There’s nowhere I love more than Wadi Hanifah and Diriyah. Only fifteen kilometers from Riyadh’s Olaya road Diriyah is the home of the Al Saud family and was their first capital. Parts of Diriyah are a UNESCO world heritage site and the area is full of mud-brick structures, some of which are in disrepair. Diriyah is the perfect get-away from Riyadh’s hectic pace. Here’s some pictures of my latest trip down, after the recent April/May rains. I do hope you enjoy and if you’d like to know more about the place do read the Wikipedia entry here.

Along the walk way there are spots for families to gather and light fires for barbeques. The area gets very busy at weekends

The walkway along Al Elb Dam is a family favourite in Diriyah and should not be missed

The spillway at Al Elb Dam is sizable and is a remarkable site when waterlogged

The view towards Diriyah from Al Elb Dam

Date trees are an ever-present in Diriyah and provide both beauty and shade

Wadi Hanifa in flood

A view of one of Diriyah’s old walls and watch tower from the Wadi Hanifah road

This is one of the old mud watchtowers in Diriyah, on the path to Al Elb Dam

The extent of the flooding after the May rains is apparent here

As with any Wadi, Wadi Hanifah can be waterlogged after a flash rain

I’ve always wanted to open these doors and go inside!

My wife calls these Christmas trees

Just maybe the best place to walk in Riyadh

This is a picture of Wadi Hanifah’s water spillway (obviously, when dry)

Note the circular tower structure on the left, which is the architectural style of Old Diriyah’s defences

The standing stones of Wadi Hanifah

The views of Wadi Hanifah after the rains are breathtaking. The area is so green that you forget you’re in the middle of a desert

Al Elb Dam is at the furthest point of the Wadi and worth the drive down

Wadi Hanifah’s fauna is diverse and you may be surprised by the type of trees and other fauna you will find in the valley

Driving up and down the Wadi Hanifah road you’ll be surrounded by date trees which sprout up from behind farm walls

Wadi Hanifah is full of beautiful fauna such as these pink flowers which always bloom after a rainstorm

This alcove is a strange one and I’ve never understood why it was built. It’s a one-off in Wadi Hanifah

The rain came down and washed the trailer away…

Welcome to Wadi Hanifa, one of the most beautiful parts of Riyadh

Shot from the Wadi Hanifah road, this is a farmhouse building

Despite the plethora of farms owned by wealthy Nadjis, there are still many Saudis who live in Old Diriyah in much poorer conditions

Here’s another painted farm door in Diriyah, on the road to Wadi Hanifah

Diriyah has some wonderful hand-crafted and painted doors, such as the one in the picture

This is the view of Diriyah’s district court from the road heading down to Wadi Hanifah