Ancient site could be tourist magnet
Saudi Arabia prepares to open the Unesco World Heritage site in Diriyah to tourists
Just outside Riyadh, a group of elementary schoolchildren are on a field trip at Diriyah, where engineers and construction workers are busy restoring a 17th-century fortress, mosques and clay-coloured structures that were once the ruling family’s seat of power.
The Unesco World Heritage site lies in a conservative, arid patch of the country, but the kingdom is hoping to alter perceptions as it prepares to open the country to tourist visas and international tour groups later this year.
Diriyah is an especially important site to the ruling Al Saud family because it’s here where the first Saudi dynasty was founded in the 15th century. The architecture here is associated with the tribes of Najd, the landlocked region in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula that is now home to Riyadh and surrounding cities.
Today, much of Diriyah remains closed to the public as authorities work to restore it to its former glory. “There is an amazing amount of history here,” said Chris Brooks, who frequently comes to Riyadh on business. With a few hours to spare between meetings, he decided to visit Diriyah and take some photos to share with his family back in the UK.
For Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, Diriyah is part of a much larger national project to overhaul the country’s economy and make it more resilient in the face of lower oil prices. Boosting domestic spending and opening the country to foreign tourists are seen as ways to create more jobs for the millions of young Saudis who will be entering the workforce and looking for jobs in the coming years.