Executive plan to convert Al Zahera district in Riyadh city in to a heritage and tourism site
ATP- Arab tourism portal- Al Zahera neighborhood in Riyadh downtown is one of the capital’s historic quarters, and it is under comprehensive preparations for being developed within the Historic City Centers Project.
Al Zahera district Al enjoys historical importance, occupies a central position in downtown Riyadh. Bordered by important roads in the capital, it forms a traditional architectural tissue consisted of a number of small individual properties looming severe deterioration, poor public services and utilities, as well as inadequate control over development of new circumstances in the area.
“Al Zahera neighborhood development project” aims at linking the architectural fabric of Qusr Al Hukm with the King Abdul Aziz Historic Center, as well as transforming Al Zahera area into a high-profile commercial center with shopping malls, libraries and service apartments, and the like services and facilities. In addition, it aims to redevelop the entire area securing basic services and infrastructure, and resale the area’s land to the investors, both individuals and organizations for development.
The project is carried out by a number of public and private organizations. Ar-Riyadh Development Authority (ADA), Riyadh municipality, SCTH, Ministry of Finance, and Riyadh Development Company are some of the salient partners.
The executive plan of the project was set within the Riyadh Center Development Project, which took two years for feasibility studies, traffic and infrastructure studies.
The operational plan aims to preserve the Al Zahera neighborhood and revival of activities commensurate with its historical nature. Rehabilitation and restoration of heritage buildings making them ready for use in various activities and preserving their architectural identity, creating attractive factors, such as deployment of heritage hotels and restaurants, creating number of cafés and shopping centres and shops for traditional crafts, promotion of events, festivals and activities that can contribute to attracting more visitors to the site, are on the cards.
Ar-Riyadh Development Authority (ADA), along with the Higher Executive Committee for Riyadh Planning and Projects has approved the architectural scheme for development of Al Zahera neighborhood which aims to develop the quarter and transform it into a tourist and heritage site as well as convert to integrated human environment capable of accommodation, trade and investment and entertainment activities.
Al Zahera is one of the concrete achievements on the ground in the Riyadh city. At the vanguard of them come Historic Diriyah Development Project, and Turaif Development Project, the last one to be registered in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List, in addition to, Wadi Hanifa Project and several other projects to develop heritage villages and towns across the Riyadh municipality.
These projects, which is considered as the most important elements of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Caring of the Kingdom’s Cultural Heritage, aim at developing city centers in a manner consistent with modernity and preserves the authenticity of those sites as cultural landmarks reflecting the history and identity of the Kingdom provinces’.
Historic city centers rehabilitation projects so far has included over 30 projects, some of them are concluded and others are under implementation.
