The Diplomatic Quarter (DQ) (), also known by its Arabic name as-Safarat, is a

diplomatic Diplomatics (in American English, and in most anglophone countries), or diplomatic (in British English), is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents: especially, historical documents. It focuses on the conventions, p ...

enclave and an affluent residential district in northwestern

Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the R ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

, in close proximity to

Irqah Irqah ( ar, عرقة), also romanized as Ergah, is a town in the northwestern fringes of Riyadh in Riyadh Governorate, Saudi Arabia. Nowadays Irqah is considered to be a neighbourhood in Riyadh, and is part of the sub-municipality of its namesa ...

. Spanned across 800 hectares, it hosts most of the foreign embassies and some of the government departments in the city besides being a popular tourist attraction. Until November 2018, it was administered by the

Irqah Sub-Municipality Baladiyah Al-Irqah (), also known by its English name Irqah Sub-Municipality, is a baladiyah and one of the 14 sub-municipalities of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western As ...

before the district's responsibility was placed under the newly created Diplomatic Quarter General Authority.

History

The Diplomatic Quarter was established on November 25, 1975, through a

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

resolution during the reign of

King Khalid Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ( ar, خالد بن عبد العزيز آل سعود ''Khalid ibn ʿAbd al ʿAzīz Āl Suʿūd'' ; 13 February 1913 13 June 1982) was a Saudi Arabian statesman and politician who served as King and Prime Minister of ...

upon the relocation of the headquarters of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

from

Jeddah Jeddah ( ), also spelled Jedda, Jiddah or Jidda ( ; ar, , Jidda, ), is a city in the Hejaz region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the country's commercial center. Established in the 6th century BC as a fishing village, Jeddah's pro ...

. It was the brainchild of Riyadh's then governor Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud. On 27 November 2018, a royal decree issued by King Salman instructed the creation of the Diplomatic Quarter Authority which would be independent of Riyadh Municipality's

and would be responsible for the administration of the district. In February 2021, the authority was abolished and its administration was transferred to the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

Landmarks

Tuwaiq Palace Tuwaiq Palace or Towaiq Palace is a building in the Alhattan Street of the Diplomatic Quarter district in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which hosts government functions, state receptions, and cultural festivals that introduce Saudi arts and customs to the ...

* Oud Square

Schools

* King Faisal School * British International School, DQ campus

Parks

* Al Khuzama Park (The Groves) * Richard Bodeker Park * Yamama Park * Rock Park

Hotels

* Marriott Riyadh Diplomatic Quarter * Radisson Blu Hotel and Residence

Marketplaces

* Al-Kindi Plaza * Tamimi Markets DQ branch * Al Fazari Plaza

References

{{Reflist 1975 establishments in Saudi Arabia Neighbourhoods in Riyadh Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia