Al-Qibli Mosque Restoration In Riyadh Highlights Najdi Architecture And Heritage

The Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques is carrying out a full renovation of Al-Qibli Mosque in old Manfuha, Riyadh. The work preserves traditional Najdi features, adapts the building for current worshippers, and keeps its long-standing role in local religious and social life.

The renovation sits within wider efforts to protect historic mosques across the Kingdom and support Saudi Vision 2030. The project aims to ready old mosques for prayer, restore authentic architecture, highlight Saudi Arabia’s cultural identity, and strengthen the religious importance of places that have served communities for generations.

Al-Qibli Mosque covers about 500 square metres and combines several linked spaces. There is an open courtyard, a covered prayer hall, and a lower prayer room that matches the hall’s size and reflects the earliest phase of construction. The design offers both communal areas and more private worship space.

The main covered hall is around 15 metres long and 8 metres wide. It rests on 33 columns set in three orderly rows. Architect Abdullah bin Masoud built this structure on the orders of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman, using tamarisk and palm trunks for the roof and adding a minaret on the northern façade.

The mosque takes its name from its position west of Manfuha and close to the Principality Palace. It was historically the nearest mosque to the town’s governing seat. Princes and leading community members attended prayers there, giving the mosque a strong link to Manfuha’s administrative and social history.

Earlier rebuilding around 1364 AH (1945 AD) introduced square windows lined with plaster on the north and south walls. These openings supply natural light and airflow. A later renovation in 1414 AH (1993 AD) helped maintain the structure, which now stands as the final mud-brick mosque in old Manfuha.

Al-Qibli Mosque restoration work within the historical mosques programme

The current project keeps the original character by using the same local materials. Engineers and heritage specialists are applying mud, plaster, tamarisk wood, and palm fronds. Saudi companies with experience in conservation supervise the process so that architectural authenticity is protected while also meeting present-day sustainability and building standards.

The layout visually links the courtyard and inner prayer hall, while the lower room offers a more secluded space. The site also includes a historic water fountain linked to Faris bin Abdullah bin Shaalan, who died in 1175 AH (1762 AD), along with an old ablution area used by worshippers.

The renovation of Al-Qibli Mosque under the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Project for the Development of Historical Mosques supports cultural and civilizational aims within Saudi Vision 2030. By protecting original Najdi architecture and preparing the site for ongoing worship, the project helps safeguard the Kingdom’s architectural heritage for future generations.

With inputs from SPA