Al-Murabba (Arabic: المربع, romanized: al-murabbaʿ, lit. 'the square') is a historic neighborhood in central Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, located west of al-Wazarat and north of al-Futah in the sub-municipality of al-Malaz. Its name reportedly comes from a broken square-shaped dry well around which the Murabba Palace was built and from where latter's name gets derived as well. It is situated in close proximity to the al-Batʼha commercial area and the Qasr al-Hukm District. Al-Murabba has lent its name to the New Murabba project, a planned downtown and real estate development in northwestern Riyadh. The neighborhood hosts a large presence of overseas Egyptian community.

History

After the unification of Saudi Arabia, King Abdulaziz ordered building of palaces outside the former city walls of Old Riyadh, marking one of the preludes for the subsequent expansions of Riyadh. One of the places he chose was in the Murabba neighborhood in 1937 to build the Murabba Palace. According to Saudi historian Mansour al-Assaf, there was a square-shaped dry well in the neighborhood, from which the area derives its name 'al-Murabba' (lit. the square). In 1969, the Riyadh Water Tower was inaugurated in the neighborhood. In 1999, the King Abdulaziz Historical Center which contained the Abdulaziz's former Murabba Palace and the National Museum was inaugurated by King Fahd to commemorate the 100th anniversary (in terms of Hijri calendar) of Abdulaziz's capturing of Riyadh in 1902.

Legacy

In February 2023, crown prince Mohammed bin Salman announced a new downtown project in northwest of Riyadh, known as the New Murabba, named after the neighborhood. He also unveiled the project of Mukaab, a 400-meters cuboidal skyscraper located in the New Murabba and is modeled after the cuboidal layout of the Murabba Palace.

Gallery

• 
  A walkway along the road crossing the historical center
• 
  The One Hundred Palm Trees Park in Al Murabba
• 
  Inside Al Murabba Fort
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  The Murabba Fort building
• 
  Crowne Plaza Riyadh Palace, 2023

See also

• Al-Batʼha
• Al Malazz (Riyadh)
• King Abdulaziz Historical Center