ThePlace: Murabba Palace in Riyadh built by the founder of the Kingdom, King Abdul Aziz, in 1937

Photo/Saudi Press Agency

• King Abdul Aziz moved into Murabba Palace with his family in 1938, and over the following years hosted kings and heads of states from Arab and Islamic countries there

Murabba Palace was built by the founder of the Kingdom, King Abdul Aziz, in 1937 outside the walls of the old city of Riyadh.
The complex was constructed on a plot of land called Murabba Al-Sufyan, which was used for farming during the rainy season, according to documents at the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah).
The palace was built in traditional Najdian style, characterized by the highest levels of workmanship and design, and it is surrounded by gardens in the south, the Batha Valley in the east, Wadi Abu Rafie in the west, and rolling hills to the north. It is located just 2 kilometers away from the old Riyadh city, and mud bricks, local stones, tamarisk trunks, and palm-leaf stalks were used in the construction of such palaces.
King Abdul Aziz moved into Murabba Palace with his family in 1938, and over the following years hosted kings and heads of states from Arab and Islamic countries there.
The palace witnessed many historic events and royal decisions including setting up the Ministry of Defense, the launch of Saudi Radio and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, issuing Saudi currency, formal schools, and the establishment of the railroad between Riyadh and Dammam.
Other national milestones played host to at the palace included the emergence of oil in commercial quantities, and the issuance of transport, housing, employment, retirement, commercial, and passport systems.