Dr. Fahd bin Abdullah Al-Samari is the secretary-general of the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah) and editor in chief of the Darah Journal. He is also a member of the board of trustees at the King Fahd National Library. Al-Samari did his Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside in 1989. He has extensive experience in administrative work and research. Throughout his career, he has attended key conferences on history. Al-Samari has played a crucial role in documenting the history of Saudi Arabia. He has authored several books and written articles that have been published in various journals. Al-Samari is also a board member of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority. At the inauguration of the project, he told the Saudi Press Agency that the project showed the government’s resolve to preserve the country’s national heritage and to make it a steady source of revenue as well. He said that the tourism industry was one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Al-Samari said the Diriyah project would represent the genuine Arab culture and an important part of the Kingdom’s soft power. The project, he added, represents the beginning of several other projects that will have a significant impact on the economic, cultural and social development of the country.