The City of Light looks set to inspire Saudi Arabia’s next project as a Champs- Élysées-inspired boulevard was announced for the historic city of Diriyah.
Spanning the same length of 1.9km as its French counterpart, The King Salman Boulevard is expected to welcome visitors from 2028, being populated with a series of attractions including The Royal Diriyah Opera House, a state-of-the-art convention centre, performance arena, mosque, and museums. And for keen shoppers, the thoroughfare will of course be home to some of the world’s biggest fashion names.
Slated to cost $63.2 billion, the Diriyah project will also see 42 hotels – the first to open to early next year – more than 100 restaurants, some 30,000 residential properties and a new 27-hole championship golf course designed by Australian former major winner Greg Norman in Wadi Safar. There will even be an equestrian and polo club that will be home to up to 180 horses and two polo fields.
“Every year we will open, ground-break and announce assets until the fabulous world Expo in 2030,” said Jerry Inzerillo, chief executive of Diriyah Company in reference to Riyadh’s latest accolade of the world’s fair.
Located 14 minutes to the northeast of the capital city, Diriyah is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif and is considered the birthplace of the kingdom with the state established on the site in 1727.
