| Al-Hamra Palace | |
|---|---|
القصر الحمراء | |
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Riyadh_Red_Palace_1960.jpg) al-Hamra Palace, 1960 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Palladian |
| Location | al-Fouta, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Coordinates | 24°38′33″N 46°42′33″E / 24.64250°N 46.70917°E |
| Construction started | 1943 |
| Completed | 1948 |
| Owner | Boutique Group |
| Technical details | |
| Structural system | Reinforced concrete |
| Design and construction | |
| Main contractor | Saudi Binladin Group |
| Known for | First reinforced concrete structure in Saudi Arabia |
Al-Hamra Palace (Arabic: القصر الحمراء, romanized: al-Qaṣr al-Ḥamrāʾ), better known as the Red Palace (Arabic: القصر الأحمر, romanized: al-Qaṣr al-ʾĀḥmar) is a historic palace and a cultural landmark located in the al-Fouta neighborhood of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Commissioned in 1943 by King Abdulaziz ibn Saud as a gift to his son and future monarch, Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz,[1] it served as the latter's main residence and workplace from its completion in 1948 until he moved to the al-Nassiriyah Palace in 1956. It is the first reinforced concrete structure in the history of Saudi Arabia and its layout and design were modeled after the historic British Residency building in Hyderabad, India.[2][3] It was opened to the general public in 2019 after being abandoned for almost 17 years.[4][5][6] Since 2022, the palace compound is owned by the Boutique Group, which is set to transform the building into a luxury hotel.
Following the construction of al-Nassiriyah Palace in 1956, Saud handed over the premises of the palace to the Saudi Council of Ministers where it functioned as their main office between 1956 and 1988, hosting numerous foreign dignitaries and head of states during their official visits to the country in that period.[1] The palace temporarily served as a military headquarter during the 1990–1991 Gulf War and later became part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Center (KAHC) in 1999.[7]
The palace hosted many foreign heads of states and officials between 1948 and 1988, such as Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi of Iran, President Shukri al-Quwatli of Syria, King Talal bin Abdullah of Jordan, Crown Prince Saif al-Islam al-Badr of North Yemen, President Camille Chamoun of Lebanon, President Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India.[8]
- ^ a b "Riyadh's Red Palace". Asharq AL-awsat. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ ""فهدة بنت سعود" تحكي لـ"سبق" قصة بناء "القصر الأحمر": احترق "الطي". 2019-12-12. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ "القصر الأحمر .. أول مبنى مسلح في الرياض ومقر مجلس الوزراء". صحيفة الاقتصادية (in Arabic). 2017-01-20. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
- ^ "Red Palace pulling crowds to Riyadh". Saudigazette. 2019-03-23. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ "القصر الأحمر بالرياض يروي لزواره حكايات عمرها 7 عقود". العربية (in Arabic). 2019-03-14. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
- ^ "القصر الأحمر الشهير في العاصمة السعودية الرياض يفتح أبوابه للجمهور لأو". اندبندنت عربية (in Arabic). 2019-03-14. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
- ^ "يُعد من تراث الرياض العمراني". www.al-jazirah.com. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- ^ "سُمي بالقصر الأحمر نسبة إلى لونه القريب من الأحمر". www.al-jazirah.com. Retrieved 2023-09-23.