The ancient capital of Diriyah is reborn as part of Saudi Arabia’s array of Vision 2030 projects.
Just 20 minutes from the high-rise buildings of Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, the evocative, ancient mud-brick walls of Diriyah transport visitors back in time, to a glorious historic era. This dilapidated old city was founded in the 15th century as a fortified outpost along the Wadi Hanifa River. Caravans of camel traders would stop and replenish supplies at the important desert oasis.
But Diriyah’s greatest fame arrived in the mid-1700s, as the birthplace of the first Saudi state, under the leadership of Imam Muhammad bin Saud, whose family linked up with renowned religious scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab to create a powerful new state.
Their capital of Diriyah would dominate much of the Arabian Peninsula, ushering in a grand new era of Saudi influence and history. It thrived as the cultural and intellectual center during a golden age in Saudi history, until falling to Ottoman forces in the early 1800s. The city was razed and left in ruins even after nearby Riyadh became the new capital in the late 19th century.
The ancient palaces and atmospheric mud walls, just 15 kilometres away served not only as a reminder of past glory, but also the unpredictability of history. With its old winding alleys and unique Najdi-style mud-brick architecture, Diriyah remains one of the most important heritage sites in Saudi Arabia. In 2010, Diriyah’s well-preserved ancient district of At-Turaif became an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Of course, few around the world might have ever imagined seeing it in person, as Saudi tourism has long been constrained to a trickle of international travelers. Until a recent series of dramatic changes opened up a country that has quickly been embraced by tourists, says Zahy Khoury, Director of Development Middle East and Africa for Minor, a Thai-based hotel chain that is among the fastest growing in Asia, and globally.
“We are seeing groups from all over. Before, it was mainly business travel or religious tourism. Now, groups from Canada, Germany, all over, are flying in for the first time ever to the Middle East. We see independent travelers, even backpackers,” he says. “It’s booming.”
Hotel groups, entrepreneurs and other potential investors are also flocking to this vast, little-explored nation that is larger than Mexico. All the big brands are represented. Diriyah’s first luxury hotel opened last year, the Bab Samhan, a 123-room property featuring 23 suites, operated by Marriott International. Another three dozen plush properties have been announced for the former ancient capital, from top chains like Rosewood, Aman, Armani, Orient Express, Six Senses, Waldorf Astoria, Raffles and Ritz-Carlton.
Khoury says Saudi is now one of the top areas of growth for Minor, which signed a deal in May 2022 to open an Anantara luxury hotel in Diriyah, and has dozens of other projects in discussion. This is in line with Saudi plans to ramp up hospitality with a goal of 150 million tourists by 2030. The country reported 122 million tourist visits last year, but the figure includes domestic travelers.
Hilton is among the most bullish operators. This year should see the opening of LXR Hotels & Resorts offering a high-end boutique experience in Diriyah. It’s part of an astonishing group of 100 hotels in development or planned by Hilton for Saudi Arabia, according to Carlos Khneisse, Vice President, Development, Middle East & Africa for Hilton. These would feature an estimated 22,000 rooms across 14 brands, with a total investment of over US $8 billion. The group’s 200-room Waldorf Astoria Diriyah Gate is scheduled to open in 2028.
“Saudi Arabia is witnessing incredible momentum, with travel at the heart of this transformation,” he told Gulf Business last October. “We’re proud to be supporting this vision as the country works toward its goal of attracting 150 million visitors annually by 2030.” He said the Hilton properties would add an estimated 15,000 jobs as Saudi works to diversify its economy.
Dhiriya will play a prominent role in reshaping tourism and perceptions of visitors, with plans underway to rebuild the ancient capital as one of the key parts of the country’s Vision 2030, a massive plan for an astonishing array of new infrastructure, modernization and increased sustainability.
In January, contracts were awarded to extend the Metro from Riyadh to this ancient city. Soon you will be able to ride the Red Line from the capital, and in 15 minutes be transported back 500 years. In a simple twist of fate, the old capital will be reborn as a catalyst for Saudi’s bold vision of the future.
The grand initiative was launched a decade ago under the guidance of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, but spearheaded by his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Vision 2030 features a bevy of high-profile projects and investments totaling about US $1 trillion, although some estimates suggest capital outlay of US $1.3 trillion.
