RIYADH – Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Gulf Cooperation Council leaders opened the restored Al-Turaif district in old city of Diriyah following the conclusion of the 39th session of the Gulf Cooperation Council summit.

Turaif restoration is among a wider project aiming at rehabilitating historical Diriyah program.

Turaif, founded in the fifteenth century AD, bears the traces of the unique architectural style of Najd which defined the central region of the Arabian Peninsula. Its redevelopment project includes the implementation of public utility networks and infrastructure, and the archaeological restoration of important buildings and their rehabilitation to preserve architectural features.

Commenting to mark the occasion, Prince Faisal Bin Bandar, emir of Riyadh Region and chairman of Riyadh Development Authority, thanked King Salman for his support to the project. He pointed out that the event is a fruitful off-shot of the King’s personal work as well as a longstanding attention he paid for developing ancient Diriyah and turning it into a tourist-cum-cultural hub, at the Kingdom-wide level,” a statement carried by SPA said.