Can you be a 21st century woman and a Saudi woman? Four friends come of age and look for love in a changing world.

Follow the social, romantic, and sexual tribulations of four young women in elite Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Based on Rajaa Alsanea’s explosive novel that shook the Middle East, this full-cast dramatisation is a powerful, moving and, at times, funny story of being a young woman experiencing life between two very different worlds. In between dating, shopping, drinking, dancing and having fun, the girls of Riyadh live by Saudi Arabia’s strict cultural traditions. Well, not quite... They’re still trying to be good Muslims and please their families. Their lives become a social experiment that brings into question what it means to be a good Muslim, a good daughter and a good friend - even when you are worlds apart.

Gamrah, Sadeem, Lamees and Michelle are the best of friends and have all dreamt of romance since they were young. Wanting a change from the strict rules of Saudi life, Gamrah embarks on married life a long way from home, but will Chicago make her happy? Sadeem, suffering the shame and injustice of a rejected proposal, flees to London to recover and meets the mysterious Firas. Is he the one she is looking for? Michelle is torn: she loves Faisal, but his conservative mother is proving an impediment to their marriage. Lamees, however, has a plan – and she is not going to share the same fate as her friends. The girls of Riyadh are hopeful, but will their hopes be dashed?

Originally released in Arabic in 2005, Rajaa Alsanea’s novel was immediately banned in Saudi Arabia due to the controversial and inflammatory content. Black-market copies were secretly exchanged, and the daring originality of Girls of Riyadh created a firestorm all over the Muslim world, spreading far beyond the Middle East. This powerful dramatisation of a seminal work by a Saudi woman tells the story of globe-trotting women trying to reconcile their traditional Arabic customs with life in a Western society. An engaging listen that resonates today just as much as when it was first released.

Cast and credits
Written by Rajaa Alsanea
Dramatised by Claudine Toutoungi
Directed by Emma Harding

Gamrah - Lara Sawalha
Sadeem - Laila Alj
Michelle - Jasmine Jones
Lamees - Nyla Levy
Faisal - Ikky Elyas
Rashid - Elham Ehsas
Firas - Moe Bar-El
Pilot/ Bookseller - Ian Conningham
Tara - Sinead MacInnes

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17th - 21st February 2000

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