< PreviousBUILDING A LEGACY THE ADOBE BRICK CITADEL OF AT-TURAIF WAS THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE FIRST SAUDI STATE, AND AN AMBITIOUS DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEANS THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE IS THE ANCHOR OF THE KINGDOM’S PLANS TO WELCOME THE WORLD Words Talib Choudhry Photography Alexander Wolfe 112 A R EN A / D iriy a h AD_112-119_Arena_Diriyah_11061756.indd 11210/12/2019 01:14:47 PMAD_112-119_Arena_Diriyah_11061756.indd 11310/12/2019 01:15:05 PMa COOL BREEZE WHISPER S THROUGH THE LABY- RINTHINE ALLEYWAYS OF S A LWA PALA CE, coun- tering the rising heat of the noontime sun. Here and there beams of light stream through the distinctive tri- angular apertures which pierce the walls as we photo- graph the intricate mud-brick structures. There’s a lulling hush that speaks of timelessness, or rather the futility of measuring minutes in a place that has wit- nessed centuries of humanity. Once home to the Imams of the fi rst Saudi state, Sal- wa Palace sits at the centre of the historic city of At-Turaif, built in 1744. Dubbed the ‘Jewel of the King- dom’, the mud brick UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in Diriyah on the northwestern outskirts of the capital Riyadh and was the original seat of power of the Al Saud family. “After they walk through, people often it’s a very emotional experience being here,” says Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), “There’s something about the place that reso- nates. They also ask ‘why is it such a secret?’” Inzerillo came out of retirement to take up the chal- lenge of ensuring that everyone in the world knows about Diriyah and to encourage millions to visit the heritage site. He has also been charged with overseeing an ambitious master plan of luxury hotels, souks, resi- dences, museums and a myriad of other cultural pro- jects. A charismatic American with 50 years’ experi- ence in hospitality and placemaking, when Inzerillo says something you feel like he passionately believes it, so you believe in it, too. “This is the equivalency of the Acropolis to the Greeks, and the Colosseum to the Romans,” he states emphatically. “This is the Machu Picchu of the Arabian Peninsula. It’s of the same signifi cance, historically and architecturally.” The AD team was privileged to be granted access to the site in early November to capture its noble beauty be- fore the fi rst tourists begin to arrive in January 2020. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, had toured At-Turaif the week before our photoshoot and prepa- rations were in full swing for the inauguration of the site; a huge viewing platform had been constructed for His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and other dignitaries to watch the festivities. During such occasions, the walls of Salwa Palace come alive with dramatic projections depicting pivotal moments in its history (including its sacking by the Ottomans). “This city was kilometres long and, at one time, had 30,000 people living in it,” says Inzerillo. “It’s the larg- est mud heritage city in the world – much larger than Timbuktu. And what’s been restored by His Majesty the King is only 11% of the footprint. The Crown Prince wants this to be authentic. When it comes to the herit- ABOVE: Historic homes in At-Turaif have been restored, providing a fascinating glimpse into the past. OPPOSITE PAGE: The largest structure in At-Turaif, Salwa Palace dates back to the early 1700s and sprawls across 10,000 sq ⁄m. AD_112-119_Arena_Diriyah_11061756.indd 11410/12/2019 01:15:12 PM99 AR E N A/ Sic il y 115 A R EN A / D iriy a h AD_112-119_Arena_Diriyah_11061756.indd 11510/12/2019 01:15:36 PMAD_112-119_Arena_Diriyah_11061756.indd 11610/12/2019 01:15:45 PM117 A R EN A / D iriy a h “This is the Machu Picchu of Arabia. It’s of the same significance, historically and architecturally” Diriyah is located in the historic Najd region of Saudi Arabia, which has a distinctive architectural style. The triangular openings shown here were used for defence and to allow air fl ow. AD_112-119_Arena_Diriyah_11061756.indd 11710/12/2019 01:15:59 PM118 A R EN A / D iriy a h age site, it will be done strictly by the book. There’s no creative interpretation there.” Indeed, what has been restored is very clearly delin- eated with a scored brick pattern, and the superstruc- ture and facilities that are needed to welcome people to a cultural heritage site are modern but sensitively integrated. Another ambitious restoration effort is the plan to turn the once verdant Wadi Hanifa, the banks of which Diriyah was founded upon, into a dazzlingly emerald oasis once more. “We’re planting one million Diriyah palms