Gulf Construction Online - Unique heritage hub

Riyadh/The Big 5 Saudi

One of the museums planned for Diriyah Gate.

Unique heritage hub

01 March 2022

Contracts worth around SR27 billion ($6.34 billion) are on the table for the development of the 7-sq-km Diriyah Gate, a unique heritage and tourism destination taking shape in the Riyadh region some 15 minutes northwest of the centre of the capital, Ian Robinson, Chief Delivery Officer of Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA), tells Gulf Construction in an exclusive interview.

The SR75-billion Diriyah Gate development is centred around At-Turaif, Saudi Arabia’s Unesco World Heritage site. Spearheading work on this mega project is DGDA, which intends to make it a lifestyle experience that seamlessly blends the past and the future and is striving to re-establish what Diriyah once was: “a bustling hub of commerce and a global gathering place, while creating a truly unique destination, the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else globally”.

The project’s largest contract to date was recently awarded to construct Diriyah Square’s ‘super basement’ car-park at a value of almost SR4 billion and foundation excavation on this package is due to start early this month, according to Robinson.

Excerpts of the interview with Ian Robinson:

Extensive excavation work under way at site.

Please elaborate on the scope of works on a) Diriyah Gate and b) Wadi Safar. What is the current status of work on each?

• Diriyah Gate: Upon completion, Diriyah Gate will be one of the Middle East’s leading mixed-use developments, and will include 28 luxury and uber-luxury hotels, a diverse collection of museums and cultural institutes, and a bustling retail heart to complement the new Bujairi Terrace dining district that will soon be open to the public in 2022. The development will feature an authentic urban environment designed in the historic Najdi architectural style of 300 years ago, that will be a place to gather, shop, dine, live, learn, and work.

Phase One of Diriyah Gate will offer 223,000 sq m of lifestyle, retail and food and beverage (F&B) units, 1,280-plus residential units, 2,236 luxury hotel rooms, six museums, a dedicated art district and will be the new home of the King Salman University.

Recently, DGDA awarded contracts to construct a network of road tunnels that will form the principal Diriyah Interchange on Riyadh’s Western Ring Road (WRR) and a ‘super basement’ car park to accommodate 10,500 cars for Diriyah Square. The WRR will provide seamless traffic access and egress between all Diriyah Gate zones and Riyadh’s arterial motorway system. Work on the substructure of the motorway network commenced in January this year.

• Wadi Safar: Wadi Safar is 60 sq km of pure magnificence and tranquillity, built upon the rich legacy of the past, and a bold vision shaping its future as a globally peerless, one-of-a-kind, ultra-luxurious destination; the future residence of Saudi Arabia’s most discerning; and a playground for the global elite.

The project will offer world-class hospitality and lifestyle assets, including a Greg Norman golf course and clubhouse. To date, contracts worth SR2.2 billion have been awarded for infrastructure in the east of the Wadi Safar development.

The Wadi Safar element of the project will allocate approximately 10-15 per cent of its land to residential plots. However, DGDA’s commitment to the environment and natural habitat remains firm; the project will feature a one-of-a-kind animal sanctuary and visitors to Wadi Safar will learn about the kingdom’s efforts to protect its wildlife and ecology.

Upon completion, Wadi Safar will be home to 10 luxury and uber-luxury hotels.

At present, most construction activities are related to infrastructure works to support future assets.

The Bujairi Terrace dining district ... to open this year.

Diriyah Gate Development Authority indicated last year that it plans to award SR16 billion of contracts in 2021 across the development. Was this target achieved? What are some of the major contracts awarded and what is the status of work on each of these projects?

This target has been achieved, as DGDA awarded over SR16 billion in projects to date and in 2022, the authority has approximately SR27 billion on the table for development projects.

Infrastructure works accounted for some of the most significant contracts, with DGDA awarding SR7.8 billion in contracts, including:

• SR1.1 billion for Diriyah Gate site-wide logistics;

• SR1.2 billion for Diriyah Gate landscaping;

• SR1.5 billion for Diriyah Gate North infrastructure;

• SR1.8 billion for Diriyah Gate South infrastructure;

• SR2.2 billion for Wadi Safar East infrastructure.

Already this year, DGDA announced two large infrastructure works packages. One was to contractor Nesma & Partners which was awarded a SR1.3 billion contract for a motorway substructure gyratory at the eastern portion of Diriyah Square and the Western Ring Road (WRR).

The second contract was awarded to Salini/WeBuild to construct Diriyah Square’s ‘super basement’ car park, at a value of almost SR4 billion.

DGDA is also on track to complete the first phase assets by early 2022 as part of a progressive rolling master plan.

The total amount of Capex contracts awarded till date: SR25.3 billion, Capexcontracts in process to be awarded: SR 9.3 billion.

The total amount of Opex contracts awarded till date: SR1.8 billion, Opex contracts in process to be awarded: SR164 million.

Diriyah Gate covers an area of 7 sq km.

Has work commenced on the ‘Super Basement’ carpark contract – DGDA’s largest to date? What are some of the challenges involved? And when is this contract due for completion?

