Diriyah Company announces multibillion-dollar Qurain Cultural District and Northern District

Diriyah Company announces multibillion-dollar Qurain Cultural District and Northern District
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Diriyah Company announces groundbreaking of 7 luxury hotels during Bashayer 24 Stakeholder Event. Groundbreaking takes place for Raffles, Armani, Orient Express, Baccarat, Corinthia, Fauchon L’Hotel and Rosewood hotels. (AN photo by Jaafer Sadiq Alsaleh)
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Updated 20 November 2024
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Diriyah Company announces multibillion-dollar Qurain Cultural District and Northern District

Diriyah Company announces multibillion-dollar Qurain Cultural District and Northern District
  • Qurain Cultural District to feature several cultural assets
  • Northern District to house the King Salman Foundation, university, museum and cultural institutions
  • Projects announced at ‘Bashayer 2024 — Delivering Our Future’ event

RIYADH: Diriyah Company, responsible for developing the Diriyah project, the birthplace of the modern Saudi Arabia and its foremost historical, cultural and lifestyle destination, on Wednesday announced two high-profile, multibillion-dollar educational and arts districts to be developed in the $63.2 billion Diriyah project, on the outskirts of Riyadh.

The announcement was made at its annual international event, “Bashayer 2024 — Delivering our Future.”

These two high-profile districts demonstrate the accelerating growth and development of Diriyah, The City of Earth, one of the world’s biggest and most unique urban development projects spanning an area of 14 sq. km.

Diriyah Company is committed to establishing a vibrant global hub, the Qurain Cultural District, where culture meets modern urban living, offering a diverse range of arts, retail, office and residential spaces for people to live, work, shop local brands, and enjoy local dining experiences.

Its diverse range of multidisciplinary cultural offerings will include assets in a diverse range of areas including a cinema, museums, and several academies including writing, traditional Najdi architecture and mud building, Arab music, culinary, performing arts and theatre.

The Qurain Cultural District will additionally have two world-class hotels and branded residences, including the 195-room Ritz-Carlton Diriyah with 165 residences, and the Address Diriyah, which will have 204 rooms and 60 serviced apartments.

The district will include 19 mixed-use buildings, including office, retail and residences, 10 of which have various boutique office options, and a wide range of retail space and dining venues.

The development of the Qurain Cultural District includes a SR 5.8 billion ($1.55 billion) contract awarded to a joint venture between Nesma & Partners Contracting Co. and MAN Enterprise Al-Saudia.

The Northern District will make Diriyah a global center of learning for scholars, students and visionaries and will include the King Salman Foundation, museums, a university, a library, and a public square.

The new district will also be the site of the recently announced Capella Diriyah, a 100-room luxury hotel that announces Capella Hotels and Resorts’ groundbreaking entry into the Middle East.

Construction on elements of the Northern District is already underway following the announcement of a $2 billion joint venture contract with the China State Construction Engineering Corporation and El Seif Engineering Contracting Co.

Commenting on the new high-profile districts, Diriyah Company Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said: “Qurain Cultural District and Northern District are two of our most important and significant areas of the Diriyah masterplan and demonstrate the range and diversity of what our City of Earth has to offer.

“They will both become global centers of excellence, of knowledge, learning and creativity as Diriyah once more becomes a gathering place for the world. We are delighted to share details of these major developments at Bashayer and share once more the unique range of investment opportunities and partnerships the Diriyah Company has to offer the world.”

Speaking to Arab News, Inzerillo said: “Every year in November and early December, we do our good news event — Bashayer — we have promised every year we would open new assets, ground break on substantial assets, and announce new assets. We started this in 2021 with 2030 projects. We opened assets in 2021, in 2022, Bujairi, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023.

“Now we are putting many branded residences on sale, which are sold very quickly, like Ritz Carlton Reserves. We have parks, we have finished the golf course, and are building a new royal golf and polo and equestrian center, so many exciting developments.”

This milestone brings us closer to realizing Diriyah’s vision as a premier hospitality destination, with brands like Raffles, Armani, Orient Express, Baccarat, Corinthia, Fauchon L’Hotel, and Rosewood setting the standard for world-class luxury. Each of these properties will play a pivotal role in welcoming guests from around the world to the City of Earth, he added.

“The annual event Bashayer shows what we are building to complement His Royal Highness’s (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) master plan,” he said.  

