King Salman Science Oasis — Local services in Al Maathar Municipality

Note: after asked the receptionist, it was better to go on Saturday than Friday. On Saturday, there was energy exhibition, workshop, gallery, etc. Friday was only one, the energy exhibition.

I visited on Friday afternoon. The opening hours are from 4:00 pm to around 8:00 pm. Parking is available next to the building, and it’s very close to the Red Line metro. Since strollers are not allowed (as I had read beforehand from gmap), I used a baby carrier. I came with my family. My children are 10 yo, 8yo, and 4 months old.

At the entrance, we showed our tickets (booked before) (free entry). Inside, it wasn’t very clear which exhibitions were available because there was no map or guide.

In the Energy section, babies were not allowed, even if carried, and entry was limited to children aged 7 and above. This meant that only one exhibition Energy was accessible, but I couldn’t enter since I had the baby with me.

Then I saw two doors. I followed others going in, not realizing it was part of the Energy exhibition (since there was no guard there). Unfortunately, I was stared at for entering with the baby after I finished exploring (limited). The issue is that there was no clear signage at the entrance to indicate that it was the Energy exhibition, nor were the rules displayed.

It would be very helpful if each exhibition had a clear sign outside the entrance, stating both the name of the exhibition and the rules (for example: “Ages 7+ only,” “No strollers,” “No food or drinks,” etc.), so that visitors don’t have to wait for a staff...

They opened at 4:15 pm - then we were waiting an extra 10 minutes to be admitted in. I don’t know honestly if it’s worth it and the traffic you’ve to deal with after. They have two exhibits - Energy & Life Cycle. Please note that if you’ve children under the age of 6, we will not be allowed to the Energy Exhibit - all children need to be accompanied by an adult as well.

Life Cycle - the presenter spoke English well and engaged with the kids throughout the presentation. She was very kind and informative.

The building in itself was empty and didn’t see any other families at the oasis besides the one family we came with.

Overall, it’s not worth it but if you’ve the time and you want your kids to just run around and see cool things then go ahead. **Please understand I am someone who has visited many museums in the western world, so my standards are pretty high, but in due time I think it will get better إن شاء الله

Recommendations: Scheduled daily hands on activities for the general public, not just schools. Post on websites when these activities will take place. * You shouldn’t schedule activities and hands shows just on the weekends - it should be...

The King Salman Science Oasis (KSSO) is a massive, state-of-the-art science and technology center located in Riyadh, aiming to inspire future generations to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and to foster a culture of curiosity and critical thinking.

Things to know before visiting: Need to register/book ticket from platinumlist app and it's free. For visit from school open at 8-12AM. For single/family open at 16-20PM. On regular basis there's only two exhibition open for public, which is energy exhibition and life exhibition. For energy exhibition, age restriction applied for children under 7 not allowed. And children above required adult companion to enter the exhibition. For life exhibition, no age restriction.

Our children are really enjoying and learning a lot from the visit, both of the exhibition are very interactive and fun.

Very worth a visit if you are a...