CONSIDER, BEFORE WE begin, that not long ago, the grassy pitch of Riyadh’s Al-Awwal Park was desert, and even before that, it was underwater. Around 250 million years ago—give or take—much of what we call the Arabian Peninsula was submerged beneath an ancient sea that teemed with life: algae, diatoms, and sundry other prehistoric critters in their trillions. When these creatures died, their bodies littered the ocean floor and became trapped. Bedrock accreted. Tectonic plates drifted, smashed together. And, under pressure and heat and time, those organisms transformed into the substance we now know as crude oil.
Whole eras pass. The dinosaurs come and go. Continents break up, sea levels fall, and a new landmass rises from the waves, eventually giving way to an inhospitable desert. The resourceful Homo sapiens that do make it their home toil and quarrel until the early 20th century, when much of the territory falls into the hands of the warrior they call Ibn Saud, who proclaims his fiefdom the new Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Then, fortune: Prospectors discover that the bygone ocean has left behind some of the richest oil-and-gas reserves anywhere on the planet, making the ruling family of this fledgling desert kingdom among the wealthiest human beings alive.
The point being that places change—slowly, continuously, and, on rare occasion, all at once. Oh, and that for the craziness of what follows to make sense, perhaps keep in mind that while money doesn’t grow on trees, it does, in a few places, flow freely from the earth.
This story is from the March 2024 edition of GQ US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2024 edition of GQ US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
How New York's Social Life Went Members-Only
A new wave of private restaurants, workspaces, wellness centers, and nightclubs has taken New York City by storm. Emily Sundberg gets inside most of them-and helps us understand why so many young New Yorkers are gleefully shelling out membership dues.
COLMAN DOMING REACHED THE SUMMIT NOW WHAT?
After three-plus decades in Hollywood, Colman Domingo finally found his work validated with an Oscar nomination-and became the new king of red-carpet style. Here, he gives us an exclusive first look at Loro Piana's luxurious new camping collection, and talks about the career opportunities he's been preparing to seize all his life.
WHY IS EVERYONE ON STEROIDS NOW?
Suddenly, steroids and a slew of other performance enhancers are moving out of the shadows and into the fitness routines of a new category of enthusiastic user. Across the internet and in gyms, how did body-modifying drug use become so ubiquitous, so effective, so...normal? And can it really be a good thing?
NEW YORKS GREAT BRICK-AND-MORTAR SHOPPING REVIVAL
The clothes are glorious. The vibes are immaculate. And the options are endless. We visited five of the city's buzziest shops for a look at the summer's best new threads worn by their stylish staffs, and to find out what's driving the return of NYC street retail.
THE OUTLAW TALES OF PESU PLUMA
He grew up listening to Ice Cube and Travis Scott, unless he was singing along to the corridos that immortalized larger-than-life Mexican legends. Now, the mullet-rocking superstar is fast becoming as famous as his rap idols-and as compelling as the folk heroes he used to sing about.
LET THE LUXURY GAMES BEGIN
This summer, as athletes and fans descend on the Paris Olympics, LVMH is spending a fortune making sure its brands are enmeshed in the Games. It's the grandest convergence of sports and luxury ever-but what can it tell us about the Arnault family's broader ambitions
KEVIN COSTNER BETS IT ALL AGAIN
For years, Kevin Costner had an obsession he couldn't shake: A four-part film epic called Horizon that has so far cost him $38 million of his own money. Now, he talks in-depth for the first time about why he left Yellowstone and why he's placing one of the most grandiose bets in Hollywood history on himself.
MEET THE WILDEST CHARCTER IN THE WORLD'S MOST INFLUENTIAL MUSIC SCENE
Right now, to be the most important new voice in Afrobeats means you might just be the most important new voice in global music, period. That title currently belongs to Asake, a Nigerian singer with bonkers style and a penchant for making speaker-melting hits.
MARNI'S FRANCESCO RISSO WILL NEVER GROWUP
The eccentric Italian designer is proving that the very serious business of fashion doesn't have to be very serious at all.
WELCOME TO LAUREN HALSEY'S NEIGHBORHOOD
The red-hot 36-year-old artist has achieved global success with a very local approach: applying imaginative, laserlike focus to a few square blocks of her hometown. In doing so, she renders and reflects what it's actually like to live and work in-and never, ever leave-South Central Los Angeles.
