Al-Aali Historical Palace

Al-Aali Historic Palace, also known as the Emirate Palace in Qaryat al-Ulya Governorate or Al-Aali Palace, is a historic palace and one of the royal palaces commissioned by the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. It is located northeast Qaryat al-Ulya Governorate in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The palace was established in 1936 to serve as an administrative center for local affairs and as a royal residence. It was constructed using stones, clay, and tree trunks, covering an area of 8,836 m².

Historically, Qaryat al-Ulya Governorate was known as a high-traffic transit area, as the city lies at the crossroads of historic pilgrimage routes used by travelers from Basra and Bahrain heading to Makkah Al-Mukarramah and Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah. Later, during the formation of the modern Saudi state, Qaryat al-Ulya Governorate gained strategic importance due to its location near the borders of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq, and its position along the Tapline oil pipeline. This created the need to build a palace to serve as a local administrative center.

Al-Aali Palace was inaugurated by King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud when he was Crown Prince. The palace served as the headquarters for several government departments, including the Emirate, Passport and Nationality Department, Customs Department, Finance Department, Post, Telegraph and Telephone Department, and the Police Center. The palace remained active until all the government offices previously housed there moved to separate buildings, after which it became a historic landmark reflecting the era of the country’s unification.

The palace occupies a strategic location, built along the old trade route connected to the Kanahri Road. It is situated in a desert environment surrounded by palm groves, northeast of Qaryat al-Ulya Governorate. The palace became the focal point for the city’s modern growth, stimulating urban expansion and the development of the surrounding region, known as the Al-Samman area.

Al-Aali Palace is bordered by four wide paved streets. To the west, it faces a large square that once served as a parking area for vehicles arriving from or departing to Kuwait for customs and inspection procedures.

Al-Alai Palace was built in a square layout using clay, stones, acacia trunks, and palm fronds. It consists of a central courtyard surrounded by interior rooms, which served as offices for government departments, alongside the Emirate and police headquarters. The palace complex also includes a mosque and a prison located in the western section. It features seven large conical towers—four at the corners and three in the middle of the western, eastern, and southern facades—accessible via external staircases. The towers are interconnected through internal corridors.

The palace is fortified with a massive wall. Its western facade hosts the main entrance, while the original northern entrance was closed due to weather conditions. Entry is through a semi-circular arched gateway with a massive wooden door measuring 5.15 m in width and 4.40 m in height, leading to a covered entrance supported by beams known as “dushan” placed on semi-circular arches.

Today, Al-Aali Palace stands as a prominent historical landmark in the Eastern Province, well-preserved and retaining its foundation plaque, which reads: "In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. By the order of His Majesty King Abdulaziz Al Saud, Al-Aali Palace was built in Qaryat al-Ulya Governorate under the supervision of His Highness Prince Saud Bin Jalawi, Governor of Al-Ahsa, in 1936."

Due to its historical significance, the palace has been restored to serve as a heritage and tourist site, attracting those interested in the history of architecture in Saudi Arabia, both locally and internationally.