Riyadh

During the Pre-Islamic era, the city at the site of modern Riyadh was called Hajr (Arabic: حجر), and was reportedly founded by the tribe of Banu Hanifa. Hajr served as the capital of the province of Al-Yamama, whose governors were responsible for most of central and eastern Arabia during the Umayyad Caliphate and Abbasid Caliphate eras. Al-Yamama broke away from the Abbasid in 866 and the area fell under the rule of the Banu Ukhaidhir, who moved the capital from Hajr to nearby Al-Kharj. The city then went into a long period of decline. In the 14th century, North African traveler Ibn Battuta wrote of his visit to Hajr, describing it as "the main city of Al-Yamama, and its name is Hajr". Ibn Battuta goes on to describe it as a city of canals and trees with most of its inhabitants belonging to the Banu Hanifa, and reports that he continued on with their leader to Mecca to perform the Hajj. …

Riyadh has a hot desert climate (Köppen Climate Classification BWh), with long, extremely hot summers and short, very mild winters. The average high temperature in July is 43.9 °C (111.0 °F). If not for its elevation Riyadh would experience an even hotter climate. The city experiences very little precipitation, especially during the summer, but receives a fair amount of rain in March and April. It is also known to have dust storms during which the dust can be so thick that visibility is under 10 m (33 ft). On 1 and 2 April 2015, a massive dust storm hit Riyadh, causing the suspension of classes in many schools in the area and the cancellation of hundreds of flights, both domestic and international. Riyadh is divided into fourteen branch municipalities, in addition to the Diplomatic Quarter. …

The old town of Riyadh within the city walls did not exceed an area of 1 km2, and therefore very few significant architectural remnants of the original walled oasis town of Riyadh exist today. The most prominent is the Al-Masmak Palace and some parts of the original wall structure with its gate which have been restored and reconstructed. There are also a number of traditional mud-brick houses within these old limits, but they are for the most part dilapidated. Expansion outside the city walls was slow to begin with, although there were some smaller oases and settlements surrounding Riyadh. The first major construction beyond the walls was King Abdulaziz's Murabba Palace. It was constructed in 1936, completed in 1938, and a household of 800 people moved into it in 1938. The palace is now part of a bigger complex called King Abdulaziz Historical Center. …

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) is located 35 kilometers north of the city center. It is the city's main airport, and served over 20 million passengers in 2013. The airport is the main hub of the new flag carrier Riyadh Air. The airport will be expanded, with six parallel runways and three or four large passenger terminals by 2030. It will be able to serve 120 million passengers per year after 2030, and 185 million passengers per year by 2050. As part of King Abdulaziz's Public Transport Project, Riyadh Bus network consists of 3 main bus lines, covering a distance of 1,905 km. Riyadh’s bus network consists of 87 routes across the city using 842 vehicles with approximately 3,000 service stations. The bus network transported 50 million passengers in 2024. …

In 2022, the city had over 7 million people. The city had a population of 40,000 inhabitants in 1935 and 83,000 in 1949. The city has experienced very high rates of population growth, from 150,000 inhabitants in the 1960s to over seven million, according to the most recent sources. As of 2017, the population of Riyadh is composed of 64.19% Saudis, while non-Saudis account for 35.81% of the population. Indians are the largest minority population at 13.7%, followed by Pakistanis at 12.4%. The population is so high due to the doubled birth rates and the high economic growth. There was also an influx of immigrants.