This weekend, head to the Bandra Kurla Complex for a unique way to book a foreign holiday. ‘ Spectacular Saudi ,’ the immersive event by Saudi’s national tourism body, currently on at R2 grounds in BKC, offers an amuse-bouche experience for the senses. 'Spectacular Saudi' Escape the Mumbai rains and step into the Saudi marquee—a massive white tent just off the BKC connector in G Block—for sights, smells, and tastes of the destination.
If the lavender fields in northern Saudi Arabia or the resorts on Ummahat Islands in the Red Sea pique your interest, you can book your air tickets, hotel accommodations, and even apply for a Saudi visa at the event. You can get the visa within 48 hours if you bring your passport and a personal bank card with a minimum of USD 750 in your account. Here’s what to look out for at the Spectacular Saudi Mumbai event .
Entry is free. Walk in from the main entrance to the sounds of Khaleeji and folk music, accompanied by the scent of bakhour and oud ittar . Experience the hafawa , or Saudi welcome , with a complimentary cup of kahwa — Mumbai cutting chai style.
The beverage, a centuries-old recipe, is a strong concoction of Yemeni coffee, flavored with saffron and cardamom (possibly introduced to Saudi Arabia thousands of years ago by Arab traders from Kerala). Sukkari dates complete the welcome. Straight ahead, you’ll find a three-tiered platform of dried lavender flowers.
Northern Saudi Arabia enjoys a Mediterranean desertic continent.
