Jamie Chua visits Saudi Arabia, struggles with trying camel meat

As countries slowly reopen their borders, those who've been wanting to satisfy their wanderlust have rushed to book themselves tickets out of sunny Singapore. 

Local socialite Jamie Chua is no exception. The 48-year-old took a trip to Paris with her partner last November, and more recently, she hopped on a plane to Saudi Arabia. 

Of course, she did not miss out on documenting the experience on her YouTube channel. Here's what she got up to. 

Feasting at Off White Restaurant & Lounge

While they share a name, this restaurant is not related to the popular Italian luxury fashion label. 

On Jamie's first day in Riyadh, she visited the restaurant for lunch and feasted on a variety of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food. 

She also ordered a massive fish that was bigger than her entire face.

"I wonder if I could put some in my handbag and then I could eat it along the way," she joked. 

Snapping Instagram-worthy photos at Maraya Hall

One destination that Jamie managed to check off her bucket list is Maraya Concert Hall, a massive mirrored building in the Al-Ula region.

Fun fact — the hall holds the Guinness World Record for being the largest mirrored building in the world and was also built in just two-and-a-half-months! 

In between vlogging and snapping pics for the 'gram, Jamie also asked a very important question — how is the building kept so spotless? 

"Doesn't it get dusty? Do they get somebody to wipe these mirrors every day like ten times?" she mused. 

An art museum in the desert 

Ever heard of an art museum that's situated in the middle of a desert? No, it's not a mirage — it actually exists.

Desert X AIUIa 2022, a recurring international art exhibition, was one of the other interesting destinations on Jamie's itinerary while she was in Al-Ula. 

Jamie had initially thought that this would be an air-conditioned museum, but the entire exhibit was actually outdoors.

Some of the works she saw include I Have Seen Thousands of Stars and One Fell in Al-Ula by Shaida Alem, which features a reflective star-shaped structure. 

Another mesmerising piece was Geography of Hope by Abdullah AlOthman. 

Nearly trying camel meat at Najd Village 

Jamie also popped by Najd Village in Riyadh for a grand feast. 

Here, she was presented with a wide variety of Saudi Arabian fare, which included camel meat. 

Jamie admitted she did not dare to try it,  opting to film her travel companions doing so instead. Apparently, it "tastes just like beef" and is "actually really good". 

Unfortunately, while they attempted to convince Jamie to try it for herself, she insisted she was too afraid to do so. 

Attending the Saudi Cup 

While there, Jamie also got the chance to attend the Saudi Cup. For the uninitiated, this is an international horse race that is said to be "the richest race in the world". 

So, of course, what better accessory to bring along to such a luxe event than a Micro Lady Dior? 

While on the way there, Jamie got caught in a traffic jam and took the opportunity to show her travel companion, Australian YouTuber Mel in Melbourne, her petite Micro Lady Dior bag. 

Though the women gushed about how the bag paired perfectly with Jamie's outfit, they admitted that the bag "fits nothing but is so cute". 

"It fits nothing but my patience," Jamie quipped.

Almost getting blown away at the red sand dunes 

To end off her trip, Jamie got up bright and early at 4.15am to visit Riyadh's famous red sand dunes. 

As it was still early in the day, it was "freezing", Jamie shared. 

It was also extremely windy to the point where Jamie's bandana was blown off her hair and she had to "seek refuge" in the car.  

Nevertheless, she still managed to catch the sunrise and capture some stunning shots for the 'gram, so all's well that ends well. 

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ALSO READ: Jamie Chua flaunts her Louis Vuitton collection and reveals why she doesn't put anything in half of them

melissateo@asiaone.com