Details of two high-profile developments, Qurain Cultural District and Northern District, to be developed within its $63.2 billion Diriyah project, on the outskirts of Saudi capital Riyadh, were revealed today (November 20) by Diriyah Company, a dynamic mixed-use developer that is transforming Saudi Arabia’s historic birthplace into a vibrant new capital of culture and entertainment destination.
These multi-billion dollar educational and arts districts show the accelerating growth and development of Diriyah, The City of Earth, one of the largest and most distinctive urban development projects in the world, which spans 14 square kilometers, the mega Saudi developer announced during the second edition of its annual international event (Bashayer – Delivering our Future).
International investors, hotel chains, construction businesses, infrastructure specialists, and representatives from the sports, arts, culture, tourist, and retail industries all attended the Bashayer – Delivering our Future event.
The audience was informed about the new districts as well as the status of important assets and the quick progress being made in the construction process.
According to the Diriyah Company, it is dedicated to creating the Qurain Cultural District, a thriving worldwide center where culture and contemporary urban living collide. It will include a wide variety of arts, retail, office, and residential spaces for people to live, work, shop for local businesses, and eat at local restaurants.
According to the statement, its multidisciplinary cultural offerings would encompass resources in a variety of fields, such as a movie theater, museums, and many academies that teach literature, traditional Najdi architecture and mud construction, Arab music, cuisine, performing arts, and theater.
Two top-notch hotels and branded residences will also be located in the Qurain Cultural District. These include the Address Diriyah, which will have 204 rooms and 60 serviced apartments, and the Ritz-Carlton Diriyah, which will feature 165 residences and 195 rooms.
In addition, the district will have 19 mixed-use buildings with offices, shops, and apartments; 10 of these buildings will offer boutique office spaces, and there will be a variety of retail stores and dining establishments.
A joint venture between Nesma & Partners Contracting Company and MAN Enterprise Al Saudia was given a SAR 5.8 billion ($1.55 billion) contract to create the Qurain Cultural District.
With the help of the King Salman Foundation, museums, a university, a library, and a bustling public plaza, the Northern District will transform Diriyah into a global hub for researchers, students, and dreamers.
The recently revealed Capella Diriyah, a 100-room luxury hotel that represents Capella Hotels and Resorts’ ground-breaking launch into the Middle East, will also be located in the new zone.
With the announcement of a SAR7.8 billion ($2 billion) joint venture contract with China State Construction Engineering Co-operation (CSCEC) and El Seif Engineering Contracting Company, construction has already begun on parts of the Northern District.
The first of Diriyah’s 40+ hotels, the 134-room Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection Hotel, is hosting the second Bashayer.
At the end of this year, the new facility, which is designed to showcase the 300-year-old Najdi architectural elements, will open to visitors.
Commenting on the new high-profile districts, Diriyah Company Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said: “Qurain Cultural District and Northern District are two of our most important and significant areas of the Diriyah masterplan and demonstrate the range and diversity of what our City of Earth has to offer.”
“They will both become global centers of excellence, of knowledge, learning and creativity as Diriyah once more becomes a gathering place for the world,” stated Inzerillo.
“We are delighted to share details of these major developments at Bashayer and share once more the unique range of investment opportunities and partnerships the Diriyah Company has to offer the world,” he added.
One of Saudi Arabia’s five megaprojects, the Diriyah project is supported by the Public Investment Fund, the fifth-largest sovereign wealth fund in the world. It is constructing homes for 100,000 people, generating 178,000 jobs, and is expected to host 50 million tourists annually in the future. Additionally, it is contributing $18.6 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP.
This 14-square-kilometer construction, which is only a 15-minute drive from Riyadh’s city center, is significant historically as the birthplace of Saudi Arabia, having been established in 1727.
It is currently being built by Diriyah Company and is being transformed into a mixed-use urban neighborhood in the true Najdi style.
The main attraction of Diriyah is At-Turaif, the 2010 Unesco World Heritage Site that features the First Saudi State’s 1766 adobe capital city.
