Al-Ma'dhar Palace (), also known as King Faisal Palace (), is a historic palace in the al-Ma'dhar neighborhood of
Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia, located within the precincts of
Alfaisal University. Built in 1952 by
Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz,
the palace has received several foreign dignitaries and head of states around the 1970s besides being a witness to various matters involving
Saudi Arabia at bilateral and regional levels such as the
al-Wadiah War of 1969 and the
1973 Arab-Israeli War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egy ...
.
In 2024, the Saudi government approved plans to transform the palace into a museum.
Overview
The palace was built in 1952 by
Prince Faisal bin Abdulaziz and was one of the earliest palaces inaugurated 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 ...
.
The inauguration was attended by
King Abdulaziz ibn Saud and served as one of the residences of
Prince Faisal. The construction of the palace costed around 10 million
Saudi riyals
The Saudi riyal ( ar, ريال سعودي ') is the currency of Saudi Arabia. It is abbreviated as
or SAR ''(Saudi Arabian Riyal)''. It is subdivided into 100 halalas ( ar, هللة '). The currency is pegged to the US dollar at a constant rate ...
at the time.
King Faisal received the delegation of Sudanese president
Gaafar Nimeiry in the palace in 1972. In 1973, Egyptian president
Anwar Sadat held a meeting with
King Faisal bin Abdulaziz
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
in the palace to discuss matters pertaining to the
Yom Kippur War.
Following the assassination of
King Faisal in 1975, the palace was used by his successor,
King Khalid bin Abdulaziz. In 1976, he hosted Egyptian president
Anwar Sadat in the palace compound.
In 1980, he received South Korean president
Choi Kyu-hah in the palace.
In 2002, the
Alfaisal University was established by the
King Faisal Foundation surrounding the palace compound. In 2017, an exhibition was held in the palace compound by
Prince Khalid al-Faisal. In 2019, French luxury goods conglomerate
Cartier International SNC organized an event to showcase its products.
In 2024,
King Salman bin Abdulaziz approved plans to transform the palace into a museum and a tourist attraction that would be known as al-Faisal Museum.
References
{{Reflist
Palaces in Saudi Arabia