Economics in Action

One thing that I've noticed time and again is that no shop stands alone here in the Kingdom. For every new store opened, another similar store opens right next door. What you end up with is five shoe stores in a row, three curtain stores right next to each other, and mall upon mall on every street corner in Riyadh.

My micro economics Professor would explain this phenomenon as a general rule of thumb. Whenever a particular industry is proven profitable more vendors will flood the market until the industry once again reaches equilibrium. And what you're left with is shoppers paradise.

A majority of the markets that I have seen specialize in a small number of items. One market I visited right near downtown only carried shoes, thobes, and incense, with a couple of sporadic antique stalls along the way.

My favorite market by far though-- the camel market. The only thing you can get there is Camels and camel accessories such as saddles. My Dad and I drove to the outskirts of the capital, past all the weekend amusement parks (of which there are many) to explore. What we found were hundreds of camels in all kinds of colors and sizes. I have included some pictures for your viewing pleasure, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.