RIYADH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman will inaugurate the Historical Diriyah Development Project next Thursday after the area was chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage site.
Diriyah City Council Head Shaie Al-Quraini said Historical Diriyah will be a tourism attraction for domestic and foreign tourists supervised by the High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh (HCDA), the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and Diriyah Municipality.
“The area includes Al-Turaif District and Al-Bijairi District. The project will build a bridge connecting the two districts as the main activities and central outdoor events arena will be in Al-Turaif District. There will be several stores and a shopping center with 38 different stores for handmade crafts and traditional food,” said Al-Quraini.
He also said visitors will be able to stroll in Diriyah Park after parking their cars in a parking lot that has a capacity of 230 vehicles.
“The project includes the establishment of Sheikh Mohammad Abdulwahab Cultural Association. The association will be responsible for displaying the history of Sheikh Mohammad Abdulwahab and his role in unifying the Kingdom. The project will also renovate the mosque he used to pray in and renovate Al-Thuwaihirah Mosque for people to pray in,” said Al-Quraini.
He added tourists can choose between 30 different hotels to stay in and academics and historians will have access to research centers they can work from.
“The project is currently in its execution phase. After years of research and implementation, part of Al-Bujairi District is finally complete and that is what the King will be inaugurating on Thursday,” said Al-Quraini.
