Al‑Jazirah Newspaper: Al‑Hamra Palace Is King Saud’s Palace in al‑Murabba‘ —
A Landmark of Riyadh’s Architectural Heritage
I read the article by Mr. Omar Al‑Rasheed in Al‑Jazirah newspaper, issue no. 14942, dated Monday 19‑10‑1434 AH (26 June 2013), titled “Al‑Hamra Palace in Riyadh.” In it, he noted that the name refers to a commercial building on one of Riyadh’s main streets—one that bears no relation to its name: it is neither a palace nor red, nor does it resemble the famous Alhambra Palace in Granada, nor does it carry any architectural features associated with that name. He also remarked that our cities contain buildings and concrete boxes lacking social warmth and psychological comfort, citing a comment by Dr. Mashari Al‑Naim, Director of the Architectural Heritage Center at the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities.
He further highlighted the important role of higher development authorities—particularly the High Commission for the Development of Riyadh—stating:
“In fairness, the Commission has worked with intellectual, cultural, civilizational, and artistic vision, enabling it to prioritize heritage, remove layers of dust from historical sites, revive them, serve them, and reconnect them with surrounding urban centers. It is the most capable of restoring the city’s architectural identity, building on its notable successes in revitalizing Wadi Hanifah, historic Dir‘iyyah, and downtown Riyadh.”
To this, I would add the King Abdulaziz Historical Center in al‑Murabba‘.
In response to that article, I begin by thanking the writer for his interest and for raising the issue of protecting architectural heritage and antiquities in Riyadh and other cities of our beloved Kingdom. As for the title of his article, “Al‑Hamra Palace in Riyadh,” the fact is that Riyadh does indeed have an authentic Al‑Hamra Palace, not a commercial building.
Al‑Hamra Palace in the al‑Murabba‘ district was the residence of King Saud, may God rest his soul, and the seat of his Royal Court, adjacent to King Abdulaziz’s palace in al‑Murabba‘, from the mid‑1360s AH until 1376 AH (1957 CE). The King lived in Al‑Hamra Palace twice: first from the mid‑1360s AH until the early 1370s AH, when he moved to the Nasiriyyah Gardens Palace west of Riyadh; then he returned to Al‑Hamra Palace in 1373 AH during the reconstruction of the first Nasiriyyah Palace complex. He remained there until 1376 AH, when he moved to the newly completed Nasiriyyah Palace that same year.¹
The story of Al‑Hamra Palace begins when King Abdulaziz—may God bless his soul—established the al‑Murabba‘ Palace Complex in 1355 AH, moving there from Qasr al‑Hukm in central Riyadh in 1357 AH.² During that period, a mud‑brick palace was built adjacent to the complex on its southern side to serve as the residence of Crown Prince Saud bin Abdulaziz.
Several years later, a fire broke out in that palace, and a new reinforced‑concrete palace was built nearby to replace it.³ This palace became known among the people of Riyadh—and in books and newspapers, especially the official gazette Umm al‑Qura—as Al‑Hamra Palace. The newspaper frequently referred to it by this name and documented many events held there, including royal decrees, official orders, and King Saud’s receptions of visiting kings, presidents, ambassadors, scholars, senior officials, and citizens in *“the splendid Al‑Hamra Palace.”*⁴
After King Saud moved to Nasiriyyah Palace in 1376 AH, he gifted Al‑Hamra Palace to serve as a state guesthouse.⁵ It became the residence of distinguished visitors to the Kingdom, including Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Khalil, and Lebanese President Camille Chamoun.⁶
A few months later, King Saud ordered that Al‑Hamra Palace become the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, and he chaired the Council’s first session of that year in the palace.⁷ The palace continued to serve as the Council’s headquarters until 1407 AH, when the Council moved to the current Royal Yamamah Palace.
Afterward, the Board of Grievances occupied the palace for several years. Following the redevelopment of the al‑Murabba‘ district on the occasion of the Kingdom’s centennial in 1419 AH, and the establishment of the King Abdulaziz Historical Center by the High Commission for the Development of Riyadh, the Commission was tasked with restoring and rehabilitating Al‑Hamra Palace and assigning it an appropriate function befitting its status as a landmark of Riyadh’s architectural heritage.
The palace forms an integral part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Center and represents—alongside the al‑Murabba‘ Palace Complex—the beginning of Riyadh’s modern urban expansion beyond the old city walls. It is considered one of the earliest reinforced‑concrete structures in Riyadh, if not the very first. Restoration work is ongoing, and we hope the project will be completed soon, God willing, making the palace a significant component of the historical center.
This is what I wished to add to Mr. Omar Al‑Rasheed’s article, to clarify and highlight Al‑Hamra Palace as one of Riyadh’s notable architectural, historical, and political landmarks. God is the source of success.
References
- Research and Studies, vol. 4, p. 311 — King Saud bin Abdulaziz, King Abdulaziz Foundation.
- Qasr al‑Murabba‘, p. 5, prepared by Abdulrahman bin Suleiman Al‑Ruwayshid, High Commission for the Development of Riyadh.
- Research and Studies, op. cit.
- Umm al‑Qura, issue 1634, Friday 23 Safar 1376 AH / 28 September 1956.
- Umm al‑Qura, issue 1658, Friday 13 Sha‘ban 1376 AH / 15 March 1957.
- Umm al‑Qura, issue 1660, Friday 27 Sha‘ban 1376 AH / 29 March 1957.
- Umm al‑Qura, issue 1662, Friday 12 Ramadan 1376 AH / 12 April 1957.
Image source: “Riyadh: The Scent of Heritage and the Charm of Modernity,” High Commission for the Development of Riyadh, 1424 AH.