Shopping at the 'One Riyal' Store in Madinah

Beyond being a place of worship, the city of Madinah has also become a ‘paradise’ for Indonesian Hajj pilgrims who enjoy shopping. As well as being an opportunity for ‘window shopping’, the department stores in Madinah sell various goods that can be bought as souvenirs for family and relatives waiting back home. Near the Prophet’s Mosque, specifically north of Gate 339 and opposite the Grand Plaza Almadina Hotel, there is a shopping centre often dubbed ‘Serba Satu Riyal’ (One Riyal Store). As the name suggests, most items sold are indeed bargain-priced at around 1-2 Saudi Riyals (SAR), although there are also goods priced above that. To reach the location, you simply go to the north side opposite the Grand Plaza Almadina and look for the Emaar Royal Hotel. The ‘Serba Satu Riyal’ building is right next to the Emaar Hotel, but you must go down one floor. On Sunday evening (14/6/2026), there were many Indonesian Hajj pilgrims shopping at the location. One of them was Sriana (72 years old), a pilgrim from Klaten, Central Java. That afternoon she had spent hundreds of riyals buying items such as prayer mats, lipstick, and prayer beads. ‘It’s much cheaper here compared to buying in Klaten,’ said the grandmother. Interestingly, even though the prices are already low, buyers can still bargain for the items they wish to purchase. She plans to distribute the goods she bought to her family and relatives at home. Like Sriana, Muhammad Azwar Habib Alawi (35 years old) also plans to give the items he bought at ‘Serba Satu Riyal’ as gifts for his family and neighbours in his hometown. That afternoon he bought items including key chains, wallets, lipstick, and eye liner. ‘It’s cheap here. There are items for 1 riyal, 2-3 riyals, in total I spent about 300 riyals,’ said the pilgrim from West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). He admitted he had visited the place several times. Previously he had bought various accessories such as dolls, tumblers, and mobile phone cases. ‘Many relatives entrusted me with requests, like nephews and my mother’s friends,’ Azwar said. One seller, Rahim (19 years old), said his shop is always crowded with visitors every day. ‘The most are Indonesians. There are also Malaysians, others are rare,’ said the young man from Pakistan. The average daily income at his shop is at least 2,000 riyals. Among the best-selling items are abaya fabric and perfume. At the location, one abaya is sold for 20-35 riyals, while the most expensive is 350 riyals. ‘The best abayas are from Turkey,’ he said. Additionally, his shop also sells gamis (long robes) with prices varying from 20 riyals to 100 riyals. ‘The most expensive gamis is 120 riyals,’ he said. Besides accessories and clothing, the ‘Serba Satu Riyal’ store also sells dates, such as at the Jawa Al Madina Dates Shop where most of the sellers are Indonesians. Prayer mats that can be inscribed with Arabic calligraphy according to the buyer’s request are also sold.