The annual Bashayer event took place in the first of Diriyah’s planned 40-plus hotels — the 134-room Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection Hotel. The new property is designed to reflect the 300-year-old Najdi architectural features and will begin welcoming guests at the end of this year.

The event attracted interest from global investors, hospitality companies, construction firms, infrastructure experts and representatives from the sports, arts, culture, tourism and retail sectors.

In addition to the new districts, the audience was also updated on the rapid progress being made in construction and the status of key assets at Diriyah Square with a tour of the project site, unveiled for the first time.

The Diriyah project is one of Saudi Arabia’s five giga-projects backed by the Public Investment Fund and is building homes for 100,000 people, creating 178,000 jobs, will host 50 million visits a year in the future and contribute $18.6 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP.


Health minister honors KFSHRC with innovation award

Health minister honors KFSHRC with innovation award
Updated 30 January 2025
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Health minister honors KFSHRC with innovation award

Health minister honors KFSHRC with innovation award

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel has honored King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center with the 2025 Model of Care Award for Innovation in the government sector, Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday. 

The award was presented during the Model of Care Forum 2025, where KFSHRC CEO Dr. Majid Al-Fayyadh received the accolade.

‏This recognition highlights KFSHRC’s efforts in pioneering innovative models of care that enhance service quality and improve patient outcomes, aligning with the Healthcare Sector Transformation Program, a key initiative of Saudi Vision 2030. 

It also reaffirms the hospital’s leadership in medical innovation through the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and advanced treatment methodologies.

KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa, and 20th globally among the world’s top 250 academic medical centers for the second consecutive year. 

It has also been recognized as the most valuable health care brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to the 2024 Brand Finance rankings. 

Additionally, KFSHRC was included in Newsweek’s World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2025 list.


KSrelief delivers dates to Sudan and Burkina Faso

KSrelief delivers dates to Sudan and Burkina Faso
Updated 30 January 2025
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KSrelief delivers dates to Sudan and Burkina Faso

KSrelief delivers dates to Sudan and Burkina Faso

RIYADH: The Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief has distributed dates in Sudan and Burkina Faso, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

In Sudan 700 cartons of dates were distributed, benefiting 4,020 individuals living in Wad Madani.

The aid agency also gifted 50 tonnes of dates to Burkina Faso as a part of their relief programs.


Saudi crown prince, European council president discuss cooperation

Saudi crown prince, European council president discuss cooperation
Updated 30 January 2025
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Saudi crown prince, European council president discuss cooperation

Saudi crown prince, European council president discuss cooperation

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from European Council President Antonio Costa, the Saudi Press Agency said early Thursday.

The pair discussed enhancing cooperation between the Kingdom and European Union countries.

They also tackled a number of regional and international issues and the efforts made to achieve security and stability.


Interpol to establish regional office in Saudi Arabia

Interpol to establish regional office in Saudi Arabia
Updated 30 January 2025
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Interpol to establish regional office in Saudi Arabia

Interpol to establish regional office in Saudi Arabia
  • The Kingdom and the international police organization sign host country agreement

RIYADH: Interpol is to establish an office in Saudi Arabia that will serve the Middle East and North Africa region.

Hisham Al-Faleh, undersecretary at the Kingdom’s Ministry of Interior, and Jurgen Stock, secretary-general of the international police organization, signed a host country agreement on Wednesday.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud, the Saudi Minister of Interior, and Maj. Gen. Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, the president of Interpol, also attended the signing ceremony, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

In addition, they discussed Interpol’s activities during a meeting that also included Nasser Al-Dawood, the deputy minister of interior; Brig. Gen. Abdulmalik Al-Saqeeh, the director general of Saudi Interpol; and other senior officials.


Saudi Shoura Council speaker receives Japan’s newly appointed envoy

Saudi Shoura Council speaker receives Japan’s newly appointed envoy
Updated 29 January 2025
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Saudi Shoura Council speaker receives Japan’s newly appointed envoy

Saudi Shoura Council speaker receives Japan’s newly appointed envoy

Saudi Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al-Asheikh received Japan’s newly appointed Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Morino Yasunari in Riyadh on Wednesday.

The Japanese ambassador praised the strong ties between Saudi Arabia and Japan, affirming his country’s commitment to enhancing cooperation across various sectors, Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, the two sides also discussed ways to bolster parliamentary collaboration between the Shoura Council and the Japanese Parliament, and other topics of mutual interest.