0 Riyadh's Hidden Gems-The Diplomatic Quarter Gardens

Riyadh's expatriates are always looking for new and exciting things to do on weekends.  There are many places in and around Riyadh which are mostly unknown to the public and expats. One of them is the Diplomatic Quarter parks, the most relaxing and serene places within the city limits. Clean, green surroundings, open spaces to walk freely in and let the children play outdoors are a rarity in the desert Kingdom. All this can be found in the Diplomatic Quarters, just a five minute drive from the Riyadh city center.

Here's my article on the DQ parks including directions how to find one of the most beautiful and scenic ones with plenty of activities for the little ones to enjoy as well.  This article was published in the Women's Skills Bureau February Newsletter:

Riyadh’s hidden gems-the Diplomatic Quarter gardens

The Diplomatic Quarters hosts some of the most beautiful,green landscape and fascinating architecture in Riyadh. The Diplomatic Quarterswas built on the edge of Wadi Hanifa in the 1970’s as living quarters fordiplomats and the embassy area. Today the “DQ” is like a Green Eden midst theharsh surrounding desert, its parks like a refuge from the pollution and noiseof bustling Riyadh.

What many if not most expats miss from our home countries isbeing able to walk, those free open spaces and green scenery. All of these canbe found in the Diplomatic Quarters gardens. The entire DQ is an abaya freezone and resident expats can often be seen in regular clothing here. Unlike therest of Riyadh public parks, the DQ parks are well maintained and trash-free.

There are over 30 parks, deemed gardens in the DQ, scattered over thedifferent residential areas and along the walking track. The track is about 20km long and runs around the entire perimeter of the DQ. Views from the walkingtrail down to the Wadi Hanifa valley and its hundreds of date palm trees arespectacular. The edge of the wadi itself resembles a canyon, creating a starkcontrast with the sea of palm trees below. In the distance, the palaces andmosques of old Diriyah can be seen.  Allthat can be heard is the song of birds and the sound of a cooling breeze fromthe wadi.

The gardens were designed by a group of international landscapearchitects, their aim to preserve the natural environment using only nativeplants and natural materials. The seeds for the plants were gathered in thedeserts and then planted in the gardens and all around the DQ area. The ideawas to create a sustainable environment keeping in mind the natural flow ofwater and the existing formations in the landscape.

All of the plants that havebeen used in the DQ parks are endemic to the Arabian peninsula. Juniper, Acacia trees, Aloe Vera, Jasmine,Fig trees, Jujube trees, Prickly Pear cactus, and many others. The gardenshave different flowers in bloom year round.

The gardens have been designed to have something foreveryone. There are tranquil and serene areas for a more peaceful experience aswell as children’s playgrounds, football fields, basketball courts and skatingrinks to please the more active visitors.

There are grass fields, fountains, picnicareas, pavilions, courtyards, benches, shaded walkways, private seating areas, beautifulfragrant flowers and interesting rock formations for the visitors to enjoy.Each park has a distinct theme in design and vegetation which makes discoveringnew parks interesting and rewarding.

What makes the parks even more relaxing is the presence ofwater. The countless fountains, water channels and waterfalls create a constantcalming sound of running water. This is like music to the ears for Riyadh’s desertdwellers.  Every park has at least onefountain and the larger ones have sections of the park completely dedicated to differentkinds of fountains.

For families with children these gardens make for anenjoyable day out. Children of all ages will enjoy the playgrounds which haveeverything from swings, slides and suspension bridges to imaginative climbinggyms. The grass fields are perfect for running around and picnics. The largestparks have mosques adjacent to them and all parks have toilet facilities.

The best time to visit the gardens is in the mornings orlate afternoons when lots of children come to the playgrounds. They’re open allday and everyday of the week and open to everyone, free of charge. The easiestway to pass the DQ security is to say you’re visiting your embassy duringworking hours and on evenings the sports club or ladies spa there.

Here are directions to the “Al Aarudh” garden, one of thelargest in the Diplomatic Quarters with three different playground areas, twofountain areas, a grass field and mosque. Enter DQ from the North gate (accessfrom Mecca rd.) immediately after entering you will see roundabout number 1.Go around it so that you take a left (the third exit) and continue on thisstreet which goes into Hajar residential area. Drive on this street past theIndian and Guinean embassies on your right until you see the walls of thegarden and shortly after the entrance to the park also on the right hand side.Park your car anywhere on the street.

WSB Newsletter can be downloaded from here:
http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1107647512759-41/WSBNewsletterFinal-Feb2013.pdf