Diriyah’s At-Turaif and Bujairi Terrace set to bring to life the birthplace of the modern Saudi state
RIYADH: The first phase of an aspirational project conceived five years ago, with the aim of showcasing the history of the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has come to fruition according to plan.
The At-Turaif and Bujairi Terrace developments of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority were officially unveiled on Monday at a gala event during the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit.
Delegates from around the world, Saudi public figures and DGDA staff came together to witness a momentous event as Diriyah opened its doors to the international community.
Saudi Arabian Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb inaugurates the historic At-Turaif and Bujairi neighborhoods with a dramatic ceremony witnessed by guests from around the world. (DGDA)
“Tonight is a very historic night,” Jerry Inzerillo, executive director of the DGDA, told Arab News. “We are celebrating two big milestones.
“For the first time in the history of the Gulf, the Kingdom welcomes the World Travel and Tourism Council, all the tourism ministers, CEOs of hotel companies, CEOs of airlines: 5,000 people are coming to the Kingdom to see what’s going on. to be one of the great tourist countries in the world”.
Inzerillo described what it means to him personally to see the fruit of his team’s labor in Diriyah exposed to the eyes of the world.
“It makes my heart pound because what makes me most proud is that we now have 1,600 employees: 85% Saudi, 36% Saudi female superstars, 16% of whom are managers and 14% of our staff are from Diriyah. . My heart and soul are my team and that is what makes me most proud,” Inzerillo said.
Prudence Solomon Inzerillo, Inzerillo’s wife, said: “I think the changes are profound and I think all the devotion and commitment to celebrating culture, heritage, history, art… I think it’s an incredible gift, it’s really important .
“I think everyone should appreciate the history and culture that you have. It’s so rich and diverse and I think it’s a real privilege and a pleasure to be here to witness the changes that have happened in the last four years that we’ve been here and it’s extraordinary.”
The festivities began at the birthplace of the Kingdom and the first ruling base of the Al-Saud family, the UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif. In front of the Salwa Palace, a 10,000-square-meter complex whose original parts were built by Mohammed ibn Saud, the first ruler of the First Saudi State, tour guides waited to show visitors around the site, moving along walkways that a they were once trodden on by the first Saudi rulers.
“Tonight is a very historic night,” Jerry Inzerillo, executive director of the DGDA, told Arab News. (DGDA)
Every handmade mud brick in the ancient buildings of At-Turaif has a story to tell, every wall holds the secrets of power struggles, and every nook hides a story of hospitality and unity.
Visitors from around the world not only saw the modernity and luxury of today’s Kingdom, but were also able to step back in time as they watched live performances of the traditional ardah dance and walked along narrow paths that paint an atmospheric picture of the Kingdom. past.
The guests at this private event that marked the official opening of Bujairi and At-Turaif represented a diverse set of visitors from many countries.
Guadalupe Galván Hernández, for example, was visiting from Mexico City to attend the World Travel and Tourism Council summit.
“This is my first time in Saudi Arabia,” he told Arab News. “I have seen many things. Diriyah is amazing; everything is history When we arrived we saw so many structures and it is a mixture of modernity and traditions.
QUICKFACTS
• At-Turaif and Bujairi Terrace will open their doors to the public on December 4th.
• The Global Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council takes place for the first time in Saudi Arabia.
• At-Turaif will offer 75-minute guided walking tours in Arabic and English that will take visitors through the original seal of power of the Al-Saudi family.
“People are very friendly, they are very nice people. Sometimes when you come from a country like Mexico, it’s hard to understand some things and it makes you fear, in a way, the way they will treat you and they (the Saudis) were very, very kind and nice people.”
After tours of At-Turaif and performances there, guests proceeded to the gates of Bujairi Terrace, where Inzerillo and Saudi Arabian Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb delivered keynote addresses. Inzerillo began by praising the Saudi leadership.
“I want to praise and thank our dynamic Prime Minister, our Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has been instrumental in every detail of the Vision 2030 master plan for Diriyah,” he said.
“And thanks to your support, we are one of the giant projects that tonight, on this historic night, in the birthplace of the Kingdom, the birthplace of the Arabian Peninsula, the ancestral home of Al-Saud, we open assets of 2030 in 2022..”
The At-Turaif and Bujairi Terrace developments of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority were officially unveiled on Monday. (DGDA)
Al-Khateeb said: “Today we are celebrating the opening of phase one, (which is) only 1 to 2 percent of the total project, and we thank you for being with us today.
“This is a testimonial and proof that Saudi Arabia started its planning and now we are in the execution phase and will see an opening in all giga projects every year. Diriyah is a good example, with the opening of Bujairi Terrace.”
Many DGDA employees could not hide their emotions as the doors of Buajiri Terrace opened to welcome the world.
Among those invited to the inauguration was Helena Zakade Inzerillo, the teenage daughter of the general director of the DGDA. In 2019, at the age of 12, she spoke to Arab News during the inauguration of King Salman’s Diriyah Gate project and said how proud she was of his father and his mission to transform the city “with her heart and her soul”.
Three years later, she was delighted to be at Bujairi Terrace to see her father’s passion and ambitions come to life.
“When I first came here four years ago and saw Diriyah, I was absolutely shocked,” he said. “I mean, this is an absolutely beautiful place that no one really knew about outside of the Kingdom.
“I really think that people should see this place, people should know about this place and its significance.
“To see it come to this, to see the success, to see so many people come from all over the world and to see people’s perspectives completely change when they come to Saudi Arabia, to see the hospitality of the people here and to see the importance of our country. Here, it means a lot to me.”
Diriyah has long been recognized for her hospitality and generosity, her strength and her power; she now opens her doors to the world. (DGDA)
Helena said that she truly believes in her father’s mission to spread the message and meaning of Diriyah and its importance to the Kingdom to the world.
“This means a lot to me, to my family in general,” he added. “We have seen the process over the last four years, the amount of hard work, the tireless hours of my father’s work over the last four years here in Saudi Arabia.
“And we have seen the transformation of Riyadh, of Diriyah, and the passion for the place that my father has spread and how much he loves this place.”
The aroma of bukhour filled the air and the sounds of ardha music echoed through Wadi Hanifah as history and modernity melded in the form of many luxury dining experiences. After a gala dinner at Bujairi Terrace, a light show illuminated the paths and walls of At-Turaif.
The laser and fireworks display lit up the Najdi architecture of Salwa Palace and the sky above it, with the words “The City of Earth”, “Only a Diriyah” and simply “Diriyah”.
“As a giga 2030 project, we are already opening assets in 2022,” Inzerillo said. “Then Turaif, everything renewed; Bujairi district, 20 new restaurants and after tonight we will take a few days and open to the public in a few days; 2 km from Wadi Hanifah; new sales centers; welcome centers; community centers. So 2030 is now 2022.”
Visitors to the World Travel and Tourism Council World Summit enjoy a taste of traditional Saudi hospitality in the birthplace of the Kingdom. (DGDA)
At-Turaif and Bujairi Terrace will officially open to the public on December 4, and Inzerello outlined what’s next in store.
“After tonight we are going to open a lot of assets,” he said. “We have the first hotels under construction that will open next year, the first museums that will open next year, we have already planted 6 million trees on the way to 50 million trees, plants and shrubs.
“Every year now we will open assets, we will open innovative assets and we will announce assets every year through 2030.”
Diriyah has long been recognized for her hospitality and generosity, her strength and her power; She now opens her doors to the world to give visitors a taste of the past and a glimpse of the future.
Source: news.google.com