Ramadan in Saudi Arabia ‘like nowhere else’

RIYADH: Every Wednesday, in one of Riyadh’s many restaurants, groups of strangers from all walks of life meet over dinner for the first time.

In an increasingly disconnected world, people are looking for new ways to cope with isolation and forge genuine relationships.

“I kept seeing Timeleft’s ads on social media and I thought expanding my social circle would be a great idea, as it never hurts to try new things from time to time,” Muhannad Zahra, an engineering student and freelance filmmaker and designer from Saint Kitts & Nevis, told Arab News.

He is referring to the app through which you book dinner with strangers who are selected via a personality quiz and criteria such as budget.

This new platform has gained popularity around the world as a way of linking like-minded individuals, either in their home city or while traveling.

Taiwanese tourist TaoFang Chang, who goes by the name Jessie and works remotely, decided to take a long trip to visit Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Poland for the first time.

Landing at King Khalid International Airport, she was intrigued by the country in which she found herself.

“I was interested in all the countries in the Middle East, the culture and the religion, and what the people here think about marriage and relationships. On these trips, I’m not planning to go to a lot of attractions; I’m more interested to meet with the people,” she explained.

Timeleft is popular in Taiwan, she said, but she had never tried it.

“When I saw this was in Riyadh, I was so surprised. So for me it was good, because I downloaded Bumble and set my location to Riyadh, but I couldn’t find interesting people. I thought maybe Timeleft can give me an interesting surprise to meet some new people.”

On her first night in Riyadh, she dove headfirst into an event and met 10 people from six countries, including Saudi Arabia, India, Morocco, Yemen and St. Kitts & Nevis. 

She said: “Everyone around the world is dealing with this issue of loneliness because humans are social beings. In Taiwan, we have a lot of these kinds of applications, not just Timeleft … we don’t have time to make friends.

“In Asia, because we use Instagram where a lot of information comes to us and every day we see thousands of pieces of information from the internet, we think ‘everyone is different and happy, so why is it only me (who feels) unhappy or not good enough or not successful or (without) achievement?’ but of course it’s a mask. Everyone’s the same, just posting positive things. Everyone feels lonely.”

While the platform offers the chance to meet new people in a rapidly growing city, not everyone is convinced this novel concept is a cure for loneliness.

Muhannad Zahra said: “I don’t think it’s the best idea to make new friends online or through social media. I like old school, whether from work, relatives or coffee shops. Timeleft isn’t a guaranteed friend-making platform, nor is it a dating app. It just gives you a kickstart to meet people, then the rest of the effort is on you and your personality. It’s a bit more hectic this way as people are still opening up and not used to it.”

On signing up, users complete a personality quiz that is supposed to match you with other people who have compatible traits and interests. Some users said the results seemed to be based on age, rather than personality.

Other platforms, like Bumble BFF and BeFriend, allow users to swipe left or right on profiles that do or do not appeal to them based on images. But platforms like Timeleft purport to focus solely on personality. Users have no way of knowing who their dining companions will be aside from their nationality, revealed a day prior.

Zahra’s first experience was at an Italian restaurant in Riyadh. He said: “There are some significant differences in personality from one person to another. For me, it wasn’t difficult to get along with them.

“As I joined multiple dinners, I noticed a pattern where 30 percent of users are introverts, 50 percent just moved to Riyadh and want to make new connections, and 20 percent join for no reason and no goal, and they don’t seem interested during the dinner as well.”

Ali Bin Salman met Zahra at his second Timeleft experience. The two found they connected on several levels and ended up on the same table at their next booking.

“I never have high hopes when meeting new people so as to not get disappointed later. But out of the 20 people that I met, I feel like three friendships will live on for a while,” Zahra said.

Bin Salman was born in Saudi Arabia but lived in Yemen and Egypt for six years. He was keen to re-explore the social scene on his return, leading him to check out Timeleft.

Describing the difficulty of moving to Riyadh, he said: “It’s not completely lonely, but it’s hard to meet people, especially in reality. It feels so artificial and the people are distant in a way. The ads were everywhere in Egypt, and when I came back here I tried it for the first time.”

Each Wednesday usually sees two dinner tables hosted at the chosen restaurant. At 8pm, when guests are expected to arrive, a game is unlocked consisting of ice-breaker questions such as “What is your secret talent?” or “Where is the strangest place you have visited?” It gives those attending a chance to get to know each other on a deeper level.

But the thrill of dining with strangers has its downside as well. It is up to users to build on the initial connection themselves.

Bin Salman said: “It does take effort, potentially, and you might feel like you’re not building into something. With friendships, you start as strangers, and then you build something, and then you become close friends. But if you keep going a lot (to different dinners), you will not build friendships. You will just build acquaintances at best.” 

RIYADH: The MENA population is most at risk for noncommunicable diseases for those over 60 years, according to research by the Saudi anti-aging organization Hevolution Foundation.

Noncommunicable diseases include cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, which represent up to one-third of the disease burden in the region.

The findings were highlighted at an event ahead of the group’s Global Healthspan 2025 summit in Riyadh, which runs from Feb. 5-6, with more than 70 sessions and in excess of 100 speakers expected.

The event will bring together an international crowd of academics, scientists and stockholders in the global healthspan space, organizers said.

According to research, Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of NCDs in the Gulf, with a prevalence of 32.15 percent responsible for 73 percent of all deaths.

With the number of people over 60 in Saudi Arabia set to double by 2050, the Kingdom is employing cutting-edge research in aging biology.

Boasting more than SR1.5 billion ($400 million) in research grants and early-stage biotech investments, the Riyadh-based organization is a philanthropic funder of geroscience, an area of research dedicated to advancing the human healthspan — extending the age at which a person remains healthy.

The organization says that while the average lifespan in Saudi Arabia is about 74 years, the average healthspan is 64 — indicating a decade-long gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy — and many are living the final years of their lives in poor health.

During the summit, Hevolution will announce the launch of the Saudi Biotech Pitchfest, to showcase the Kingdom’s rapidly growing biotech sector. Twelve Saudi biotech companies, from startups to more established enterprises, will present their innovative solutions aimed at addressing the challenges of aging.

The competition will feature 10-minute pitches, which will be judged by a distinguished panel that includes Prince Khalid bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al-Saud, founder and CEO, KBW Ventures; Abdulrahman Alolayan, CEO of BetaLab; Dr. William Greene, CIO of Hevolution Foundation; and Dr. Christoph Westphal, co-founder of Longwood Fund.

Hevolution will also launch the second round of its grants program in Saudi Arabia, with 14 new awardees for 2025.

This round saw a 20 percent increase in eligible submissions, underscoring the growing interest in the field.

The grantees represent leading institutions across Saudi Arabia, including KAIMRC, Al-Maarefa University, Fakeeh College, University of Tabuk, KAUST, KSU, and Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University.

The foundation also plans to announce a two-year grant program to create the first cohort of age researchers in Saudi Arabia.