DIRIYAH: King Salman on Wednesday sponsored the groundbreaking ceremony for the Diriyah Gate project aimed at restoring the historical area as a cultural heritage project, and reinstating it to its ancient past in the 18th century to become a local and international tourist destination due to its geography and ancient history. Diriyah Gate Project will kick off at the beginning of 2020 and will be one of the biggest projects within the Kingdom’s plans, at a cost of more than SR64 billion ($17 billion). The city is set to be a tourist destination with 20 new hotels, including two that will be built starting from January. “Samhan Nozol” will be a Saudi-led mud hotel in Najd style which will be completed with Saudi investors. The hotel’s theme will highlight the heritage and cultural experience. The second hotel, which will break ground, is the brand “Aman Hotel” a famous luxury hotel operator around the world. “Diriyah will have eight museums. We are planting a million tress in Wadi Hanifa. We will have a new 15,000 seat cultural performance center, sporting areas, all new souks. There is a walking path of 3.5 km overlooking the Wadi, several thousand residences and offices.” Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of Diriyah gate told Arab News. These transformations will turn Diriyah into a vivid futuristic city, merging old with new, while preserving heritage and renovating historical sites. More to follow...