Riyadh

In 2024 we traveled to a conference on traditional (indigenous) environments in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It is a most un-indiginous environment. Following a western suburban development pattern since the 1950's, the city is a vast grid of superhighways, low-rise buildings, malls and SUV's. As with the other Gulf cities we visited, Saudi Arabia is undergoing a massive building boom using its vast oil wealth to place it among the financial and cultural centers on the world stage. With a population of 200k in 1960, Riyadh is 7.5 million today with an intent is to expand to 15 million in the next 7 years. Like China a decade ago this is the place building developers want to be.

The only historical artifact in the town beyond the preserved Murraba Palace district downtown, are the mud wall ruins of a palace in the Diriyah District that has been converted into a museum to be surrounded by a huge tourism, commercial and housing project. We also visited a new project in the Diplomatic District now incorporating a more traditional style and character.