The perennial question of summer (in our office, at least) is not just where to go, but how deep a change we crave. Do we seek renewal in the thrill of the unfamiliar or in a more meaningful appreciation of the familiar? Home or away? This issue celebrates that delightful tension, with a collection of stories that honour both the grand escape and the local discovery.

Shebara Pool

Shebara Pool

The Ned, Doha

The Ned, Doha

Shebara (L) and The Ned Doha (R)

There is, of course, the siren song of “away, away,” and the first port of call is often Europe.

Rebecca Anne Proctor charts Italy’s latest wave of reinvention, where glorious hotels are rewriting la dolce vita with 21st-century hospitality (p 60). Widening the aperture, Eva Ramirez distils the essence of sun-drenched glamour, curating the season’s most stylish beach clubs from the Côte d’Azur, all the way back to the Red Sea (p 36).

Helen Elfer Riyadh by Night 000

Helen Elfer Riyadh by Night 7

Helen Elfer explores Riyadh by night

Yet, the most resonant journeys can be those that begin right here in the Kingdom.

In her aptly titled chronicle, Sleepless in Riyadh (p 24), Helen Elfer captures the nocturnal energy of the capital through an outsider’s curious gaze, reminding us how a shift in perspective can make the familiar new. So, too, can a sense of adventure within our own borders, to the quieter corners where life moves at a different pace. Dalia Darweesh charts just that, with her guide to the cool mountain climes of Taif and Abha (p 20).

ABC Chef Abdul Latif LAM Bakery Paris 1

LAM Bakery interior

Abdul Larif Alrashoudi of LAM Bakery, Paris

The lines between home and away can often blur.

Some of our most compelling stories unfold in the spaces between, as Nadia Michel finds in the unexpected kinship between Saudi and Japanese cultures (p 56), a shared philosophy of craft that bridges two worlds. This theme is echoed in Becky Lucas’s profile of a Saudi doctor-turned-patissier in Paris (p 40), who has so successfully carved out a corner of home in the City of Light that he rarely feels the need to leave.

Ultimately, whether you find yourself abroad or at home, the goal remains the same: to return with a renewed sense of wonder. The true joy, we hope this issue reveals, is knowing you have both paths to choose from.

Read our Home & Away edition here

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