The Diriyah Gate Development Authority (DGDA) in Saudi Arabia intends to build the country's equivalent of France's iconic Champs-Elysees.
Jerry Inzerillo, CEO of the DGDA, revealed plans for the enormous project at the Saudi-French Strategic Partnership for Designing Sustainable Cities for Tomorrow tour in Riyadh, according to an article by Arab News.
With a varied array of museums and cultural institutions, hotels and lifestyle, retail and F&B businesses, the DGDA is leading an ambitious $50 billion effort to restore, protect, and celebrate Diriyah as the beating cultural heart of Saudi Arabia.
Inzerillo said HRH Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, sought to link the institution (King Saud University) in Diriyah Gate 2 to the cultural identity and heritage of Diriyah Gate 1 in order to unite the Kingdom's past, present, and future.
The project will promote Saudi Arabia's history and legacy while drawing inspiration from Champs-Elysees. A contemporary art museum, convention center, opera house, and the Grand Mosque in addition to the King Salman mosque are planned for the avenue's length.
Although complete information regarding the project's scope has not yet been made public, the boulevard project will be included in the Diriyah Gate 2 project. The project, according to the authorities, is still in its early phases and has not yet received an official name.
“We are now 97 per cent done with the design of what we call Diriyah Gate 1, and we are very advanced in Diriyah Gate 2 and will be starting the design of Diriyah Gate 3 soon in addition to the 60-km Wadi Safar development," said Inzerillo.
The visit was organized by Business France, a department of the French Embassy in charge of managing the French economy's globalization, to raise awareness of the goals of the Kingdom with regard to environmental sustainability, cutting-edge technology, and cultural and historical preservation
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Inzerillo said: “Diriyah is the birthplace of the Arabian Peninsula, Diriyah is the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Diriyah is the ancestral home of the house of Al-Saud.”
From November 29 to December 2, Riyadh will play host to the 22nd World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit, during which the authority will make a number of announcements about its projects.