here,” says Inzerillo matter-of-factly as we tour the site on an electric buggy. “When you look at archival photos you can’t believe how dense the wadi was at one time. As development came it got compromised. What the Crown Prince has said is that we’re going to remove the urbanisation and return the wadi back to what it was – a natural place for people to come together and trade. The new intention is for people from all over the world to gather here.” To that end, Diyirah hosted the opening two rounds of Formula E and the much-hyped Clash on the Dunes boxing match this year (a permanent racetrack and 15,000 seat arena are part of the master plan). The G20 summit will also be held there in 2020 and, as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is poised to celebrate its 90th anniversary, there are numerous signs that the entire country is both open for business and tourism, includ- ing the introduction of a swift e-visa system. The latter is a key part of the nation’s Vision 2030 strategy, spear- headed by the Crown Prince, His Majesty Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud. “As part of Vision 2030, the Crown Prince is saying that after oil, tourism will be the next biggest thing – we’re taking ourselves from 3% of GDP to 10% of GDP,” says Inzerillo. “I have no doubt that by 2030 we’ll be in the top 10 most visited countries in the world.” His confi dence that he can help to achieve one of the most ambitious and rapid development projects since the transformation of Dubai is justifi ed; Inzerillo was ABOVE FROM LEFT: The restored sections of the mud walls at the UNESCO World Heritage site are clearly marked; a rooftop view reveals how far the site stretches, with almost 90% of the original awaiting excavation and restoration. AD_112-119_Arena_Diriyah_11061756.indd 11810/12/2019 01:16:14 PM73 formerly president of Kerzner Entertainment Group, the company that built the One & Only Royal Mirage and Atlantis. “I came to Dubai in 1991, so I’ve seen the whole arc of the city. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi they showed great leadership and created something basi- cally out of nothing. Here, you’ve got everything but you have to expose it because most people don’t know. This is not one city – it’s a whole country with a lot of natural treasure. This is where the Arabian Peninsula started, so you don’t have to create authenticity.” With 68% of the Saudi population under the age of 40 (including the 34 year-old Crown Prince), driving tourism, is also about creating opportunities for an ed- ucated and under-utilised talent pool. DGDA’s team is 80% Saudi and over a third are women. “The young Saudis I come across are highly educat- ed, very passionate and highly committed,” says Inzer- illo who is equally effusive about Crown Prince’s dedi- cation and focus. “Saudi Arabia is a kingdom of plentiful resources and youth. Right now, the country ABOVE FROM LEFT: A section of a life-size Al Saud family tree is on display; a museum has been sensitively slotted into the historic citadel. is excited about its future. Tourism immediately cre- ates employment on every level within a society. Eve- rybody wins at the same time.” While Saudi Arabia is the Middle East’s second big- gest market for tourism, until recently this has been al- most exclusively religious tourism. The challenge is navigating the diffi culties of commercialising sites like At-Turaif which are historic, symbolic and meaningful to so many people. It’s the constant conundrum in cul- tural heritage tourism. Inzerillo asserts that the King will never allow anything that endangers the King- dom’s fi ve UNESCO World Heritage sites, and that de- velopment at Diriyah will only occur on the outskirts. “His Majesty the King is the most pivotal part of the story. This was his father’s home, so this is personal. The roots of the kingdom are here in Diriyah. It got knocked a few times and occupied, but the Saudi spirit and tenacity overcame that, so it’s a symbol of continu- ity, perseverance and gathering. That’s why it’s a very emotional place and there’s a lot invested in it.” AD_112-119_Arena_Diriyah_11061756.indd 11910/12/2019 01:16:38 PMYves Saint Laurent’s bedroom at Villa Mabrouka has Jean-Michel Frank-style furniture designed by Jacques Grange and a 19th-century French wood and glass chandelier. AD_120-125_Arena_Tangier YSL_11016888.indd 12009/12/2019 05:26:03 PM121 PRIVATE PARADISE Villa Mabrouka, the former home of Yves Saint Laurent in Tangier was designed as a sylvan refuge from the frenetic pace of Paris AR E N A/ T a n g ier Words Nicolò Castellini Baldissera Photographs Guido Taroni AD_120-125_Arena_Tangier YSL_11016888.indd 12109/12/2019 05:27:45 PMNext >