PUBLISHED December 9th, 2025 12:24 am
When we arrived in Diriyah, we weren’t stepping into a finished destination, we were stepping into a city being born. Much of what we saw was still in the making: cranes rising above ridgelines, adobe-coloured walls mid-construction, tunnels humming with activity beneath our feet. Yet in this in-between moment, the essence of what Diriyah is becoming felt more powerful than any polished launch. It was humbling, hopeful, and inspiring to witness a place being built almost entirely from scratch, honouring its past while laying the foundation for its future.
Where the Story Began
Diriyah sits along the ancient valley of Wadi Hanifah, where the First Saudi State was founded in 1727. It’s a place of deep national significance, the cradle of the Saudi story, once home to scholars, traders, rulers, and families whose mudbrick homes overlooked the same oasis-like landscape. Today, under Saudi Vision 2030, Diriyah is being transformed into a global heritage-luxury destination but the transformation is still very much underway.
Walking its grounds today is to witness history and future coexisting in raw form. Parts are complete. Parts are rising. And parts are simply outlines on a masterplan. But the ambition is unmistakable.
At-Turaif: A Living Connection to the Past
One of the few fully complete areas is At-Turaif, the UNESCO World Heritage site and historic seat of the First Saudi State. The moment we stepped in, the world quieted. Mudbrick towers stood tall against the sun, their silhouettes echoing centuries of Najdi architecture. Our guide brought the stories to life: the rulers who once walked these corridors, the walls damaged in the Ottoman siege, the royal family tree stretching back hundreds of years.
Inside Salwa Palace, we explored the museum built within the palace’s final surviving structure. Outside, we wandered through narrow pathways and open courtyards that revealed the engineering ingenuity of a city built long before modern infrastructure. Of all the places in Diriyah, At-Turaif felt complete, a fully realised window into the past.
Bab Samhan: Heritage Hospitality Done Right
Just beside the historic district sits Bab Samhan, the first hotel to open in the Diriyah project. Unlike much of the wider city still under construction, Bab Samhan is polished, atmospheric, and beautifully grounded in place. Its architecture carries the soul of Najdi design. Thick walls, muted earth tones, courtyards that breathe, while the interiors speak to modern comfort and refined luxury.
It felt intimate yet culturally rich, a true urban oasis. The mix of traditional patterns and contemporary hospitality made it clear that Diriyah’s luxury offering won’t be anonymous; it will be rooted, textured, and unmistakably Saudi.
Diriyah Art Futures: A Glimpse Into the Future
Another fully open destination is Diriyah Art Futures (DAF), the region’s first centre dedicated to New Media Arts. Walking into DAF after visiting At-Turaif was like stepping into another dimension, from centuries-old mudbrick to clean lines, large white volumes, and digital experimentation.
We explored CONTINUUM ’25, an exhibition showcasing emerging artists working with VR, AI, sound installations, and immersive technologies. The pieces were bold, inquisitive, and sometimes existential, exploring questions around identity, memory, ecology, and digital power. For a place so steeped in history, there’s something thrilling about seeing Diriyah invest equally in the future of art and technology.
Everyday Life in the Making: From Al Samhaniya to Bujairi Terrace
While much of Diriyah continues to rise around us, pockets of the city already offer a hint of what everyday life will eventually feel like. Al Samhaniya, with its mudbrick-inspired architecture and quiet pedestrian pathways, gives a gentle preview of the neighbourhood rhythm Diriyah is shaping toward. Intimate alleys, warm-toned facades, and public spaces designed for community rather than cars. Even though it isn’t fully populated, walking through it felt like stepping into a lived story: homes framed by Najdi proportions, courtyards ready for gatherings, and a sense of human scale woven into every turn.
A short distance away, Bujairi Terrace presents the more vibrant side of daily life. This fully realised dining precinct overlooks At-Turaif and pulses with atmosphere; families sharing meals, visitors strolling between restaurants, and the scent of spices drifting through shaded pathways. We tasted both refined Saudi dishes and excellent international offerings, each one reinforcing a truth we didn’t expect: Diriyah is shaping up to be a genuinely compelling culinary destination.
Together, Al Samhaniya and Bujairi Terrace offered the clearest picture of Diriyah’s future lifestyle; grounded in heritage, rich in flavour and texture, and designed for people to gather, share, and simply be.
Wadi Safar: A First Glimpse of Ultra-Luxury
Our visit to Wadi Safar was more preview than experience, as most of the district, and also home to Aman, Six Senses, The Chedi, and Oberoi residences, is still under construction. Even so, driving through the valley and seeing the emerging structures perched on cliffs and hillsides was striking. The Greg Norman–designed golf course is already lush and expansive, giving an early indication of how this ultra-luxury enclave will eventually unfold.
It felt like witnessing the set of an epic film being built: dramatic, ambitious, and undeniably exclusive.
A City in the Making and the Humbling Scale Behind It
What left the deepest impression on us wasn’t just the completed landmarks, but the sheer scale of what is still unfolding. Touring the active construction zones felt like being given rare access to a city mid-creation. Beneath the surface, massive tunnels with some stretching kilometres and stacked across multiple levels, are being carved out to support a future where pedestrians, not cars, claim the streets. Above ground, workers lay bricks by hand, shaping alleyways and plazas that echo the proportions of old Diriyah.
Many of the future icons such as Diriyah Square, the Media & Innovation District, the Royal Opera House, exist only partially, rising slowly from the earth in outlines and fragments. Yet even in this early stage, the precision is striking. Every structure, whether traditional or contemporary, must follow Najdi principles. Lighting is designed to glow like torchlight, not glare like neon. Stone is sourced locally, honouring the land it stands on.
Seeing a city built with this level of intention, patience, and cultural responsibility is humbling. Diriyah is far from finished, but that is precisely what makes visiting now so unforgettable. We weren’t just exploring a destination, we were watching its foundations take shape, its character form, and its future emerge one measured step at a time.