Riyadh the
capital is the largest
city in Saudi Arabia.
It sits atop a large plateau. In Arabic the word “Arriyadh “means “the gardens”
and the city does enough justice to the meaning of its name. It was King Saud
who initiated the modernization of this beautiful city and today it has
blossomed from a relatively narrow and isolated town into a vast and spacious
metropolis.
About
forty to forty-five years ago the population of Riyadh was a mere 100,000. Today it is
close to seven million with around sixty one percent of those being native Saudi
nationals. The maximum number of the expatriates living and working in the city
are from the Indian sub-continent ( mainly Bangladesh , Pakistan and India
),Indonesia and the Philippines .There
is also a substantial amount of workers from other Arab countries like Yemen ,
Sudan , Lebanon , Egypt and Syria .
Riyadh has
many state of the art shopping malls. Some of the best malls in the world are
located in this majestic city. It is indeed a shopper’s paradise with all the
top brands and products available all across the city.
Riyadh
City is a
wonderful mixture of old and new. On one hand you get to see a number of old
yet well preserved forts and palaces and on the other you see skyscrapers and
modern infrastructure with the latest and the most advanced technology.
There is a lot to do and see in this wonderful
city. The National Museum is one
such place amongst others that needs to be visited. It houses a captivating
representation of the rich history of Saudi Arabia from ancient to contemporary
times. It is a humungous yet beautifully built structure with plenty of vast
open spaces. In fact, the museum is so large that you need to come back a
couple of times to thoroughly experience and enjoy everything that it has to
offer.
Another
place that merits a visit is the Al
Faisaliyah centre. You can find a lot of clothing stores here. This well designed
structure is surrounded by numerous Restaurants and eateries offering delicious
cuisines from almost all parts of the world.
Built around 1865 under the reign of Mohammed ibn Abdullah ibn Rasheed , the Masmak Fortress
holds a significant place in the history of Saudi Arabia. Today the fortress is a museum and is in the vicinity of the Clock
Tower Square. It deserves a visit for its beauty and its place in the kingdom’s
history and perhaps most importantly for its theme that is the heroism and
bravery of King Abdulaziz Ibn Saud.
The capital of Saudi Arabia is a great and phenomenal city that
ranks very high in history and culture and hence is a must visit for every
traveler.
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