Riyadh

Saudi Arabia · cities · desert · modern architecture

A desert boomtown. Riyadh was a quiet, walled town until the 1950s, when it suddenly exploded into a huge city with skyscrapers and millions of people living there.

Built by a river valley. The city sits on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, a valley that brings water through the desert and made it possible for people to settle there.

Heart of a nation. As Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh is where the government runs the country and where important decisions are made for the whole nation.

Walls came down. The old town used to be protected by high defensive walls, but when the city started expanding in the 1950s, those walls were torn down to make room for growth.

Super fast growth. Riyadh transformed from a small historical town to one of the world's biggest and most modern cities in just a few decades, making it one of history's fastest-growing capitals.