The three-day festival in one of the Kingdom’s most iconic landmarks, took place from December 13 through Saturday December 15, with a range of music, entertainment and cultural activities ahead of the much-awaited Formula E race on Saturday afternoon.

To fully showcase the beauty of Ad Diriyah to visitors during the Formula E Festival, DGDA has opened the gates to At-Turaif, one of five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia, for the first time since it was accorded its UNESCO status. The heritage site, which was open throughout the entire Formula E Festival, was transformed into an immersive experience zone that includes interactive museums, live cultural performances and a chance to experience life at the time of the formation of the first Saudi state through unique arts and retail experiences.

Gerard Jerry Inzerillo, CEO, Ad Diriyah Gate Development Authority, said, “To all our international visitors attending this incredible event, we welcome you to the Kingdom. We are tremendously excited to welcome visitors, for the first time, into At-Turaif where they can experience beautiful Saudi history and traditions in an unparalleled historic landmark. Nearly all of our tour slots are fully booked, and we expect to host as many as 6,000 visitors in At-Turaif this weekend.”

The tours were open to Formula E ticket holders, who will got a chance to walk in the footsteps of kings and heroes through one of the world’s largest mud-brick cities.

In recent months, DGDA has added thousands of square meters of green surfaces to Ad Diriyah, planting 14,000 indigenous trees and shrubs and over 350 palm trees as part of its mandate to celebrate and develop the area, as well as laying and repairing more than three kilometers of sidewalk to make the area more accessible to residents and visitors. The unique gathering place is open to visitors during the Formula E festival, and DGDA is looking forward to hosting a wide range of community activities in the year ahead.