PROJECTS: Saudi Arabia's Diriyah Square project on track to open in 2024

Saudi Arabia's Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) said on Wednesday that construction of Diriyah Square is on track and the project is scheduled to be completed ahead of a 2024 opening.

 

Diriyah Square is the commercial district of DGDA's 190 billion Saudi riyal ($50 billion) heritage tourism giga project Diriyah Gate. Located in in Riyadh, Diriyah Gate aims to transform Ad-Diriyah, the birthplace and capital of the first Saudi state, into a significant educational, cultural, recreational, and hospitality hub.

 

Diriyah Square will host more than 450 global retail brands, complemented by an additional 100 local Saudi artisan souks, DGDA said in a press statement.

 

The statement said Diriyah Square's design is based on Najdi-inspired architecture and design principles, walkability, and includes laneways, open-air courtyards, and souks.

 

When complete, Diriyah Gate will feature world-class cultural, entertainment, retail, hospitality, educational, office and residential areas, including 38 hotels, a museum collection, 100 dining places, and the 141-key Samhan Heritage Hotel, the statement noted.

 

In June, Zawya Projects had reported that Diriyah Gate is set to award 16 billion riyals ($4.3 billion) worth of construction contracts in 2021. The report, quoting Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO, DGDA, said the Authority will open “tangible assets in districts” as early as the first quarter of 2022.