Saudi real estate: Diriyah awards $600m contract for retail hub as project hits $26bn milestone
Diriyah Square is situated at the heart of Diriyah, the City of Earth, the unique Najdi-inspired architectural Diriyah Masterplan.
It is designed to develop a vibrant retail district featuring a mix of 400 iconic retail, leisure and dining brands.
Diriyah Square contract award in Saudi Arabia
This district will emphasize exceptional customer experiences, focusing on pedestrians and offering unparalleled shopping, dining, and living opportunities.
Diriyah Square aims to pioneer the future retail and leisure landscape of Diriyah, and more broadly, Riyadh.
This marks the third major involvement of Webuild Group in helping to create the unique flagship retail environment in Diriyah.
Salini is already well advanced in building a 10,500-space car park underneath Diriyah Square, which will be among the largest in the world.
The car park will incorporate bus stations, dedicated taxi and VIP drop-off areas, and an underground four-lane gyratory connecting the subterranean Masterplan, providing best-in-class vehicle access and customer parking experiences across Diriyah Square.
Salini is also in the process of completing the structural engineering for all the Diriyah Square assets above ground, including the Retail, Hotels, Branded Residences, Offices and Grand Mosque.
The contract for the development of the retail district includes building 73 individual buildings and 400 shell and core retail units over a built-up area of 365,340sq m and includes the facades, finishes and fit-outs of the units.
Every building will use traditional Najdi architectural design themes to create a unique pedestrianized retail environment in the heart of Diriyah reflecting 300-years of history and heritage.
#DiriyahCompany has signed a $600 Million construction contract with Salini Saudi Arabia to deliver the landmark retail district in #DiriyahSquare, a project that brings an authentic Najdi-inspired urban vision to life.
A milestone that strengthens the position of #TheCityOfEarth … pic.twitter.com/noHeHGwLRs
— Diriyah Company l شركة الدرعية (@DiriyahCo) July 14, 2025
Diriyah Company Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said: 'Diriyah Square is one of our most exciting, anticipated and prestigious districts, and we are extremely pleased to have signed with Salini to deliver it, bringing their immense global experience to the table.
'It is yet another significant milestone in our development journey and will help set the stage for Diriyah Square's retail spaces to welcome a diverse array of shoppers from our residential communities, surrounding office spaces and the millions who visit us every year.'
Pietro Salini, CEO of Webuild, said: 'We are proud to contribute to a project of such symbolic and strategic importance to Saudi Arabia. This will further strengthen our presence in the Kingdom and positively impact both the area and the local community.
'We are excited about developing this new phase of Diriyah Square, an integral part of an iconic project. The Webuild Group has been present in Saudi Arabia since 1966, delivering more than 90 projects.
'We remain committed to supporting the Kingdom in developing some of the world's most complex infrastructure projects, particularly in areas such as civil buildings, sustainable mobility, and desalination.'
Diriyah Square hosts 400 of the total estimated 1,000 outlets planned across the 14sq km development area of the SR237bn ($63.2bn) project.
With this award, Diriyah Company has reached more than SR100bn ($26bn) in contract awards since inception with SR20bn ($5bn) in the first half of 2025.
Diriyah, the City of Earth will contribute approximately $18.6bn (SR70bn) directly to the Kingdom's GDP, create nearly 180,000 jobs and will be home to an estimated 100,000 people.
It will also include:
Modern office space for tens of thousands of professionals in technology, media, the arts and education
Museums
A university
The Royal Diriyah Opera House
The Diriyah arena
World-class hotels
Restaurants
The Royal Golf Club, Wadi Safar alongside the Greg Norman designed championship golf course
Royal Equestrian and Polo Club, Wadi Safar
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