Al-Dirah Neighborhood

Al-Dirah Neighborhood is a heritage neighborhood located in Riyadh City, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the neighborhoods that formed the old city in central Riyadh, featuring a number of houses, mosques, streets, and squares built according to the urban style of the city.

The houses and palaces in al-Dirah Neighborhood were built from mudbrick and clay, and adorned with numerous decorative and architectural elements. A typical mudbrick house or palace consists of various features, including exterior walls decorated with hand-applied plaster called "Mashash," facades adorned with plastered balconies, straight "Haqaf" and triangular "Hadayer" designs, wooden drain spouts (Marazim) and windows, and local doors made from tamarisk trunks, painted in different colors.

Al-Dirah Neighborhood includes several historical landmarks, such as al-Masmak Palace, Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Mosque, and al-Hukm Palace, along with various markets, streets, and gates that played a significant role in the early development of Riyadh City.

As part of al-Hukm Palace District Development Project, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City has undertaken the restoration and rehabilitation of several landmarks in al-Dirah neighborhood. This includes the reconstruction of al-Dirah Tower in the area between al-Dirah Market and the southern side of the Emirate Complex, and the development of al-Dirah Market, located south of Imam Mohammed Bin Saud Square, on the site of the old al-Muqaybirah Market, adjacent to the Riyadh Province Municipality building. The market includes four hundred shops selling a variety of goods, as well as currency exchange offices and other activities.