where some of the best traders and highest quality dates can be found for sale by the kilo.
Last summer, my husband and I set out on a road trip to visit Buraidah. We had heard that there was a date market in the city and we couldn’t wait to see and sample all the different types of dates from around the country. We set off on Friday morning for the three hour car journey through the desert, driving north into Qassim province.
Our first stop was a small town just before Buraidah – Unaizah. This town is home to a beautiful heritage house and restored souq, with various traders offering us tours of their wares – from hand-carved chests and tables to hand-painted vases to hand-woven palm-frond display bowls. After that refreshing and cultural pit stop, we drove on for another 20 minutes to Buraidah itself, following the signs to Dates City. From then on, we were smitten with this quaint municipality.
Reasons We Love Buraidah
The most delicious dates
We were expecting to find an open-air trader’s market with pick-up trucks filled with dates and growers selling their produce on the ”city of dates”, but when we arrived, we discovered that the Culinary Arts Commission had set up a festival hall to showcase not only the dates, but also products made from dates, local handicrafts, and tasty snack stalls! There was even a cooking demonstration, with chef Maryam demonstrating the incredible versatility of dates as an ingredient as she added them to ma’amoul, bread and cakes. There was a children’s activity area, a demonstration of the ardha sword dance and local guides to tell us about the different products.
Outside the festival hall were rows upon rows of trucks loaded with boxes upon boxes of dates. As we walked past each bumper, looking at what was on offer, we learned about the many different types of dates in Saudi Arabia – from dark red chewy Hulwa dates to soft yellow tart Shaishee dates to brown caramel-like Sukkari dates. We bought a huge box of dates that were so soft and sweet, they earned themselves the nickname ‘Galaxy’ dates – after the chocolate!
Farms bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables
Because it sits on very fertile soil, in addition to its suitable climate, Buraidah is home to abundant fresh produce from lemons, oranges, grapes, pomegranates, and wheat. Visitors can buy these produce directly from farms.
We drove a little way out of town to visit one of Buraidah’s many strawberry farms. Inside the polytunnels, we walked up and down the rows of plants, heavy with their colourful fruits, and picked our own basketfuls of berries.
Agritourism is a growing attraction in the city and Buraidah’s palm groves and plantations are relaxing places to see and visit.
Charming museums
The Aloqilat Museum tells the story of Buraidans who emigrated abroad and subsequently returned to trace their family roots. It is full of old documents, maps and charters – a real treasure trove for Arabic speakers who are interested in community history. The museum is set within a traditional two-storey house, with a welcoming majlis room, a central well and several stuffed camels. We were welcomed by a kind curator who served us dates and coffee and showed us around the displays.
The Buraidah Museum also contains many collectibles and artifacts that represent the history of the Qassim region. It has a special pavilion for King Abdul-Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud – the founder of Saudi Arabia. The enormous white Cadillac used by the king to visit this city is a must-see!
Lush, green landscape
As we neared Buraidah on our road trip, we were struck by the abundant greenery. Having traversed miles of gold-red sand dunes on our journey from Riyadh, the glare of the sun was softened as we entered Qassim province and encountered green date palms, brown fields and farm buildings.
On entering the city, we were also impressed by the large and lush green parks. King Khalid Park near the Buraidah Museum was a highlight; this park is also home to the iconic round Buraidah water tower, which houses a viewing platform from the top floor.
Year-round events and festivals
The month-long date festival is certainly the highlight of the year in Buraidah, but during your visit, don’t miss the daily camel market. The Al Qassim camel market, located a few kilometres away from the city, begins at 6am every morning and is home to thousands of camels, sheep and goats. The experience can feel overwhelming but is one of the most unique and authentic experiences you can have in Saudi Arabia. Many camels showcased at the Al Qassim market go on to compete in other festivals, such as the King Abdulaziz Camel Festival in Riyadh.
If you’re spending the summer in Saudi Arabia, then a visit to Buraidah is a must. It’s an easy journey from Riyadh and the locals will make you feel so welcome, you’ll be reluctant to leave! A weekend trip there makes for a relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable getaway.
THINGS TO DO:
- Unaizah Souq and Heritage House
- Date Market
- Strawberry Farm
- Aloqilat Museum
TIPS:
- The best way to get from Riyadh to Buraidah is by car. It takes approximately 3 hours to drive.
- The best time to visit Buraidah is in August, during the date festival.
