Souq al-Suwaiqah (), or in
Najdi vernacular pronunciation as Souq al-Suweigah and officially as Swaigah Trade Center (), is a traditional marketplace (''
souq'') and a shopping complex in the
ad-Dirah neighborhood of
Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia, that emerged from the ruins of the
al-Ajnab quarter. Covering an area of 6.2 acres, it is situated east of the
Masmak Fortress in the
Qasr al-Hukm District. It includes more than 260 shops that specialize in the trading of
traditional perfumes, cosmetics and ''
abayas''.
The settlement lies on the ruins of the Al Ajnab settlement, which gradually went extinct following the dismantling of the
city walls
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
and subsequent expansion and modernization of Riyadh in the 1970s. The settlement evolved into Souq al-Suweigah and assumed most of its current form during the Qasr Al-Hukm District Development Project between 1983 and 1992.
References
{{reflist
Souqs
Economy of Riyadh