Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in the 1950s as an offshoot of the 18th century walled town following the dismantling of its defensive fortifications.

[16][17] 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.

[18][19] Hajr served as the capital of the province of Al-Yamamah, whose governors were responsible for most of central and eastern Arabia during the Umayyad and Abbasid eras.

Ibn Battuta goes on to describe it as a city of canals and trees with most of its inhabitants belonging to the Bani Hanifa, and reports that he continued on with their leader to Mecca to perform the Hajj.

[11] The capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, was initially known for its availability of water and fertile land which made it ideal for farming dates and other crops.

Almost one-third of Saudi Arabia's factories are located in Riyadh, producing a range of products including machinery, equipment, metallurgical goods, chemicals, construction materials, food, textiles, furniture, and numerous publications.

[21] Following the death of Faisal, there was rivalry among his sons which situation was exploited by Muhammad bin Rashid who took most of Najd, signed a treaty with the Ottomans, and also captured Hasa in 1871.

[21] Internecine struggles between Turki's grandsons led to the fall of the Second Saudi State in 1891 at the hand of the rival Al Rashid clan, which ruled from the northern city of Ha'il.

[22] Abdul Rahman bin Faisal al-Saud had sought refuge among a tribal community on the outskirts of Najd and then went to Kuwait with his family and stayed in exile.

[23] When King Saud came to power, he made it his objective to modernize Riyadh, and began developing Annasriyyah, the royal residential district, in 1950.

[23] Following the example of American cities, new settlements and entire neighborhoods were created on grid plans, and connected by high-capacity main roads to the inner areas.

Though the rank moved up to 69 in 2018, diversification in the economy of the capital is required in order to avoid what the World Bank called a "looming poverty crisis" brought on by lingering low oil prices and rich state benefits.

[33] A restoration of heritage buildings of historical significance was launched in Riyadh by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 13 September 2020.

At its center was a town square and a market (souq), surrounded by residential quarters of mosques and adobe homes, each with an interior courtyard.

[34] When commercial oil production began, there was a rapid rise in the rate of urbanization and the city transitioned from traditional to newer houses and buildings.

[35] Malaz, with its street grid and detached house type, was instrumental in shaping the master plans for Riyadh that followed, as per Dr. Saleh Al Hathloul.

But nearing the 80s, Riyadh's expansion had already reached the Northern Ring Road in the north and had made considerable progress in the eastern part of the city.

[35] Therefore, SCET International was assigned to revise and update the original plan to reflect the drastic growth and offer adaptive measures, which were approved in 1982.

It was initiated after comprehensive studies by the Arriyadh Development Authority (the high commission's research wing) on demographics, land use, transportation, security, environment, and traffic safety.

New fully residential suburbs, unlike regular neighborhoods that have storefront-lined main streets, are under construction in the far north and far east of the city.

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.

The branch municipalities are Al-Shemaysi, Irqah, Al-Ma'athar, Al-Olayya, Al-Aziziyya, Al-Malaz, Al-Selayy, Nemar, Al-Neseem, Al-Shifa, Al-'Urayja, Al-Bat'ha, Al-Ha'ir, Al-Rawdha, and Al-Shimal ("the North").

Unlike in the early days of development in Riyadh during which vernacular structures were razed to the ground without consideration, there is a new-found appreciation for traditional architecture.

The Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage is making efforts to revitalize the historic architecture in Riyadh and other parts of the kingdom.

In January 1902 Ibn Saud, who was at the time living in exile in Kuwait, succeeded in capturing the Masmak fortress from its Rashid garrison.

For example, the meteorite fragment is known as the "Camel's Hump", recovered in 1966 from the Wabar site, that was on display at the King Saud University in Riyadh became the new entry piece of the National Museum of Saudi Arabia.

The Royal Saudi Air Force Museum, or Saqr Al-Jazira, is located on the East Ring Road of Riyadh between exits 10 and 11.

The 2023 edition of the festival offered the largest prize pool in the history of global competitive esports at the time, totaling $45 million.

[92][93] Saudi Arabia Railways operates two separate passenger and cargo lines between Riyadh and Dammam, passing through Hofuf and Haradh.

[102] On 3 July 2020, Bloomberg reported that Saudi Arabia has allocated $20 billion on the mega-project of tourism and culture in Riyadh, branded as Diriyah, while facing a double economic crisis after rise in coronavirus cases.