
Grocery shopping in Saudi Arabia can be unique on various levels. I have written previously about the etiquette while shopping in Saudi grocery stores and now I’ll address other unique aspects that one may encounter while grocery shopping in Saudi Arabia. These aspects are unique in that it is unlikely to see or encounter such experiences in typical American grocery stores.
Grocery shopping in Saudi Arabia seems to be family occasion. In addition to the husband and wife (remember, she cannot drive herself to the grocery store), the children and housemaid will also be in accompaniment. The housemaid will either “attempt” to keep an eye on active children or push the cart while the family make their selections.
Unlike the majority of grocery stores in America, it is overall acceptable for individuals whether a child or an adult to eat or drink while shopping in the store. What I mean specifically is that these are not items which were brought with the individual into the store but items that have been taken and opened from the shelves and refrigerators during shopping. It is expected that anyone who has consumed anything while shopping will inform the cashier at checkout to be charged for the item.
While in most American grocery stores which have the option for shoppers to create their own bags of candy from a bulk candy aisle one may encounter a sign advising a charge associated with sampling any individual piece. Whereas in Saudi it is accepted for a child or adult to freely sample a few pieces. I experienced this myself when I was at a candy kiosk selecting a mixed variety of candies to share with family. I could not make up my mind so the vendor just started handing me different pieces to sample!
And of course another aspect that I have only encountered in very small specialized Halal shops in America is that in Saudi Arabia the grocery stores will indeed close down for 30 minutes during prayer times. Many of the grocery stores will request all patrons in the store at prayer time to leave the store. A minority of grocery stores will allow shoppers to remain in the store. Usually those shoppers are women, foreigners and children. The men are expected to go and pray but it is understood that some muslim women are unable to pray as they may be menstruating. And most stores that allow shoppers to remain will not challenge a westerner to leave the store during prayer.
Individuals shopping in Saudi grocery stores such as Panda or Tamimi for example should remember when
selecting fresh fruits and vegetables to have them weighed and priced before going to the check out. There is usually a small kiosk set up in a central location to the fresh fruits and veggies with one to two individuals working who weigh and price. Whereas with the majority of American grocery stores fruits and veggies are weighed and priced at the checkout counter. I have had my own occasions when newly arrived in Riyadh forgetting about this aspect and would find myself at the checkout without having had fruits and veggies weighed and priced in advance. Fortunately the clerks have been kind and would usually have someone take my items to be weighed and priced while continuing to check out the rest of my items.
The major grocery stores such as Panda, Tamimi and others will accept debit cards. However do not count on a debit card as the sole source of payment for groceries. There have been multiple times I have been in one of the grocery stores to find that the network is down and debit cards cannot be processed.
When checking out be watchful to ensure all your bags are placed into the cart. The employees who are loading up the bags are usually from third world countries and while they have a job, their salary is on the lower end. When a shopper has many bags of groceries, sometimes (not always) a “bagger” will place a bag of groceries underneath the counter to keep for himself. This has happened to me twice during my time in Saudi and I’m aware of it happening to others as well. If you notice and remind them the bag was placed on the floor, the bagger will be apologetic and put the bag in the cart.

The bagger is usually the same individual who will assist in taking the bags to your car (or taxi). He will expect to receive a tip. If there are only a minimum number of bags (like four to six), five riyals is an adequate tip. However if you have a full cart or more than one cart full of bags, I suggest tipping ten riyals.
Segueing to additional observations in grocery stores there is usually a distinction between what one will notice in a cart of a Saudi family as compared to a Western family. Popular shopping favorites of Saudi families will include buttermilk, lebna, yogurt, olives, honey and puck (a very popular type of cream cheese). A lot of Saudi families prefer to go to a butcher shop where they will buy their cuts of meat. Bread is typically bought fresh daily from the many bread stores which abound throughout Saudi Arabia. It is actually cheaper to buy the fresh bread too! A dozen freshly made rolls cost about 3 riyals (slightly less than one US dollar!
In closing, I welcome readers to share their views on either shopping in Saudi Arabia as well as comments on the grocery shopping experiences of Saudis who are or were outside of Saudi Arabia.
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