23 Facts About Riyadh

Deham built a wall around the city, and the best-known source of the name Riyadh is from this period, thought to be referring to the earlier oasis towns that predated the wall built by Ibn Dawwas.

Riyadh is the political and administrative center of Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh holds great economic significance, as it hosts the headquarters of many banks and major companies, such as the Saudi National Bank, Al-Rajhi Bank, SABIC, Almarai, STC, and Samba Financial Group.

Riyadh is one of the world's fastest-growing cities in population and is home to many expatriates.

The earliest known reference to the area by the name Riyadh comes from a 17th-century chronicler reporting on an event from the year 1590.

Related searches

The name "Riyadh, " meaning "gardens" refers to these earlier oasis towns.

Ibn Dawwas of Riyadh led the most determined resistance, allied with forces from Al Kharj, Al Ahsa, and the Banu Yam clan of Najran.

However, Ibn Dawwas fled and Riyadh capitulated to the Saudis in 1774, ending long years of wars, and leading to the declaration of the First Saudi State, with Diriyah as its capital.

When King Saud came to power, he made it his objective to modernize Riyadh, and began developing Annasriyyah, the royal residential district, in 1950.

Riyadh is the administrative and to a great extent the commercial hub of the Kingdom.

Riyadh has the largest all-female university in the world, the Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University.

The number of missiles which targeted Riyadh are a small portion of the dozens of missiles fired from Yemen at Saudi Arabia due to the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.

Riyadh has a hot desert climate, with long, extremely hot summers and short, very mild winters.

On 1 and 2 April 2015, a massive dust storm hit Riyadh, causing suspension of classes in many schools in the area and cancellation of hundreds of flights, both domestic and international.

Riyadh is divided into fourteen branch municipalities, in addition to the Diplomatic Quarter.

Unlike in the early days of development in Riyadh during which vernacular structures were razed to the ground without consideration, there is a new-found appreciation for traditional architecture.

The event, which restored Saudi control over Riyadh, has acquired an almost mythical status in the history of Saudi Arabia.

The meteorite fragment is known as the "Camel's Hump", recovered in 1966 from the Wabar site, that was on display at the King Saud University in Riyadh became the new entry piece of the National Museum of Saudi Arabia.

Six line Riyadh metro is under construction with the first line was expected to open by end of 2021, but now it is expected to open in 2023.

Riyadh has four Arabic newspapers; Asharq Al-Awsat, Al Riyadh, Al Jazirah and Al-Watan, two English language newspapers; Saudi Gazette and Arab News, and one Malayalam language newspaper, Gulf Madhyamam.

Ministry of Investment and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City announced on 13 July 2021 that they have partnered with SEK Education Group to open SEK International School Riyadh, its first campus in Saudi Arabia.

The new international school will welcome students from Pre-K to Grade 12, and will become one of the few schools in Riyadh accredited to offer the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme, and Diploma Programme .

Noor Riyadh is an annual festival and one of the four major projects under the mandate of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.