About KSA - Riyadh and the central region.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, interesting information and many pictures.

Central Region

About KSA

The Central Region

Riyadh & Flaj

Playing: Yalely

Pictures to open: 23

Throughout these pages, my comments, are in maroon italic type.

Qasr Al-Hokm

Riyadh maintains its heritage while managing growth. The old Qasr Al-Hokm, was the seat of government in the heart of Riyadh a little over six decades ago. www.saudiembassy.net/publications/magazine-winter-97/riyadh-growth.htm

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Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom, located in the dry, desert heartland of central Saudi Arabia, derives it's name from the Arabic word for garden. A blend of the old and new, contemporary Riyadh has maintained its rich heritage while embracing change. www.saudiembassy.net/press_releasxe/00_spa/Riyadh2000.html

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The Al-Thumairi gate, in the center of Riyadh is an impressive restoration of one of the nine gates which use to lead into the city before the wall was torn down in 1950. www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/saudi_arabia/attraction.htm

The Al-Thumairi gate

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When King Abdul Aziz Ibn Abdul Rahman Al-Saud established the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, his capital covered an area of about one square mile with 30,000 inhabitants. In September 1999 the studies indicate that the city covered more than 600 square miles of land and housed 3.4 million people.
www.saudiembassy.net/press_release/00_spa/Riyadh2000.html

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Riyadh City Tower, the city's landmark www.i-cias.com/e.o/riyadh.htm

Riyadh City Tower

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Riyadh, a personal note:

When we spent one year living in Riyadh, during 1967, it was a nice place, I did my groceries and shopping while wearing trousers and a long sleeved blouse, loose fitting. We took desert trips and socialized with mixed groups and never faced any problems.
But this has changed, Riyadh has become very conservative, but only because the Matawa (ma-ta-wa, or religious police) want to keep it this way. They are every where, patrolling, to ensure that women (any female over 12) are covered from head to foot when in public, including their faces.
The matawa might even stop a couple or a car on the street and question a man as to who the woman with him is. I have heard that they have also stopped cars when they saw women without their faces covered. A man (or teen) being in the company of a women who are not immediate relatives (sister, mother, grandmother, daughter, wife, aunt, excluding cousins) are punishable, along with the woman.
Many many of those living in Riyadh will go to Jeddah during Eid or school breaks to enjoy the more openness and relaxed atmosphere that the city offers.

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modern building in Riyadh

Riyadh, a city of modern buildings. www.galen-frysinger.org/saudi_arabia.htm

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Riyadh enjoys a winter climate that is cool and pleasant with moderate temperatures. Rain is not unusual in the winter, nor are sand storms. Summer is dry and hot, but without the uncomfortable humidity of Jeddah or Dahran. www.mideasttravelnet.com/mideastsite/saudiarabia/cs.htm

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Park in Riyadh

Abundant public spaces allow residents to relax even in the heart of the capital.
www.saudiembassy.net/publications/magazine-winter-97/riyadh-growth.htm

Another park in Riyadh

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Second-hand Souk Mar. 2000: The second-hand souk is near the outskirts of Riyadh, exit 21 on the ring road. For Canadians who are addicted to week-end yard sales, garage sales, flea markets and closing out sales, this is the MOTHER of all flea markets. http://members.tripod.com/~Bob_Savage/pp7.htm

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Riyadh's airport

Inside the main area of Riyad's airport. www.geocities.com/mijimaki/arabia.html?r=1

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Although Riyadh has officially been the capitol of Saudi Arabia since 1932, it played second fiddle to Jeddah until the 1970s. Built with oil boom money, Riyadh is now a high-tech oasis of glass, steel and concrete, home to huge hotels, even larger hospitals nd one of the biggest airports in the world.
www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/saudi_arabia/attractions.htm

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Masmakh Fortress

Masmakh Fortress
Once the citadel in the heart of old Riyadh, the Masmak Fortress was built around 1865 and extensively renovated in the 1980s. The fort built of dried mud, is the fortress which AbdulAziz and his followers captured in 1902 and which begins the history of present-day Saudi Arabia. (more good pix of the fortress at the site)
www.mideasttravelnet.com/mideastsite/saudiarabia/cs.htm

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The original water well contained within the Masmak Fortress. www.saudiembassy.net/publications/magazine-winter-99/centennial.htm

Water well

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In 1987, a new and entirely refurbished zoo was opened. The new zoo was designed to provide the animals with room to move and suitable places to rest. Today it contains some 40 species, including bears, birds of prey, camels, elephants, hyenas, gazelles, leopards, lamas, lions, monkeys, rhinoceroses, tigers and a number of reptiles. www.saudinf.com/main/a8126.htm

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Dir'aiyah

Riyadhs most interesting attraction, the ruins of Dir'aiyah, was the Kingdoms first capital and is now the countries most popular archaeological site. Dir'aiyah was founded in 1446, reached the height of its powers at the end of the 18th century. www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/middle_east/saudi_arabia/attractions.htm

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Flyover road in Riyadh. www.du.edu/%7Eaalattas/pic.html

Roads in Riyadh

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Another flyover in Riyadh

Another view of the roads in Riyadh www.saudiembassy.net/publications/Magazine-Spring-01/Economy.htm

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An old house in Oniza, Riyadh, reflects the Saudi traditional designs and architecture on the walls. www.du.edu/~malsahib/view.htm

Old home

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Al Khariah mall

Olaya street is the main shopping street in Riyadh, they have a lot of stores with recognizably american names on them, written in both Arabic and English. There are several malls on Olaya, but one of the most popular is Al Khariah, here, a view of inside. www.cs.indiana.edu/hyplan/tloos/Riyadh/MoreRiyadh.html

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They do thing pretty grand in Saudi, like this gas station in Riyadh. http://members.tripod.com/~Bob_Savage/aug12.html

gas station

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Sports Stadium

King Fahad Sports Stadium in Riyadh www.du.edu/%7Eaalattas/pic.html

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The Ministry of Interior in Riyadh www.du.edu/~malsahib/view.htm

Ministry of Interior

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Adventures in Al Muwayh Al Qadim
The Saudi Arabian Natural History Society (SANHS) planned a visit to the old palace at old Muwayh. The new city of Muwayh (Al Muwayh Al Jadeed) is right off of the main highway from Taif to Riyadh. The Palace was originally a large Turkish fort. The Turks had ruled this country for 400 years until the likes of Lawrence of Arabia and Bedouin drove them out. www.baynardscastle.com/adventures/almuwayh.html

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The pictures below are of my husband's Grandfathers home, it was still standing when they visited the house in 2002. They wanted so much to remove the door for posterity, but it was holding up the main wall and they were afraid that all would collapse onto them if they removed it.

   Near Riyadh Al-Aflaj is a historic stop around the central region of Saudi. Al-Falaj goes back to the pre Islamic age with the tribes of Tasim and Jadais hundreds of years before Islam.
   Water sources: The area contains seventeen springs resulting in a total water area of 385200 meter sq though many are much smaller that they were originally some drying up completely.
   The Aflaj is made up of a group of villages and settlements based out of the main town of Leila named after the historic figures Qauis and Leila and their classical love story.   http://www.saudicities.com/alflaj.htm

Do you have anything interesting about Saudi, email me