Recently, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), designated the Diriyah Project in Riyadh as PIF’s fifth giga project.

Diriyah is a US$63.2 billion mixed-use development inspired by the Najdi architect of the UNESCO World Heritage site of At-Turaif transforming 14 sq km of Diriyah into a world-scale destination and one of the greatest global gathering places.

In December, it became the first of the five giga projects to open up the initial phase of its development. That came by way of its 15,000 sqm luxury dining destination of Bujairi Terrace.

Bujairi Terrace’s mix of restaurants has been carefully curated, offering international flagship brands as befits Diriyah’s status and prominence, in addition to Middle Eastern and Saudi cuisine to ensure authenticity amid historic surroundings. It includes some of the most sought-after restaurants from around the world – many of which are in Saudi and the wider region itself for the very first time.

There are more than 20 restaurants that have opened initially in Bujairi Terrace which range from fine-dining, and all-day cafès to casual-premium offerings.

It includes homegrown brands such as Maiz, Takya, Altopiano, Somewhere / Somewhere Dessert Bar, Sum + Things and Hi.

The Michelin-star restaurants that have also established a presence in Diriyah include Chez Bruno, Hakkasan, Long Chim and Tatel.

Other international brands who are present in Diriyah include Angelina, Brunch and Cake, Café De Lésplanade, Cova / Cova Pasticceria, Flamingo Room, Joe and the Juice, Sarabeth’s and Villa Mamas. Café de L’Esplanade’s second outpost in the world outside of Paris is here, in Diriyah.

On the sidelines of its dining attractions, Bujairi Terrace conducts live shows, cultural and historic programmes and even has performances by Saudi artists and musicians too. The dining district overlooks the UNESCO World Heritage Site of At-Turaif which has also opened to the public. It also has unparalleled views of the lush Wadi Hanifah.

Diriyah is forecast to host over 27 million visitors annually by 2030. It is expected to add around US$7.2 billion to the kingdom’s GDP and creates 55,000 jobs too. The Diriyah Gate Development Authority recently announced that 16 additional global hotel brands join its hospitality portfolio in Diriyah, taking the list of confirmed openings to 32 out of 38, with its first hotel planned to open this year itself.

diriyah.sa