Royal Palaces (Al‑Nasiriyah Palace)
Maha Al‑Rumaih
King Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (1902–1969) built Al‑Nasiriyah Palace for his mother and his growing family, as their numbers increased and they needed a larger, more complete residence. The palace was located in the Al‑Fuwairah district northwest of Riyadh, on the site of a farm King Saud purchased from a citizen named Ibn Nasser when he was Crown Prince—hence the palace’s name. It stood west of his father King Abdulaziz’s Al‑Murabba Palace.
Architectural Significance
The palace represented a modern architectural milestone in Riyadh. Its construction blended traditional Najdi building materials—mudbrick, clay, gypsum, and athl wood—with modern materials such as cement, imported woods, wooden beams, planks, and woven mats, many of which were imported from India by sea.
Construction Phases
Al‑Nasiriyah Palace went through two major construction phases.
The first palace consisted of two floors built by five construction groups, each supervised by a responsible foreman:
- Abdullah bin Kulaib (Group 1)
- Abdulmohsen bin Yusuf (Group 2)
- Abu Hamad bin Aqeel (Group 3)
- Hussein bin Saleh bin Sabaan (Group 4)
- Abdullah bin Rashid bin Asaker (Group 5)
Gardens and Features
The palace became known for its expansive green areas filled with flowers, tamarisk trees, fruit trees, and ornamental plants imported by agricultural experts from India and Bukhara. It also featured water ponds covering 4 hectares, supplied by wells, as well as bird cages.
The palace was illuminated with neon lights imported from Syria after King Saud saw them during a visit. A light orange wall surrounded the palace, and above the main rectangular gate was the inscription “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”, topped with a colored emblem of the two swords and palm tree. Iron benches were placed along the wall for the khawiya (royal guards).
Reconstruction Ordered by King Saud
King Saud later ordered the demolition and reconstruction of the palace in a more modern style, using newly available building materials and to accommodate the continued growth of his family. The reconstruction also included redevelopment of the surrounding residential areas.
The new palace plans were designed by the renowned builder Mohammed bin Laden, through direct assignment rather than a public tender, before the establishment of the Binladin Group.
The Second Palace Complex
The rebuilt Al‑Nasiriyah complex included:
- King Saud’s private palace
- The Guest Palace
- 35 family villas
- A grand mosque
- Al‑Nasiriyah Hospital, managed by doctors led by Dr. Rubhi Hamadeh
- Al‑Nasiriyah Power Station, supplying electricity to Al‑Nasiriyah, Al‑Ma’athar, and western Riyadh
- Al‑Asimah Model Institute (north‑east of the palace), built by engineers Ali Hafiz Wahbi and Zaki Ibrahim
The construction and furnishing costs reached millions of British pounds. Additional facilities were added, including new palaces, women’s courtyards, a private mosque for the royal family, a school for palace children, a hospital, and barracks for palace guards.
What Remains Today
Only a collapsed arch and a portion of the wall remain from the original palace. The central palace structure, however, still stands as a prominent landmark.