At-Turaif UNESCO inscription (2010)
UNESCO added the At-Turaif district in ad-Dir'iyah to the World Heritage List, recognizing the mud-brick city as the birthplace of the Saudi state and a leading example of Najdi architecture.
The listing raised the site's international profile and drew preservation funding.
It became the anchor for Saudi Arabia's later decision to build a major heritage and tourism district around the site.
Diriyah Company's $63.2bn masterplan is built around this UNESCO-listed core; the heritage designation is why the development exists at all.
