Saudi Minister of Culture and head of the Heritage Commission Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan announced on Sunday the launch of a project to renovate heritage buildings of historical and architectural significance in central Riyadh.
The project stems from the keenness of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz on the preservation of heritage and comes at the orders of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.
Prince Badr hailed the unlimited support shown by King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed to the cultural sector.
In a statement, the minister said the renovations will follow global standards in preserving heritage buildings.
The project will cover 15 historical palaces in the al-Futah and al-Dhahirah neighborhoods and five royal palaces. The first phase of the project, which will last three months, will encompass the preparation of studies and designs.
The second phase, expected to kick off in January 2021, will witness the execution of these plans, which should be complete in 24 months.
The project will be overseen by the Ministry of Culture, represented by the Heritage Commission, in partnership with the Royal Commission for Riyadh and the Riyadh Municipality.
The seven palaces in the western a-Futah date back to 1944, while three in eastern al-Futah date back to 1935. Six royal palaces are located in the al-Dhahirah, al-Futah and Umm Salim neighborhoods and are over 70 years old.
The project is aimed at preserving the architectural heritage of buildings of historical significance and in showcasing the local identity. The buildings will be transformed into valuable social, economic, cultural and tourist locations.
