Yet against the hall’s 1990’s austere continental high walls, housing silhouettes of floating updos and silky trails, it was the Subabat’s traditional sensibility for me, albeit seemingly outnumbered, that filled the air with a temporary gravity. They pulled at my attention, and raised non-coherent questions, building up intrigue throughout the years.

A photo essay that recounts the history of Saudi women freelancers working in the hospitality field known as “Subabas” or coffee caterers, in Riyadh specifically, the social and economic factors that contributed to shaping their profession, their clear impact on the local and regional hospitality culture, the reasons behind their popularity despite the monopoly and competition practiced by commercial and other hospitality companies, and more.