AWARDS

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC), represented by its Special Zones Sector, has been awarded the 2024 Organizational Excellence Accreditation by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). This recognition highlights RCRC’s commitment to implementing the EFQM Excellence Model and adhering to leading administrative best practices.

• The RCRC’s Qasr Al-Hukm District Urban Development Project received the Riyadh Municipality’s Award for Architectural and Urban Creativity 2023, in the Environmental Architecture and Urban Design Category.

RCRC received two bronze awards from the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) for the “خضراء يادارنا” campaign of the Green Riyadh project in the category of “Best Sustainability Campaign in the Middle East” and the category of “Best Campaign in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia” for the year 2021.

Riyadh Art project won a silver award from the Middle East Public Relations Association (MEPRA) for the Noor Riyadh Light Festival as the best professional communication campaign in the Middle East in the Arts and Culture category, in a fierce competition in which more than 88 parties participated in 56 categories.

RCRC won the second position in the “Saudi Arabia Award for Environmental Management”, organized by the Arab Administrative Development Organization (Arab League) under the category of “Environmental Management Applications by Arab Government Agencies”. The award came in recognition of the High Committee for Environment Protection’s role in promoting environmental management, as well as its supervisory, co-ordinative, and follow-up efforts to implement environmental protection action plans in Riyadh. The Commission received the award at a ceremony held at The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the capital of Morocco, Rabat, under the auspices of the Minister Delegate for Environmental Affairs in the Kingdom of Morocco.

This Award was given to al-Midi Mosque in King Abdulaziz Historical Center because the project successfully reflected and drew ‎inspiration from architectural heritage in both design and the overall coordination of the site. ‎The Award also acknowledged the “utilization of local natural materials in addition to the ‎incorporation of advanced design concepts which have a profound impact on the architectural ‎and social surroundings.”

The High Committee for the Development of Riyadh was awarded the Aga Khan Award for ‎Architecture for the fourth time for its rehabilitation project at Wadi Hanifa in 2010. The jury of ‎the Award unanimously awarded the top honor to the project out of 401 competitors. ‎The Award committee judged that the Wadi Hanifa project succeeded by applying ‎sensitive environmental measures and social values in developing a natural feature. This has ‎effectively and successfully transformed a watercourse that was previously filled with ‎hazardous waste and was a blot on the city into a delightful and attractive environment within ‎the capital. The jury decided to give the Award to the Wadi Hanifa project in recognition of RCRC’s vision and determination to realize sustainable development as part of effective ‎urban development

The Riyadh Maps site was given the e-Government Achievement Award “Injaz” at its first session in 2010, in the category of “Better Service for Community Members” organized by the e-Government Program (Yesser).
The award ceremony was held under the dignified patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and then the Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H.E. Eng. Mohammed Jameel bin Mulla, handed the award to Eng. Abdullatif bin Abdulmalik Al Shaikh, during the delivery ceremony held on Sunday in conjunction with the second National Conference on e-Government 2010, in the Kingdom Hall at the Four Seasons Hotel in Riyadh

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Riyadh website, developed by RDA, was selected by the Internet Awards Academy in the Arab ‎Region in 2009 for the Award of the Best Arab Information and Strategic Services Portal. The Awards are given to the best ‎websites that are informative, convenient, and easy to access. The Internet Awards ‎Academy in the Arab Region competition was organized in cooperation with Dubai Internet ‎City, Microsoft, and the Business Software Alliance (BSA)

Riyadh website, developed by RDA, was selected by the Internet Awards Academy in the Arab ‎Region in 2009 for the second place for Best Website for information and services. The Awards are given to the best ‎websites that are informative, convenient, and easy to access.

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City (RCRC) received the Gulf Cooperation Council Award for Best Environmental Activities in its sixth session, which revolves around environmental awareness in educational and electronic programs, exhibitions and workshops. The award, organized by the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, is based on a criteria, including awareness programs and the achievement of their objectives, the responsiveness of the population and their interaction and contribution to these programs, the educational and scientific levels of the program and the diversity of environmental aspects and their orientation at different levels.

The King Abdulaziz Historical Center won first place and the Golden Award in the category of urban projects at the International Award for Liveable Communities in London, Britain. The jury chose the center for upholding the principles of heritage preservation and the commission’s endeavor to protect the heritage for current and future generations.

Al-Maddy Mosque project in the King Abdulaziz Historical Center won the first prize for the Organization of Islamic Capitals and Cities at its seventh session held in the Turkish capital. Al-Maddy Mosque, located on King Faisal Road in the eastern part of the King Abdulaziz Historical Center in the Al-Murabba neighborhood in the center of Riyadh, is considered one of the first architectural facilities in the Kingdom in which modern technologies were applied using local clay materials (pressed clay).

The Environmental Rehabilitation Program of Wadi Hanifa won second place and the gold award for the International Award for Vital Communities in London, Britain, for its creativity and pioneering leadership to improve the quality of life of residents.

