The Royal Commission for Riyadh City

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City is the entity responsible for the comprehensive development of Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was established by a decision of the Council of Ministers in 1974 under the name of the 'Riyadh City Development Authority'. In 2019, a Royal Decree was issued to rename it as 'The Royal Commission for Riyadh City' and transfer all mandates related to major national projects in Riyadh from the Committee of Major National Projects to the Commission. The main headquarters of the Commission is located in the capital, Riyadh. It has a board of directors chaired by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. He is considered the supreme authority over the affairs of the Commission and its administration.

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City implements several development programs and projects characterized by their strategic nature, diverse objectives and dimensions, and varying execution requirements across different time phases. It oversees the implementation of Riyadh's strategy by monitoring and measuring over fifty performance indicators derived from benchmarking with the best cities in the world.

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City is one of four royal commissions in Saudi Arabia and is the most recently established. Specifically, it was set up around forty-five years after the inception of the first royal commission. The commissions are The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, The Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites, The Royal Commission for al-Ula Governorate, and The Royal Commission for Riyadh City. It is among the royal commissions that have the most ministers as members of its board of directors.

In 2021, the Council of Ministers approved abolishing the Diplomatic Quarter General Authority and its organizational arrangements, transferring all its mandates, projects, rights, obligations, and employees to the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City oversees a series of programs and projects in Riyadh, including the Sports Boulevard Project, which stretches over 135 km, connecting Wadi Hanifa in the west of the city to Wadi al-Sulai in the east. The Riyadh Art Project encompasses one thousand artworks and artistic landmarks created by local and international artists and showcased to the public throughout various areas of Riyadh city. The King Abdulaziz Project for Public Transportation (trains - buses) aims to construct and operate a rapid public transportation network using the latest global technologies. The King Salman Park Project, which is being implemented over an area exceeding sixteen km2, is expected to be the largest city park in the world. The Qasr al-Hukm District Development Project aims to improve the district's transportation, services, and appearance while preserving its heritage and historical sites. The Green Riyadh Project aims to plant more than 7.5 million trees across the city of Riyadh.

The Authority has won several awards and certificates. In 1989, the Embassy District achieved the "Aga Khan Award for Architecture," which specializes in Islamic designs and architecture. The district was selected among 240 projects worldwide. Additionally, in 1990, the district won the Architectural Project Award from the Organization of Arab Cities in its third edition held in Rabat, Morocco.

Al-Kindi Plaza in the Embassy District won the Aga Khan Global Award for Architecture in 1989. Additionally, Tuwaiq Palace won the same award in 1998 as one of the most prominent cultural and social urban landmarks in the Embassy District in Riyadh.

In 2020, the Royal Commission for Riyadh City received a certificate of merit for successfully implementing sustainable smart city indicators, awarded to Riyadh by the United Nations Committee for Sustainable Smart Cities (U4SSC). Riyadh is the only city in the Kingdom to have received this recognition.

The main headquarters of the commission is located in the capital, Riyadh. It consists of a board of directors chaired by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman since its establishment under its current name. A Royal Decree appoints members of the board of directors. Members of the board include the Governor of Riyadh Region, the Minister of Interior, the Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region, the Minister of Commerce, the Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Chairman of the National Water Company, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Economy and Planning, the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Mayor of Riyadh Region, and the Chairman of the Board of the Saudi Electricity Company. A Chief Executive Officer manages the Commission with a senior rank.