The Murabba Palace played a significant role in the early history of the Kingdom as the Founder, King Abdul Aziz had the palace as his divan. The palace was the hub of all administrative decisions besides the Al-Hukum Palace. King Abdul Aziz used to receive kings and heads of state who visited him and make historical agreements at the Murabba palace.
The palace was built in 1936 when the king ordered construction of a new building complex. The old Riyadh city had become too crowded to accommodate any more buildings and the city walls had only five gates. The new palaces were built outside the city in a single compound.
These buildings were called the Murabba Complex and one of these palaces housed the king’s administrative headquarters. It was Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman who first built a palace outside the city and it was named Atiqah Palace followed by Prince Saud Al-Kabeer with the construction of Al-Shamsiah Palace. Another palace built in the same period was Al-Badiah Palace as a guesthouse for visiting dignitaries.
The palace complex was built on a plot called ‘Murabba Al-Sufyan,’ which was used for farming during rainy season, according to the documents at the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah).
The location is only two kilometers from the old city and was surrounded by gardens in the south, the Batha valley in the east, and Wadi Abu Rafie in the west and small hills on the north. Built in the Arab architectural style, the two-story palace has 32 rooms. The materials used in the construction of the palace included bricks, indigenous stones, tamarisk trunk and palm-leaf stalks.
The king’s audience hall, offices of administrative affairs, communications and guest chambers were on the upper floor while the ground floor had the offices for palace utilities, security and administration.
The major decisions taken in the palace included the setting up of a separate Ministry of Defense, launch of the Saudi Broadcasting and the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, and the issuing of an independent Saudi currency.
This was also the palace where King Abdul Aziz received kings and heads of various state, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
Murabba Palace: The historical divan of King Abdul Aziz
Murabba Palace: The historical divan of King Abdul Aziz
Ricky Martin lauds cross-cultural ‘beauty of music’ ahead of Abu Dhabi show
- Grateful for many fans globally, Martin tells Arab News
- Puerto Rican star performs at Saadiyat Nights on Jan. 31
DUBAI: Ricky Martin — the winner of multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards, who will perform at Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Nights concert series on Jan. 31 — spoke to Arab News recently about his diverse fan base and the upcoming show.
The Puerto Rican is joining a star-studded lineup of performers in the 2025-26 concert series.
“What I can say is that this show is a celebration of my years in the music world, and it’s designed to help the audience forget their troubles and simply have fun.
“It’s a well-balanced show, there will definitely be moments of high energy, but also intimate ones, because I like to create space for connection,” Martin said in a written response to questions.
Martin’s catalogue of hits includes “Livin’ la Vida Loca,” “The Cup of Life,” “Maria,” “Vente Pa’Ca,” “La Mordidita” and “Vuelve” and he says he is not surprised that his music has garnered fans across the globe.
“That’s the beauty of music. It has a way of traveling faster than language, territory, or culture. Latin music carries a very strong emotional core, and that’s why I think people relate to it organically.
Martin, who was honored with the first Latin Icon Award at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2025, added: “It still amazes me to see people from so many different backgrounds connecting with my music, I’m very grateful.
“We’re all more similar than we sometimes think. I’ve always been honest in my music and in my life. Whether someone understands the lyrics or not, they can feel the intention.
“I sing about love, freedom, vulnerability, celebration, things that exist in every culture. I think people respond to authenticity.”
The concert series this year includes Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi and American musician John Mayer.
Also performing are Ludovico Einaudi (Jan. 10), Max Richter (Jan. 29), Mariah Carey (Feb. 7), and Bryan Adams (Feb. 11).
