"Girls of Riyadh"'s popularity grew with the help of the Internet and the novel was praised by Saudi media. Black-market copies of the novel circulated and "Girls of Riyadh" has been a bestseller across much of the Middle East. The book was viewed by many as a 'taboo-breaking', giving insight into the inner lives and concerns of Saudi women. She successfully applied for permission to sell the novel in Saudi from Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Information. The book has attracted high-profile endorsement such as celebrated Saudi author and former ambassador to the UK Ghazi Al-Quasaibi, who wrote the prologue and praised it as 'worth reading'.