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Riyadh is the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its largest city. The name 'Riyadh' is derived from the Arabic word "rawdah" which means a place of gardens and trees. Riyadh was part of the First Saudi State in the 18th century having its capital at Diriyah. Later, in 1818, the capital was shifted to Riyadh after the Turks destroyed Diriyah. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was established in the year 1932 by Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud, with Riyadh as its capital. With the oil boom of 1950, the city, which was once a small walled city developed into a metropolis and became one of the fastest growing and most prosperous cities in the world.
Area & Location: Situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, Riyadh lies in the central corridor of Saudi Arabia. Located at 24°42'42" Latitude North and 46°43'27" Longitude East, the city occupies a total area of 1,554 sq. km fully covered with land. With rising population, the city is home to 4,260,000 of its residents.
Tourist Attractions: Although there are no sufficient tourist attracted sites to be visited in the city, it receives a number of tourists every year.
Transportation: King Khalid International Airport that operates all domestic as well as international flights mainly the Saudi Arabian airlines serves the city. Besides this, there are many public transport facilities in the city like buses, taxis etc that carry people from
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one place to another inside the country.
Hotels:The city offers a wide range of star hotels like Al- Riyadh Sheraton hotel, Marriot hotel, Al-Faisaliyah hotel, Ulaya Palace hotel, Al-Khuzama and Four Seasons hotel. These hotels provide all facilities to its customers including Internet, telephone, swimming pools etc. Having comfy rooms with television and music system, the visitors can enjoy to the fullest. They can also have a glimpse of the city while being in these high rising buildings.
Places of Attraction: Tourists reach the city to have a look at the historical monuments and architectures that tells the story of the city's history. It also holds number of museums that preserve the remnants of the city. The National Museum, King Abdulaziz Military Museum, King Fahad National Library Museum, King Fahad Security College Museum, Museum of Antiquities and Folklore, Mohammed Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Dwaihi Museum and Antiquity Museum in King Saud University are some of them. Al Musmak Castle - one of the important landmarks in the Kingdom that recalls the march that led to the foundation and unification of the Kingdom is the major landmark of the city. King Abdulaziz Darat -a scientific academy established in memory of the King Abdulaziz the founder of the Peninsula and Ad'Diriyah are the interesting places from where people can obtain significant facts about the nation.
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