The Morale Welfare Recreation (MWR) on base sponsored a “Day at the Races”. Racing is held at The King Abdulaziz Track, which accommodates 5,000 folks, is located near the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The racing runs from September until April and races are normally held on Fridays. Horseracing is a recreation in Saudi Arabia that is also part of the Kingdom’s culture. A major event held in February is the King’s Cup.
Our entrance fee to the racetrack included a buffet that (140 Riyals, $37.33) had enough varieties of foods to suit every pallet, such as Kapsa (chicken and rice), lamb, hummus (garbanzo beans mixed with garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, paprika and parsley), several types and cold salads, and dates.
We didn’t place actual bets on the races but we just gambled amongst each other. I won one race of the eleven that ran. Picture-taking is not allowed in some areas of Riyadh. Whether it was allowed in front of the gates of the racetrack, I did not know until I took a few “shots” and was chased away by security! No national incident to report, but just another nice outing in the “Kingdom”, …..Riyadh Saudi Arabia.
All the best,
GMarie
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