Riyadh’s Red Palace

The Red Palace front view, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Red Palace front view, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Riyadh’s Red Palace

The Red Palace front view, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Red Palace front view, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Showcasing iconic architecture and storing slices of history, the Red Palace museum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is considered a national landmark.

From March 13 to April 20, for two days a week, the palace is slated to display to visitors a number of possessions belonging to Saudi kings.

With King Abdulaziz, founder of Saudi Arabia, ordering the palace’s renovation in 1942 by his son, King Saud of Saudi Arabia, the building is nearly 80 years old today.

Soon after, the Red Palace’s doors were open to visitors, offering on display some of the Kingdom’s most treasured historical and archaeological artifacts. Beyond keeping log of national events and preserving relics, the building itself is Riyadh’s first-ever cement-built structure.

Until 1988, the Red Palace served as the headquarters of the Saudi Council of Ministers. The 16-wing architectural masterpiece is named after its apparent color.

Within its corridors, historic decisions were made, such as severing ties with France and Britain in 1956, stopping oil exports, and other stances that had global impact.

It also hosted several kings and heads of state and government, notably Gamal Abdel Nasser, Shukri al-Quwatli, Anwar Sadat, Jawaharlal Nehru and others.

Abdulla Al-Yami, author of “The Red Palace", says that the palace has electrical elevators and staircases that connect its floors which feature exceptional interior design and unique skeletal engravings.

The structure is also dotted with balconies that overlook breathtaking greenspaces.

In terms of design, Yami said the Red Palace is a genius work of architecture in terms of space distribution, unique design and meticulous execution. Its wings include sophisticated technologies and ceiling fans, as well as a rare skylight scheme.



Germany Goes Nuts for Viral 'Dubai Chocolate’

Pieces of Dubai chocolate with gold leaf are pictured at Abu Khaled Sweets oriental pastry shop in Berlin's Wedding district on November 14, 2024. (AFP)
Pieces of Dubai chocolate with gold leaf are pictured at Abu Khaled Sweets oriental pastry shop in Berlin's Wedding district on November 14, 2024. (AFP)
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Germany Goes Nuts for Viral 'Dubai Chocolate’

Pieces of Dubai chocolate with gold leaf are pictured at Abu Khaled Sweets oriental pastry shop in Berlin's Wedding district on November 14, 2024. (AFP)
Pieces of Dubai chocolate with gold leaf are pictured at Abu Khaled Sweets oriental pastry shop in Berlin's Wedding district on November 14, 2024. (AFP)

When Ali Fakhro lays out a row of pistachio-filled chocolate bars in the morning at his bakery in Berlin, he knows they will be gone in a matter of hours.

Inspired by the viral success of the crunchy delicacy known as "Dubai chocolate", Fakhro, 32, hunted down a recipe and began making his own version two months ago.

"On the first day I made 20 bars, but they went fast. The next day, I made 50 -- all gone too," he said.

So-called Dubai chocolate was invented in 2021 by British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda, who is based in Dubai.

The chunky treat consists of a blocky, hand-decorated chocolate bar with various quirky fillings -- the signature flavor being a rich pistachio cream.

The treat went viral when TikTok food influencer Maria Vehera posted a video of herself eating a bar in her car, which has since been viewed more than 100 million times.

The real thing is only available to local customers in limited quantities, but the trend has led to an explosion of copycat versions of the chocolate around the world.

Shop owner Ali Fakhro prepares Dubai chocolate at his Abu Khaled Sweets oriental pastry shop in Berlin's Wedding district on November 14, 2024. (AFP)

- Queueing in the cold -

Fakhro, who runs Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin, experimented "several times" with different recipes before finally landing on the right ingredient to give the pistachio cream its famous crunch -- a finely shredded Middle Eastern pastry known as kataif.

Germans have been scrambling to get their hands on the chocolate with bars selling for over 100 euros ($104) on the internet.

Last week, a 31-year-old man was caught by customs attempting to smuggle 45 kilograms of the sweet treat into Germany from Switzerland.

When Swiss manufacturer Lindt launched its own version of the Dubai chocolate in Germany this month, customers queued for hours in the cold to get their hands on a bar.

At up to 20 euros per bar, the delicacy is far more expensive than your average chocolate bar -- but that didn't seem to be putting anyone off.

"I waited 10 hours. I've been here since midnight just to taste this chocolate," 18-year-old student Leon Faehnle told AFP outside a Lindt shop in Stuttgart.

Customers line-up in front of a branch of chocolate producer Lindt before the sale of 100 Dubai Chocolate bars starts in Stuttgart, southern Germany, on November 15, 2024. (AFP)

- 'Easy money' -

Lindt launched the chocolate in Germany with 1,000 numbered bars in 10 shops, a spokesman for the group told AFP, and is planning a similar launch in Austria on November 30.

Dubai chocolate has also been a hit in France, with a version by chocolatier Jeremy Bockel on show at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris earlier this month.

Yannick Burkhard, 21, queued for three hours in Stuttgart to get his hands on the chocolate -- but is not planning to eat any of it himself. Instead, he will sell it on the internet.

"I would never pay that much for this. It's quick and easy money," he said with a smile.

"This bar cost 15 euros, but it can sell for almost 100 euros... There are lots of offers on eBay, up to 300 euros," said a customer who gave his name only as Lucas, 24.

Faehnle had a more wholesome plan for his bars as he exited the shop in Stuttgart beaming with pride at his purchase.

"Now I'm going to go home and share them with my grandparents," he said.