Minzal Returns To Celebrate The Natural Heritage Of Diriyah

The new edition of the Minzal Program is now welcoming visitors as part of Diriyah Season 25/26, offering an integrated cultural and environmental experience that highlights the natural beauty of Wadi Safar and the heritage of historic Diriyah in one destination where history and nature meet.

Located on the edge of Wadi Safar, the largest tributary of Wadi Hanifah, Minzal opens daily from 5:00 PM and presents visitors with heritage storytelling, traditional cuisine, and views of the surrounding landscape, alongside a wide range of cultural and recreational activities.

The Minzal Program is organised into four main zones that underline Diriyah’s historical role as the cradle of Saudi culture, with each area designed to reflect different aspects of local life, from handicrafts and domestic skills to equestrian traditions, astronomy, and practices linked to the desert environment and its resources.

Within the "Al-Uloom" experience, guests can explore traditional crafts, including leatherworking, carpet weaving, and woodworking, while the "Sloom" experience focuses on skills and knowledge linked to everyday life, such as Saudi coffee traditions, desert plants, fire lighting methods, camel milking, and tent making techniques.

The "Faris Al-Badiyah" experience in Minzal gives visitors the chance to ride horses and practise archery, supported by instructors in a setting that reflects desert life, and is complemented by a dedicated "Falconry" experience where guests learn about hunting practices using the Arabian falcon and the cultural importance of falconry in the region.

Another central element of the Minzal Program is the "Al-Mushrif" experience, which focuses on astronomy and invites visitors to observe the night sky above Diriyah, creating a calm atmosphere for stargazing that connects participants with historical navigation methods and the wider natural environment surrounding Wadi Safar.

Diriyah Season 25/26 setting and historical background

To support the heritage activities, Minzal also hosts a variety of international restaurants, cafés, and retail outlets, enabling visitors to combine cultural exploration with dining and shopping, while spending extended time in the area to observe the landscape of Wadi Safar and the wider Wadi Hanifah valley.

Wadi Safar itself is a key geological and historical location, defined by fertile rock formations and agricultural lands that supported farming across generations, offering food and shelter for residents and encouraging settlement along Wadi Hanifah, which has long been a preferred leisure destination, particularly during the winter months.

The strategic position of Wadi Safar, southwest of Diriyah, gave it defensive importance during the era of the First Saudi State, serving as the primary protective zone for the area and remaining a visible reminder of events that continue to hold a strong place in the shared memory of local communities and historians.

Diriyah Season 25/26 functions as a global meeting point for visitors interested in history, offering journeys through time to sites that once formed the political and cultural centre of the region across different periods, with experiences designed to international standards and shaped by innovative concepts that reflect the values and vision of historic Diriyah while combining Najdi authenticity with the comprehensive development taking place across the Kingdom.

With inputs from SPA