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Riyadh
About Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This dynamic metropolis built on the oil boom, is situated in the highly arid centre of the Arabian peninsula on a large plateau and is home to about 20% of the nation's population. It is one of the fastest growing and most prosperous cities in the world.
Local highlights
Explore the city
- Visit the centre, Al-Bathaa, the oldest part of the city, with the beautiful 19th-century Masmak Castle
- See the Diplomatic Quarter, with its fine architecture, foreign embassies, malls and lush gardens
- Kingdom Centre-the tallest building in Saudi Arabia
Explore its museums and historical sights, such as
- See the Masmak Castle
- Visit Riyadh Museum of History and Archeology
- The Qasr Al-Hukm or the Justice Palace
- Visit the National Museum
- King Abdul Aziz Darat
Highlights in the vicinity
- The King Fahd Cultural Center, outside of town, with a planetarium, museum, library, and three theaters.
- City of Old Ad’Diriyah- on the banks of Wadi Hanifah some 20 km North West of Riyadh
- Take a camel ride
Good to know
- No. of inhabitants: 4,260,000
- Timezone: UTC +3
- Weather: Desert climate
- Water is transported into the city through a 467 km of pipeline from desalination plants on the Persian Gulf
Local transport
- Taxi
Inbound transport
- Nearest airport: King Khalid Airport
- Train: connections to major cities in eastern region such as Dammam and Al Ehssa
- Riyadh-City is connected with advanced road network and surrounded by a ring road which connects the city skirts and major roads
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