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Riyadh had a population of 7.0 million people in 2022, making it the most-populous city in Saudi Arabia, 3rd most populous in the Middle East, and the 38th most populous in Asia. The first mention of the city by the name Riyadh was in 1590, by an Arab chronicler.
- Overview
- Character of the city
- City site
- Climate
- City layout
- People
Riyadh is the capital city of Saudi Arabia. It is situated in the central portions of both Saudi Arabia and the larger Arabian Peninsula.
What is the climate in Riyadh?
The climate of Riyadh is characterized by extreme heat in the summer, with average temperatures reaching the low 100s °F (low 40s °C), and by coolness in the winter, with lows averaging in the low 50s °F (low 10s °C). Humidity remains low throughout the year, and precipitation occurs mostly between the months of November and May.
Why is Riyadh called the cultural capital of Saudi Arabia?
Riyadh is known as the cultural capital of Saudi Arabia due to its numerous cultural centres. Among them are the King ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Historical Centre, the National Museum, and the National Library.
When did Riyadh become the capital of Saudi Arabia?
Life in Riyadh is concentrated around the city’s more than 4,000 mosques and its numerous busy shopping centres. The city’s central core and its many souks (marketplaces) attract heavy pedestrian traffic, emphasizing the city’s intense feeling of vitality. As residents of a major city in a mainly Muslim (see Islam) country, Riyadh’s inhabitants adhere to a number of social norms that include segregation of the sexes and the need to protect the privacy of the family. Recreational activities are often a family affair, and large public gatherings are mainly restricted to male attendants. However, many activity centres allow women and families to attend at special times or in reserved areas.
Riyadh’s physical layout is dominated by its street system—a highly defined grid made up of 1.25-mile by 1.25-mile (2-km by 2-km) square blocks—which provides a network across the cityscape. This grid system is navigable, but it is also considered by some to be confining, because of its regimented compartmentalization of the city’s communities and neighbourhoods.
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The city of Riyadh is located approximately 1,950 feet (600 metres) above sea level in eastern Najd (“Highland”)—a region largely dominated by a rocky plateau landscape—in the centre of the Arabian Peninsula. Najd’s broad, mountain-studded plateau gives way in the centre and east to a series of escarpments arching from north to south, including Al-...
Riyadh’s climate is characterized by extreme heat in the summer, with average temperatures reaching the low 100s F (low 40s C), and coolness in the winter, with lows averaging in the low 50s F (low 10s C), though there is a large difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. Because of the distance from major bodies of water and the general scarcity of precipitation in the city, humidity in Riyadh remains low throughout the year, especially during the summer. When precipitation does occur, it is largely confined to the months between November and May.
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Riyadh itself is an amorphous expanse of neighbourhoods and subdivisions bounded by wide roads lined with commercial strip development. Two of the city’s most-recognizable tower buildings are Al-Fayṣaliyyah (Al-Faisaliah) centre, which contains office space, a number of restaurants, and a luxury hotel, and the Markaz Al-Mamlakah (“Kingdom Centre”), which offers an expansive complex of office, retail, dining, and accommodation spaces located within and around its landmark tower.
The form and structure of the city has been reinforced by a number of large-scale construction projects undertaken in the latter half of the 20th century and in the early 21st century, including the establishment of the Diplomatic Quarter, where embassies and the offices of international organizations are located, and the redevelopment of the Qaṣr Al-Ḥukm (“Justice Palace”) district, which houses most of the central shops. Other important projects have included the Government Centre, King Saʿūd University, the Islamic University of Imam Muḥammad ibn Saʿūd, the King ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Historical Centre, and the creation of “industrial cities”—centres where land leases and utilities are available for reduced rates and the development of various classes of industry is encouraged.
Between 1930 and the early 21st century, the population of Riyadh grew from about 27,000 to more than 5,000,000, a dramatic increase rooted in high birth rates coupled with the rapid economic growth of the 1970s and ’80s. During these years Riyadh also experienced an influx of immigrants, including foreign labourers. This influx contributed to a continuing, pervasive societal dependence on expatriate labour; by the beginning of the 21st century, Saudis accounted for only about two-fifths of Riyadh’s workforce. In addition to foreign labourers, a large number of Saudis from elsewhere within the country moved to Riyadh during the 1970s and ’80s, many of them from rural areas. This trend reflected the general migration of Saudis from rural areas to urban locations within the country that contributed in part to a massive reversal of the urban-to-rural ratio. While throughout Saudi Arabia in the early 1970s there existed one urban dweller for every three rural dwellers, by 1990 it was nearly the opposite, and the populations of urban areas such as Riyadh swelled dramatically. At the beginning of the 21st century, tens of thousands of Saudis continued to move from rural areas to the city of Riyadh each year.
Saudi nationals constitute about two-thirds of the city’s population. Among the non-Saudi population, Asians (among whom Indians and Pakistanis predominate) represent about one-half, and Arabs (among whom Egyptians and Yemenis predominate) constitute about two-fifths. Small proportions of Europeans and Americans also reside in the city. On the whole, Riyadh’s population is quite young; more than half of the residents are younger than 20 years old, and less than one-fifth are older than 60. Males constitute about half the city’s Saudi population but more than two-thirds of the non-Saudi population, as many expatriate labourers come to work in Riyadh without their families. The average family size is large, with Saudi families averaging more than six members and non-Saudi families averaging approximately five members.
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The Kingdom Centre and northern Riyadh, seen from the Al-Faisaliya building. Riyadh (الرياض ar-Riyāḍ) is the capital of Saudi Arabia, slightly east of the center of the country in the heart of the Tuwaig escarpment.
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Jun 2, 2024 · Discover the best attractions and activities in the Saudi capital, from heritage sites and museums to parks and malls. Whether you’re a local or a tourist, you’ll find something to suit your taste and budget in this guide.
Explore Riyadh’s blend of history and modernity. Visit historic souqs, modern skyscrapers, and enjoy the Riyadh Art scene. Don’t miss Riyadh Season for unique attractions and local dining at Najd Village.
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