Mobilisation work on the super-basement has commenced with foundation excavation due to happen in early March 2022. The methodology used will be open cut. Our target for completion of the super basement is December 2024. As ever, the challenges will be meeting our own deadlines and the high standard of quality we set ourselves.

What is the current status of Bujairi F&B, Bujairi car park, Samhan Heritage Hotel, Diriyah Art Futures and Diriyah Gate Experience Centre?

Despite the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, the development of assets in the Diriyah Gate masterplan remains on time, on budget and on track. Diriyah will be the first giga-project in the world to simultaneously open, break ground and announce world-class assets every year from 2022 until completion in 2026. The first 20-plus restaurant brands – including four Michelin restaurants – launch in Bujairi Terrace in 2022.

Regarding the other assets mentioned, all projects are currently under construction and are scheduled to be completed in 2022/2023.

Diriyah Gate will require 7 million cu m of rock/earth to be excavated in parallel with ongoing construction works relating to infrastructure and utilities.

Please elaborate on the scope of work on the restoration of Wadi Hanifah?

Wadi Hanifah extends for approximately 7.6 km and covers an area of 2.5 million sq m (250 hectares). It is accessible from the escarpment walk, which provides views of the Unesco World Heritage Site At-Turaif. The Wadi offers recreational areas and boutique hospitality venues for guests to unwind with family and friends amid the natural surroundings.

This includes the historic farmlands between the Wadi and escarpment to the east. The Wadi will provide a rural parkland component to complement the new urban district of Diriyah Gate and create a ‘green spine’ for the residents of Riyadh.

The restoration of Wadi Hanifah will include four distinct areas of identity: Heritage and Culture, Wadi Living, Sports and Activity, and Eco-Tourism. The Wadi Hanifah Park aims to improve the quality of life of all people with access to gardens, trails and picnic areas located throughout.

The vision for the Wadi Hanifah masterplan is encapsulated within five guiding principles;

• To preserve and maintain the Wadi’s palm groves;

• To provide active and passive recreational uses;

• To limit new building and repurpose specifically retained buildings;

• To provide visual and physical connectivity between At Turaif, Diriyah Gate and Bujairi Terrace;

• To green the Wadi by restoring and replanting the Wadi’s farms.

A large part of the Wadi’s conservation is the protection of the palm groves and historic buildings, which will ultimately connect the community to nature, culture, and history. Certain farms with historical significance will also be re-purposed and restored.

Please highlight the challenges involved in restoration work on some of Diriyah’s old buildings at At-Turaif? Which contractors have been appointed to carry out this work? And elaborate on the techniques being used to replicate the original adobe look.

The careful restoration of Diriyah has been undertaken through a comprehensive programme of preservation and renewal to create a living heritage site.

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), which had previously been responsible for At-Turaif since 2010, restored a significant portion of the site and handed over responsibility for the restoration process to DGDA in 2019. Under DGDA’s supervision, restoration activities have progressed, and the approach and best practices initiated by RCRC to preserve and restore this national landmark have continued. The restoration process takes inspiration from traditional adobe techniques of the Arabian Peninsula, including the use of adobe bricks, adobe plaster, gypsum athel wood, jareed and Riyadh limestone.

Some of the contractors who worked with RCRC up to 2018 were Freyssinet Saudi Arabia, International Center for Contracting, Al Yamama, Turathia, Dar Estabraq, Globecomm, Althat Al Arabia.

What are some of the major tenders expected to be issued this year at Diriyah Gate and Wadi Safar?

SR4.3 billion has already been awarded this year, and our total forecast for the year is approximately SR27 billion.

The majority of tenders will be related to DGDA’s lifestyle retail precinct, the MISK Heritage Institute, luxury hotels in Diriyah Gate and Wadi Safar, the Digital Art Museum and the King Salman University.

What are your comments on DGDA’s goals in terms of offering a unique cultural experience?

DGDA is curating an experience that authentically connects visitors to Diriyah’s history, heritage, and culture – all of our built assets will be designed in the traditional Najdi style that is synonymous with Saudi Arabia, making it a lifestyle experience that seamlessly blends the past and the future. We are striving to retain what Diriyah once was: a bustling hub of commerce and a global gathering place, creating a truly unique destination, the likes of which cannot be found anywhere else globally.

Alongside the retail and dining offerings, we will give visitors the opportunity to learn about Saudi Arabia’s rich history and culture through a diverse collection of museums and heritage sites, in addition to providing one of the Middle East’s most walkable, pedestrianised landscapes.

As a result, Diriyah will become a leading centre for culture in the Middle East. The Diriyah giga-project will add around $7.2 billion to the kingdom’s GDP, create 55,000 jobs, and welcome 27 million visitors by 2030.

Anything else you would like to add about the project.

From a construction perspective, the bulk excavation programme later this year is a fundamental element for the entire project as it supports many assets, such as Diriyah Square.

It will require approximately 7 million cu m of rock/earth to be excavated in parallel with ongoing construction works relating to infrastructure and utilities.

In terms of timeline, the excavation, disposal, and grading works are on track to be completed by mid-2022.