VIA Riyadh () is a

mixed-use development Mixed use is a type of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning classification that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions ...

with high-end retail, hospitality and entertainment outlets in the al-Hada district of

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

, located next to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Built using stones extracted from the Tuwaiq mountains, it was soft-opened in 2021 as one of the zones of

Riyadh Season Riyadh Season () is a series of entertainment, cultural, and sporting events held in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. The event was introduced in 2019 by the General Entertainment Authority as part of the larger Saudi Seasons initiative in s ...

before being officially inaugurated in 2023. It is owned by Sela and contains the city's first St. Regis Hotel, which was completed in 2022.

Overview

Timeline and development

In October 2021, Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of

announced the unveiling of VIA Riyadh as one of the 14 zones of the 2021 edition of

through his official Twitter handle. The construction of VIA Riyadh was in line with the

Saudi Vision 2030 Saudi Vision 2030 (, sometimes called Project 2030) is a government program launched by Saudi Arabia which aims to achieve the goal of increased diversification economically, socially, and culturally, in line with the vision of Saudi crown pri ...

, a comprehensive plan to diversify Saudi Arabia's economy in the non-oil sector. The overall project was overseen by the Takamul Project Management Company whereas its interior designing was contracted to SUD Architects, a French architecture company. In December 2021,

Marriott International Marriott International, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational company that operates, franchises, and licenses lodging brands that include hotel, residential, and timeshare properties. Marriott International owns over 37 ho ...

signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia's Sela Company to build a St. Regis Hotel in

and an EDITION hotel in

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), alternatively transliterated as Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; , ), is a List of governorates of Saudi Arabia, governorate and the largest city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, and the country's second largest city after Riyadh, located ...

by 2022. The General Entertainment Authority in a press release in October 2022 announced that VIA Riyadh was set to inaugurate as a "permanent zone" during the 2022 edition of

, similar to the Boulevard Riyadh City. In late January 2023, General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh conducted a private inauguration ceremony of VIA Riyadh, which was attended by the country's

Minister of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture. The position exists in many countries under several names: *Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania) *Ministry of Touri ...

Ahmed al-Kateeb, chairman of the board of directors of Saudi Journalists Association Khalid al-Malik and the Japanese ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Iwai Fumio. A week before its official opening on 11 May 2023, the Riyadh Calendar released a promotional video for VIA Riyadh featuring American-Colombian actress

Sofía Vergara Sofía Margarita Vergara Vergara (; born July 10, 1972) is a Colombian and American actress and television personality who received five nominations each at the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. She is one of the highest-paid a ...

. Days later, Argentine professional footballer

Lionel Messi Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi (; born 24 June 1987) is an Argentine professional Association football, footballer who plays as a forward (association football), forward for and Captain (association football), captains both Major League Soccer ...

was spotted in VIA Riyadh along with his family who had arrived in the Saudi capital just hours after

FC Lorient Football Club Lorient Bretagne Sud (;), commonly referred to as FC Lorient (), is a French professional association football club based in Lorient, Brittany. The club was founded in 1926 and currently competes in Ligue 2, having been relegated f ...

's historic win over

Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain () or simply PSG, is a French professional Association football, football club based in Paris. They compete in Ligue 1, the French football league system, top d ...

Design and reception

Architecture

The compound was built using stones extracted from the nearby Tuwaiq mountains on the six core principles of Salmani style, a distinct type of urban

Najd Najd is a Historical region, historical region of the Arabian Peninsula that includes most of the central region of Saudi Arabia. It is roughly bounded by the Hejaz region to the west, the Nafud desert in Al-Jawf Province, al-Jawf to the north, ...

i architectural method developed in

Riyadh Province The Riyadh Province ( '), is a province of Saudi Arabia, located in the geographic center of the country and the center of the Arabian Peninsula. It has an area of and with a 2022 population of 8,591,748, it is the second-largest region by ar ...

during the reign of Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz as the region's governor between 1963 and 2011.

Brand outlets and leisure

The compound of VIA Riyadh hosts 25 shops, 17 restaurants and 7 cinemas of international and local brands, including UK'sdining outlets Gymkhana, Sexy Fish and Scott's as well as US-based Spago and Bianca. Retail outlets opened exclusively in the precincts consist those of American fashion designer Brandon Maxwell and Lebanese fashion designer

Elie Saab Elie Saab () (born 4 July 1964) is a Lebanon-based fashion designer. He started his business in the early 1980s and specialized in bridal couture (high-end fabrics, lace, gemstones, Swarovski Crystal, Swarovski crystals, pearls, detailed embr ...

besides art galleries that include

Richard Orlinski Richard Orlinski (born 1966 in Paris) is a French sculptor and visual neo-pop artist. Early life and education Richard Orlinski was born on January 6, 1966, in Paris, France. After earning a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Universit ...

, Artfeena, Phoenix Ancient Art and VIA Collection. Seven cinemas make up the entertainment sector of the compound, namely, Avant Garde, Interstellar, the Oasis, Orient Express, Secret Garden, Tuwaiq Hall and Wall Street.

Shopping

Restaurants and cafeterias

Cinema

* Avant Garde * Interstellar * Oasis * Orient Express * Secret Garden * Tuwaiq Hall * Wall Street

References

{{Reflist Shopping malls in Saudi Arabia Tourist attractions in Riyadh 2021 establishments in Saudi Arabia Shopping malls established in 2021