Diriyah Company announced the signing of a construction contract worth 2.249 billion riyals ($600 million) with Salini Saudi Arabia (a subsidiary of the Italian WeBuild Group) to implement the prominent commercial area in the Diriyah Square project, located at the heart of the project, within the unique master plan inspired by the authentic Najdi style.
The Diriyah Square was designed to develop the commercial area with 400 local and international brands in the retail, entertainment and restaurant sectors, focusing on providing unique experiences for visitors, through a pedestrian-friendly environment that provides opportunities for shopping and dining. Diriyah seeks for the square to be the main driver for the future of the commercial and entertainment scene in the region, to consolidate Diriyah’s position as a leading global destination.
Salini is currently building an underground parking garage with a capacity of 10,500 cars beneath Diriyah Square. It will be among the largest parking garages in the world, featuring integrated bus service facilities, taxi and passenger drop-off areas, and four underground tracks connecting parts of the master plan. This will contribute to providing easy access to Diriyah Square parking. Salini is also working on the construction of all Diriyah Square facilities, including retail areas, hotels, residential and hotel units, offices, and the Grand Mosque.
400 commercial units
The contract for the development of the new commercial area in Diriyah Square includes the construction of (73) buildings, containing (400) commercial units, on a total area of (365,340) square meters, with the full implementation of facades, finishes and interior equipment for the units. Each building uses traditional Najdi architectural designs to give an authentic Najdi character that reflects the history of the region extending for nearly 600 years, within a high-end commercial environment dedicated to pedestrians in the heart of Diriyah.
Diriyah Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said, "Diriyah Square is one of our most prominent, distinctive, and luxurious projects, and we are delighted to have signed this contract. Diriyah Square represents a major milestone in Diriyah’s development, providing ample retail space to accommodate a large number of shoppers from the surrounding residential and office complexes, as well as the millions of visitors who come to Diriyah annually." For his part, WeBuild Group CEO Pietro Salini expressed his pride in contributing to a project of such strategic importance to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, emphasizing that this project will strengthen their presence in the Kingdom and underscore their commitment to contributing to the development of the region and its local community.
He said: "We are excited to be working on this new phase of Diriyah Square, as an important part of this unique project, and we will continue to support it in implementing the world’s most prominent infrastructure projects, particularly in the construction, sustainable mobility, and water desalination sectors."
The Diriyah Square is the beating heart of the retail sector within the Diriyah project, as it includes the finest international brands and local craft products in an environment that blends culture and entertainment. The square includes (400) of the total (1000) retail outlets planned to be provided within the master plan of the Diriyah project, which is being built on an area of (14) square kilometers.
Diriyah is expected to contribute around (70) billion riyals (18.6 billion dollars) to the Kingdom’s GDP, provide around (180) thousand job opportunities, be home to an estimated (100) thousand people, and include modern office spaces for tens of thousands of specialists in technology, media, arts and education, museums, a university, the Royal Opera House, luxury international hotels, restaurants, in addition to the Royal Golf Club in Wadi Safar, along with the championship golf course designed by Greg Norman, and the Royal Equestrian and Polo Club in Wadi Safar.
