Development of Heritage Places under Unesco Guidelines Case Study: Al Maliha Neighbourhood in Riyadh City

Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest city in the Kingdom. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and is located in the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama and in the center of the Arabian Peninsula, on a vast plateau. Densely populated, with over 5.7 million people, it is the urban center of a region with about 7.3 million people. It consists of 15 municipal districts under the management of Riyadh Municipality, headed by the mayor of Riyadh, and the Riyadh Development Authority, chaired by the Governor of Riyadh Province. This research aims at dealing with the development of Al Maliha Neighborhood, as a case study of development of heritage places. Al Maliha neighbourhood is located in the center of Riyadh, bounded on the north by AL Jomla Suq and market, in the south by Al Salam garden, in the west by King Fahad Street and in the east by warehouses and a school from the south. There are also old heritage houses in the southeast of the area. The proposed project will develop the old heritage area, re-use it as a Heritage Museum, and demolish the warehouses to establish new galley rooms and Heritage research center. The research methodology will follow the UNESCO regulations and guidelines followed for conservation of heritage places. It will also adopt Riyadh Municipality, and the Riyadh Development Authority regulations for the development of heritage places. The project is proposed for architectural students at level four in Dar Al Uloom University, to be completed within four months and presented for Prince Sultan Award 2006 for Heritage. The aim of the research is to follow the KSA strategy in protecting and maintaining historical places like Al Daraya, old palaces and old mosques. The project will give a proposal study in managing and developing heritage places, by following the UNESCO guideline for heritage places and Riyadh Municipality regulations. The research outlines conclusions and recommendations to decision makers, for application in the development of Al Maliha neighbourhood applied in developing Al Maliha neighbourhood.