How is the flea market in Saudi Arabia

It is customary to bargain at the open-air market in the capital of Saudi Arabia. It's not even part of the shopping experience, it's already part of the fun. The al-Aqiliya market in Riyadh is very different from large shopping malls and designer boutiques, where haggling is disgraceful. But in the back alleys of this market, merchants, ready for a reckless oriental discussion about the price, smile affably at the buyers, wanting to sell them their various goods, for example, the fragrant incense that burns at their stalls and fills the air with a strong specific smell.

(Total 12 photos)

1. Traditional coffee pots (left) and colorful pottery at the al-Aqiliya market in Riyadh. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

2. The Saudis are trying to drop the price of traditional swords and daggers. These ornate weapons cost over 40 SAR ($10) each, but a set of 10 can be purchased at auction for around 100 riyals ($27). (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

3. Misfer al-Qahtani, 70, a retired National Guard officer, now trades in the al-Aqiliya market. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

4. Traditional coffee pots for sale. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

5. Row with clothes. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

6. Merchant and his goods. At the market in a special place, dozens of men drink tea, smoke and shout prices to each other in the struggle for handmade Arab swords, old mobile phones, wooden chests, copper and gold teapots and even a stuffed hawk. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

7. Jewelry. A man came to the market with a suitcase full of jewelry and sold the entire suitcase to the highest bidder. It took a few minutes for everything. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

8. Dagger merchants. One of them reads a poem on the theme of weapons. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

9. Traditional Saudi dagger on the belt of one of the merchants. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

10. Merchants are fighting for goods in the market al-Akiliya. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)

11. Trading day in full swing… (AP Photo / Hasan Jamali)

12. The buyer communicates with the seller in the market al-Akiliya. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)