The projects include new resorts on the Red Sea, futuristic buildings by famed international architects, and most daring, The Line, a science-fiction style 170-kilometre-long mirrored linear city through the desert designed to house nine million people without cars, streets or carbon emissions, powered entirely by renewable energy.
In comparison, the US $63.2 billion plan for Diriyah might seem more modest. Or sensible, but the scale and ambitions are still breathtaking. Plans call for scores of top hotels, with many of the world’s best brands already on board, along with Michelin-star restaurants. But heritage and culture will be key, says Jerry Inzerillo, the boisterous American CEO of Diriyah Gate Company, which is overseeing this mega project.
The 14-square kilometre site is about four times the size of New York’s Central Park, and he describes the project in his thick Brooklyn accent as one of the greatest in the world.
A legend of a half century in the entertainment and hospitality industries, he was president of Kerzner Entertainment Group, where he launched landmark properties like Atlantis and One & Only. He was appointed CEO at Diriyah in 2018, after four years as CEO with Forbes Travel Guide.
Inzerillo says the masterplan includes museums, educational facilities and universities, along with many custom-designed areas like Diriyah Media and Innovation District, which he says will feature 500 tech companies, 100 media companies and 50 entertainment companies. “It’s an amalgamation of art, our Silicon Valley—the Silicon Valley of Saudi Arabia, media and entertainment they are all interrelated now.”
Yet Inzerillo also consistently emphasizes how the project has been designed to highlight the heritage, unique design and authenticity of Diriyah, drawing considerable praise from officials. At the ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market) trade show in Singapore last summer, Saudi Arabia commanded attention with a huge presence at a travel fair for nearly the first time. Diriyah was the main attraction, showcased with films and books to an influential audience of top travel agents, media and booking agencies.
“This is our most precious heritage,” said Nashwa Yasser Aldaghash, the Tourism & Engagement Senior Manager, as she showed videos explaining plans for meticulous, authentic renovation. “We want to restore everything perfectly because all Saudis cherish Diriyah.”
Khoury, who is of Lebanese heritage, but from Montreal, has great praise for the design and planning of Diriyah’s rebirth. He’s been visiting Saudi Arabia for 15 years, and has witnessed tumultuous changes, along with previous mega-projects that have transformed wealthy petrol-states around the region, often with outlandish modern architecture, artificial islands and towering skyscrapers. Diriyah, in contrast, “has a good plan,” that emphasizes the traditional local style. The design is Najdi, which is Arabian-Gulf style inspired. Diriyah’s renovation is being carefully planned to restore the historic old look.
It’s all part of an ambitious plan to transform not only tourism, but the entire country. “Tourism has become a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s economic transformation,” Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb told the World Economic Forum this January. He noted that the fledging industry already contributes nearly five percent of the country’s GDP, and employs over a million people.
Putting it in perspective is that Ahmed Al-Khateeb is the first, and only tourism minister in the country’s history. And he was only appointed six years ago, when a royal decree transformed the much more modest Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTH) into a full ministry, and rapidly ramped up its projects, goals, tourism numbers, and vision.
The aim is to not only increase tourism and understanding of Saudi Arabia, but improve opportunities for a rapidly-changing population. And to invest heavily in a dramatic transformation, while the petrol-rich nation can afford to. Saudi Arabia is actually quite wealthy, with the largest economy in the Middle East, and generally ranked in the top 20 in the world, with a GDP estimated at US $1.4 trillion.
It’s also become more involved in regional and global affairs. In February, it hosted meetings between US and Russian officials over the war in Ukraine. Upcoming are plans to host the Asian Cup (football), the FIFA World Cup and Expo 2030, a six-month world’s fair that aligns with the timeline of its Vision 2030.
In Diriyah, they have a chance to look to the past, and invest in their heritage as a way of guiding the future transformation. “It’s a magical time in the Kingdom,” Inzerillo has noted. While he loves talking about the flashy futuristic projects, he also extolls the renovation of Diriyah, which moved him greatly on his first visit in the 1990s. “The future can only be anchored with the values of the past.”
