DUBAI: Argentinian football legend Lionel Messi and his family this week visited At-Turaif, the 300-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site in Diriyah, during their trip to Saudi Arabia and also explored some of Riyadh’s more futuristic attractions.
At-Turaif is a historic city on the outskirts of Riyadh that dates back to the 15th century.
The Paris Saint-Germain footballer, who landed in the Kingdom earlier this week, went on a guided tour in Diriyah and enjoyed a dining experience at Al-Bujairi Terrace.
Messi and his family enjoy their time at VIA Riyadh, the Saudi capital’s new luxury destination. (Supplied)
The jam-packed itinerary gave Messi and his family quality time together to visit VIA Riyadh, the Saudi capital’s new luxury destination, and Boulevard Riyadh City, experiencing two of the city’s ultra-modern entertainment and retail districts.
Messi and his family interacting with purebred Arabian horses in Saudi. (Supplied)
The family also went to the Arabian Horse Museum and interacted with purebred Arabian horses while Messi posed for pictures holding a white falcon on his arm.
Messi with the white falcon in Diriyah. (Supplied)
During the visit, Messi’s wife Antonella Roccuzzo wore a traditional Saudi hama – a decorative headpiece historically worn by women from the Kingdom’s Najdi region.
Antonella Roccuzzo in Diriyah wearing a traditional Saudi hama. (Supplied)
Before the visit to Diriyah, Messi’s family also enjoyed an authentic Saudi farm experience away from the buzz of the city and took in a palm weaving demonstration.
Earlier this week, Messi posted a shot of the Kingdom’s date palm groves, with a caption saying: “Who thought Saudi has so much green? I love to explore its unexpected wonders whenever I can.”
Messi at a Saudi farm feeding the Arabian Gazelle. (Supplied)
On their first day, they also fed Arabian gazelles that were close to extinction but are now part of a rewilding and preservation program that has seen the population grow. Earlier this year 650 Arabian gazelles and 550 sand gazelles were released into the 12,400 square kilometers of the AlUla reserve also famous for reintroducing the Arabian Leopard into the wild.
Leo Messi and wife Antonella and kids Mateo and Ciro play arcade games at Boulevard Riyadh City. (Supplied)
Messi, considered one of the legends of the sport, won the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar last year. He has a large international fanbase with hundreds of millions of followers on social media.
The Argentine is an ambassador with Visit Saudi, the tourism ministry’s promotional brand.
The ministry is tasked with showcasing Saudi Arabia’s natural and cultural treasures to international and domestic tourists as part of reforms known as Saudi Vision 2030.