Within the Global Award of Liveable Communities, Salam Park was given the Bronze Award for Environmental and Recreational Projects. The judges cited the project’s commitment to promote local landscapes and provide a setting that would be a source of pride for recreational experiences as a reason for the project’s success in meeting the quality criteria of landscaping. This combines constructed and natural aesthetic elements with the preservation of ecologically significant locations, natural heritage, biodiversity, and plant cultivation in more challenging environments.

King Abdulaziz Historical Center received this award because it was built on a historic site that was the axis of Riyadh’s development and the base for modern Saudi Arabia and also because it focused on underlining the Kingdom’s status and position as being the Cradle of Islam.

The King Abdulaziz Historical Center received this award during the celebration of the Arab city and its architectural projects. The jury of the Award chose the Center under the theme of the role of the Arab city in preserving heritage. The Center was selected as the winner out of 182 projects representing 12 Arab countries competing for the Award.

The comprehensive plan for the development of Wadi Hanifa won the interest and admiration of global experts and specialists, which qualified it to obtain the Water Center Award in Washington, USA, as the best plan for developing water resources in the world among 75 projects submitted by 21 countries.

This scheme was presented at the annual conference of the Water Center in Montreal, Canada. The arbitration committee, composed of experts representing various countries of the world, considered this project as a pioneering initiative and a global project setting new standards.

In 2002, the Danish Architects Association recognized the squares of the Qasr Al-Hukam area as one of the best squares in the world. The squares were featured in a book published by the association under the title ‘New Squares of Cities’, which included 39 famous landmarks in nine cities in Europe and the United States, except for the squares at Qasr Al-Hukm.

The Association noted that the squares at Qasr Al-Hukm area achieved the highest degree of synergy between religious, cultural, commercial, and administrative functions and adopted modern urban designs that preserved the region’s originality, heritage, and local character.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Staff Housing Complex was selected for the Award of the Arab ‎Ministers of Housing and Construction. The Award acknowledged the unique design of the ‎complex and its successful demonstration of the cultural and environmental characteristics of ‎its urban structure. The complex also preserves the privacy of its residents by mixing environmental ‎profiles and providing modern facilities essential for a sustainable and prosperous residential ‎community.

The complex was planned and built to accommodate ministry staff and families. The ‎complex is located in Al-Mohamadeyah neighborhood in the northern part of Riyadh and ‎extends over an area of 390,000m2. It incorporates a comprehensive network of ‎services that includes a mosque, a commercial center, an educational complex, recreational clubs ‎for men and women, and a public park.‎

The project was designed for 3,600 residents accommodated in 612 housing units. These ‎comprise of detached and semi-detached villas and apartment buildings with residential units of ‎different sizes. The size and style of units vary according to the professional positions of the ‎ministry staff. There are 13 different architectural designs of housing units in the complex.

Tuwaiq Palace, one of the most prominent cultural and social architectural landmarks in ‎Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter, received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in Granada, Spain. ‎The award committee recognized the design for achieving an exceptional level of harmony ‎between the palace’s built form, its setting, and the overarching oasis concept. The committee ‎also noted the way the design thoughtfully brings together the key elements of an oasis – ‎including pathways, terraces, and caves – within a sweeping undulating outer wall, while three ‎interconnected tent-like structures extend outward from the complex.‎

The Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Mosque Project won the Aga Khan International Architecture Award in Solo City, Indonesia. The Royal Commission for Riyadh City renovated the mosque as part of the development program of Qasr Al-Hukm District. The award committee commended the innovative design of the project its distinctive Najdi style architecture in harmony with its surroundings.
The development of Qasr Al Hukm District included an ambitious plan to restore its character as the beating heart of Riyadh and to transform it as a cultural attraction.

The Diplomatic Quarter won the Arab Cities Award for Architecture. The Award by the Arab Cities Organization recognized the Diplomatic Quarter as being “the best architectural project built in an Arab city in a style that reinforces the credibility of Islamic Arab architecture and its growth and development values. The architecture of the Diplomatic Quarter reflects the traditional architecture of Saudi Arabia that is in harmony with the environment of the region and provides open spaces and elegant landscaping. The natural environment has been used to isolate it from traffic pollution and noise.”

The Award committee considered the Diplomatic Quarter a “densely populated, modern ‎governmental district that successfully and effectively accommodates many embassies, ‎consulates, and various types of related buildings in addition to providing general plazas and ‎gated recreational parks to the citizens of Riyadh”. The committee recognized that the design ‎of the Diplomatic Quarter has been made environmentally sustainable by planting trees, shrubs, and grasses in the area and landscaping of the immediate rocky ‎desert surroundings. As a result, the committee found the project to be realistic, highly ‎innovative, and self-sustaining in an arid environment.

The jury of the Award hailed Al-Kindi Plaza: “Located between the two main roads that divide the Diplomatic Quarter into two almost equal parts. The adjacent buildings along the sides of the roads have been designed and built according to the style of horizontal extension, separated by entrances and open spaces.” The jury recognized Al-Kindi Plaza as “a model that can be imitated and adopted by other Arab and Muslim societies in designing and building their cities.” The jury added: “This style preserves, in an attractive manner, the traditional link between the mosque and other public spaces.” The jury considered Al-Kindi Plaza as representing a standard to be copied by the cities of the Arab and Islamic world.