Al Malazz Explained

Al-Malazz
Governing Body:Baladiyah Al Malaz
Native Name Lang:ar
Pushpin Map:Saudi Arabia#Asia
Demographics1 Info1:Arabic
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics Type1:Language
Founder:Saud bin Abdulaziz
Native Name:حي الملز
Subdivision Name2:Riyadh
Subdivision Type2:City
Subdivision Name:Saudi Arabia
Subdivision Type:Country
Caption:Al-Malazz, 2023
Settlement Type:Neighbourhood
Named For:Al-Malaz Square
Established Title:Established
Established Date:1954

Al-Malazz (Arabic: حي الملز|translit=ḥaī al-Malaz), formerly al-Riyadh al-Jadidah (The New Riyadh)[1] and the Red Sea neighborhood,[2] is a commercial and residential neighborhood and the seat of the sub-municipality of its namesake, al-Malaz, in downtown Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Named after the al-Malaz Square (now King Abdullah Park), it was built between 1954 and 1957 by King Saud bin Abdulaziz as a housing project for government employees and was later developed into a full-fledged district. The neighborhood has a large presence of overseas Syrian community alongside native Saudi nationals.[3]

It is the very first modern locality in the city, alongside the al-Nassiriyah district, which replaced the vernacular Najdi architecture with a modern one.[4] The area is also popular for hosting several iconic landmarks, supermarkets, streets and government ministries.[5]

History

Prior to its development and during the early days of Saudi Arabia's establishment, the area had several names such as Abu Makhruq, Wattah[6] [7] and al-Khirbat. The area barely had buildings or streets except an equestrian field, known as al-Malaz Square, where King Abdulaziz ibn Saud enjoyed horse racing shows and from where the locality adopted the name Al Malaz by the end of his reign,[8] which was later shifted to Jenadriyah Farm in 2002.[9] After the ascension of King Saud bin Abdulaziz to the throne in 1953, he initiated the relocation of government ministries from Jeddah to Riyadh.[10] In order to meet the accommodation needs of the employees, he launched the 'Al-Malaz Housing Project' of almost 750 villas for the same. According to scholar Faisal al-Mubarak, Al-Malaz was a large-scale housing development encompassing 754 single-family homes, 340 apartment units, and a plethora of supporting facilities including a municipal hall, a library, a fire station, schools, a market, and recreation and health facilities.[11]

In 1957, the first campus of Riyadh University was established in the area, followed by Riyadh Zoo. In 1958, the Al Yamamah Hotel was completed. The Royal Secondary Industrial Institute was built in 1959. The neighbourhood saw rapid development and expansion during the economic boom of the late 1970s and early 1980s,[12] which later included several shopping centres, schools and restaurants.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Riyadh Architecture in One Hundred Years. 2021-05-19. Center for the Study of the Built Environment. en-US.
  2. Web site: 2014-07-06 . وسط الرياض.. حنين على ما تبقى من ذكريات! . 2022-03-06 . www.alriyadh.com.
  3. Web site: الرياض . عبد الله محمد ـــ . 2006-09-24 . الهنود حول المطاعم . 2023-12-11 . alyaum . Arabic.
  4. Web site: 2018-12-21. الملز .. قصة الحي الخالد في الذاكرة السعودية "1". 2021-05-20. صحيفة الاقتصادية. ar.
  5. Web site: 2021-02-07. حي الملز. 2021-10-15. مدونة عقار. ar.
  6. Web site: صبرة . نورهان . 2019-09-22 . اقرأ.. قصة دخول الملك عبد العزيز الرياض بلهجة من رواها . 2024-02-12 . مـزمـز . ar.
  7. Web site: الجبل . بدر . 2019-09-22 . اقرأ.. قصة دخول الملك عبد العزيز الرياض بلهجة من رواها . 2024-02-12 . صحيفة سبق الالكترونية . ar.
  8. Web site: الشامي. كتبه: خالد. 2019-06-11. سباقات الخيول في دول الخليج. 2021-05-20. خيار الكازينو العربي. ar.
  9. Web site: 2016-05-19. سباق الخيول في ميدان الملك عبدالعزيز بالرياض. 2021-05-20. سائح. ar.
  10. Web site: 2009-02-08. حي الملز.. من صحراء إلى سكن للوزراء. 2021-05-20. صحيفة الاقتصادية. ar.
  11. Book: Bsheer, Rosie . Archive Wars: The Politics of History in Saudi Arabia . 2020-09-22 . Stanford University Press . 978-1-5036-1258-7 . en.
  12. Web site: 2011-11-25. حي الملز.. ربيع العمر و"طفرة التحضّر"!. live. 2021-05-20. Al Riyadh. https://web.archive.org/web/20160324020914/http://www.alriyadh.com:80/685999 . 2016-03-24 .