video: Riyadh by Day

In early November 2023, I travelled from London to Varanasi for a four day mini-break. My journey included a five hour layover in Larnaca followed by 10/11 hours in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Unlike what most squares would do in this scenario, I decided to neither grab a short nap in a hotel or wait in the airport lounge, and instead took an Uber to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, then an underwhelming museum and then back to the airport.

There was free bottled water available throughout the UNESCO site, which was nice, but the access to it was via a restaurant and boutique lined road that screamed “Bicester Village”, which set a poor tone for engaging with a historical monument.

I spent a lot of time thinking about Dune, then feeling bad for associating deserts and Islamic imagery more with genre fiction/cinema than with a real place.

Here is a five minute long video of landing into Riyadh and then hanging out at this monument, accompanied by a commentary I recorded once home about the experience.

Would I go back? Well, I only went this time as it was on the way somewhere else, so in similar circumstances, maybe yes? I’m certainly not rushing to plan a trip there again next month, though, if that’s what you meant??? Whoever you are?

The one day visa also cost me one hundred pounds (tho maybe would have been cheaper if I’d sorted in advance, but I honestly don’t know?), so I feel I definitely spent more there than I’d planned to…

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scott manley hadley aka SOLID BALD live

Here’s a video of me recently performing at the prestigious (it has a Wikipedia page) comedy night, Quantum Leopard. Listen to how much fun the crowd is having. You could have that much fun, too!

Forthcoming gigs include the following – there may/will be others:

20th November: Jest Another Comedy, Watford

30th November 2025: Mirth Control, Covent Garden

3rd December: Cheshire Cheese Comedy Night – 30 min excerpt of BALD PERSONALITY DISORDER

18th February 2026, 7.30pm: Laughable, Wanstead Library

26th February 2026: Mirth Control, Bexhill-on-Sea

12th March 2025: BALD PERSONALITY DISORDER 30 MIN WIP at Glasgow International Comedy Festival

26th March 2026, 7.30pm: Comedy @ Cosmic, Plymouth

May 2026: BALD PERSONALITY DISORDER FULL LENGTH WIP at the BRIGHTON FRINGE