Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Guardian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, has laid down the first foundation on the development project of the old city of Diriyah on Wednesday (Nov 20).

The Diriyah Gate project aims to restore the historic area into a national and international tourist destination, Saudi Press Agency reported as quoted by Indonesia Window here on Thursday.

The ground-breaking was carried out by King Salman in the accompany of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority.

The ceremony was attended by Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz; Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz; Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan; and members of the Board of Directors of the Diriyah Gate Development Authority.

The function started with recitation of verses from the Nobel Quran.

Diriyah which is located about 11 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Riyadh has a history of the birth of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which began in the 18th century.

With ancient buildings made of clay bricks that are still maintained today, Diriyah is a cultural icon of Saudi Arabia that preserves the kingdom's past in the midst of an urban environment that continues moving forward.

Reporting by Indonesia Window