Sunday, July 6, 2008

Discover Riyadh

Riyadh (Arabic: الرياض‎ Ar-Riyāḍ) is the capital of Saudi Arabia and its largest city. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Nejd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to over 4,260,000 people.
The city is divided into 15 municipal districts, managed by Riyadh Municipality headed by the mayor of Riyadh, and the Riyadh Development Authority, chaired by Governor of
Riyadh Province, Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz.
The current mayor of Riyadh is
Abdul Aziz ibn Ayyaf Al Migrin, appointed in 1998.

The name Riyadh is derived from the plural of the Arabic word rawdha, which means "garden," particularly those formed in the desert after the spring rains. Riyadh has for more than 1500 years been a fertile area set in the heartland of the Arabian Peninsula.The settlement was historically famous for its Palm Trees and Dates and Orchards. The modern name was first applied to only certain parts of the settlement where orchards predominated. Gradually the name was used for the entire settlement.

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