Arabian Adventures: Nature Study in the Diplomatic Quarter

In 1989 the Diplomatic Quarter in Riyadh was selected for the Aga Khan Award for architecture. What was once barren, flat desert land along the Wadi Hanifa was transformed into a beautiful neighborhood of embassies, gardens, and homes. Tens of thousands of cubic meters of earth and rock were moved to recreate the space. Gardens were carefully planned with native plants of the Arabian peninsula. What a real pleasure to live here!

I can literally walk two blocks behind my home to a sandy road that twists and turns, climbs and falls, as it circles the compound. Morning runs take me past acacia, sagebrush, bougainvillea, jujube trees, etc. and scenic views of the wadi. For my NM friends, wadi is just the Arabic name for arroyo, a large dry canyon that acts as a funnel to channel any rain to fertile date tree farms below.

The Arabian peninsula has several north-south veins of wadis and escarpments. Riyadh (which incidentally means "garden" in Arabic) is situated on one of the largest wadis in the country, the Wadi Hanifa, and it runs along the largest escarpment, the Tuwaiq Escarpment. Both are surprisingly beautiful land features in the midst of a dry, barren land.

Here are some shots of a recent nature walk I took with the kids along the wadi. I will try to name what I can--although I may get some things wrong and need to correct myself later on.