Throughout 2025, RehabiMed worked on the study of heritage buildings in the historic centre of Riyadh. At the request of the municipal company responsible for the urban regeneration of the city centre, the Central Arriyadh Development Company, and in collaboration with the Italian consultancy Hydea, a pre-diagnosis of 20 buildings was carried out. The aim was to undertake a preliminary study to enable the planning of future actions and uses for these buildings, including an assessment of their historical, architectural, construction and heritage values, as well as a detailed analysis of their construction characteristics and state of conservation.
In order to obtain the necessary survey documentation, prior to the start of the works, experts from Riga Technical University (RTU) carried out a laser scanning survey and provided, for each building, a high-resolution point cloud, 360° spherical images and orthophotos extracted from the point cloud, including façades, floor plans and sections.
The buildings studied were of very diverse typologies and sizes: 12 built of earth with timber beams, 6 with reinforced concrete frame structures, and 2 with mixed structures of concrete frames and load-bearing walls. Most of the earth buildings are in quite poor condition, some in a state of ruin; however, the others, despite having various problems, can all be recovered through proper rehabilitation.
An essential aspect of the study was to determine the heritage values of each building within its context. It should be noted that, with the exception of one, all the buildings studied are of great value and are key elements in illustrating the city’s development throughout the twentieth century. Recommendations were made regarding the possible new uses for each building, as well as on restoration and reuse strategies that respect the heritage structures and preserve their original values.
