Riyadh Season welcomes 3 million visitors during first month since launch

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Winter Wonderland, one of Riyadh Season’s 14 zones, is a hit among visitors. Guests have also been entertained in different zones around the capital. (Supplied)
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Riyadh Safari, one of Riyadh Season's 14 zones. (Supplied)
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Updated 22 November 2021
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Riyadh Season welcomes 3 million visitors during first month since launch

  • Riyadh Front has already hosted three festivals, including RUSH Festival for video game lovers, the Jewelry Salon, featuring the most expensive mask globally, and the Riyadh Toy festival, where children met their favorite TV characters

RIYADH: Riyadh Season 2021 has attracted 3 million visitors in the month since its launch on Oct. 20.

Local, regional and global guests have been entertained in different zones around the capital Riyadh. Since the season’s launch nine of 14 zones have been opened: Boulevard Riyadh City, Combat Field, Riyadh Season Winter Wonderland, Riyadh Front, Al-Murabaa, Riyadh Safari, The Groves, Qariat Zaman and the most recent zone Al-Salam Tree, which opened to the public yesterday.

Over a period of five months, Riyadh Front will host nine international shows for different groups: Children, specialists, entrepreneurs and investors, arts, culture, electronic games, shopping and technology.

Riyadh Front has already hosted three festivals, including RUSH Festival for video game lovers, the Jewelry Salon, featuring the most expensive mask globally, and the Riyadh Toy festival, where children met their favorite TV characters.

Rasha Dababneh, an expat from Jordan, told Arab News during her visit with her son to the Riyadh Toy Festival that she was excited about the season this year.




Boulevard Riyadh City, one of Riyadh Season's 14 zones. (Supplied)

“This is our first zone to visit since the launch of Riyadh Season,” she said. “We wanted our kids to enjoy Riyadh Toy Festival first.”

“We still want to go to Boulevard Riyadh City, and we might later attend the MDL Beast concert.”

The Riyadh Season program — held under the slogan “Imagine more!” — will add up to a total of 7,500 event days. These events include 70 Arabic concerts, six international concerts, ten international exhibitions, 350 theatrical performances, 18 Arabic plays, and six international plays. The season has already hosted one WWE Championship, and will host two international matches, 100 interactive experiences, in addition to 200 restaurants and 70 cafes, which cater to all age groups.  




Al-Murabaa,  one of Riyadh Season's 14 zones. (Supplied)

According to Riyadh Season’s website, it has created huge job opportunities, qualitative economic returns, great foreign investment, and Guinness World Records certificates this year.

One of the most important events this week, which will continue until Nov. 28, is the Riyadh Car Show. The event is all about visitors and enthusiasts who enjoy watching some of the 600 rarest, most luxurious and fastest cars globally, ranging between classic and modern.

The car show’s sales reached SR15 million during the second day of its opening. The show holds global public auctions managed by the British “Silverstone” auction company, and organizes the Ferrari Scuderia World Festival, held on Nov. 26-27. The show will also feature Ferrari Formula 1 team drivers hosting daily live shows for visitors.


The founding economy: A blueprint for stability in the First Saudi State

Updated 23 February 2026
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The founding economy: A blueprint for stability in the First Saudi State

  • The establishment of the First Saudi State created a secure environment that facilitated the arrival of caravans, secured vast trade routes, and revived commerce across the Arabian Peninsula

RIYADH: The economy during the founding stage of the First Saudi State served as a fundamental pillar in building the nation, consolidating its influence, and ensuring its stability. This early economic growth was inextricably linked to achieving security, unifying regions, and organizing society—factors that directly stimulated trade, stabilized markets, and enhanced the foundations of daily life in Diriyah and its surrounding areas.
According to Dr. Abdullah Al-Saleh Al-Othaimeen's "Diriyah: Origins and Development during the First Saudi State," published by the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah), the founding economy stands as a historical model reflecting the reciprocal relationship between political stability and early economic prosperity.

Beyond its political and intellectual prominence, Diriyah emerged as a vibrant economic hub. (SPA)

The establishment of the First Saudi State created a secure environment that facilitated the arrival of caravans, secured vast trade routes, and revived commerce across the Arabian Peninsula.
Beyond its political and intellectual prominence, Diriyah emerged as a vibrant economic hub. Its active markets attracted merchants and students from across the region, all of whom benefited from the state-provided stability. The local society relied on diverse activities for its livelihood, including trade, agriculture, and livestock breeding, with horses and camels playing crucial roles in transportation, commerce, and securing roads.
The social and administrative organization upon which the state was founded ensured the continuous availability of goods and sustained market stability. Ultimately, the close relationship between public security and economic growth during this founding phase solidified Diriyah's position as a premier political and commercial center in the Arabian Peninsula.