Bookstores edited for Saudi tastes

Crowds of expatriate and Saudi shoppers mill about the door of the Jarir Bookstore in Riyadh, waiting impatiently for it to reopen after a brief closure for evening prayer.

As the lights go on and the doors are unlocked, Saudi men in traditional robes, women in abayas, and expatriates all pour in, rushing to crowded computer and electronics stations – and rows of bookshelves. Combining elements of Barnes & Noble, Staples, Michaels, and Best Buy, Jarir’s slogan, “not just a bookstore”, seems almost an understatement.

It is the largest listed book retailer in Saudi Arabia, with 21 stores and additional outlets in Kuwait, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. It also has nearly 50 per cent of the market for laptops in the kingdom. And Abdulkarim Alagil, chief executive, has ambitious plans to expand, with four more stores scheduled to open in Kuwait and two additional ones planned in Riyadh.