On June 24, Diriyah Company joined MEED GlobalData for a webinar titled Entry to Diriyah: Market opportunities for fit-out, designers, consultants, contractors and the wider ecosphere. The session was hosted by Ed James, Head of Content and Research for Middle East and Africa at MEED GlobalData, and Sharat Kumar, Executive Director of Detail Design and Delivery at Diriyah Company – the entity responsible for the development of the city. The message was clear: Diriyah is open for business, delivery is progressing in phases, creating a growing opportunity for industry partners to engage with the development.
Opportunities for retail and commercial markets in Diriyah
James opened with a summary of the regional context, and the numbers were significant. According to MEED Projects, Saudi Arabia’s construction contract awards reached $128bn as of June 2026, up from $114bn at the same point last year. James said the “pipeline of projects in the region has never been higher”, with $1.7trn worth of planned and unawarded contract work in the Kingdom – the largest market in the region by some measure.
As the capital of the first Saudi State, established in 1727, Diriyah is a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site. The location is a unique hybrid of heritage, culture and modernity with its Najdi architectural design that governs the masterplan. Kumar stated Diriyah Company’s mission is to “dream, create, develop, and deliver meaningful and authentic exchanges between people and place”.
Kumar explained the scale of Diriyah Company’s developments, with the city being developed across 14km2. For comparison, the Swiss city of Geneva is 15km2. Within this, more than 2km2 of gross leasable area (GLA) is offered in the retail and office landscapes. Kumar specified that 1,700 “unique spaces” are under development, spanning hospitality, retail, education, cultural assets and commercial spaces. In addition, 34 hotels and resorts are planned, including Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons in the upcoming Qurain Cultural District. Alongside this, the luxury retail sector is also developing – Dolce & Gabbana has already opened its largest boutique in the world at Bujairi Terrace.
What participation requires
During the webinar’s Q&A, Kumar emphasised that everyone, regardless of their business size, is encouraged to get involved in Diriyah Company’s fit-out projects. “There is no small size, large size. It’s just your capability, your confidence, you being able to fulfil the conditions that are required,” he said. Direct or indirect, from designers and contractors to material suppliers and consultants, the conditions to participate centre on four core requirements: resource readiness, skills, finances and partnerships. Technical know-how and manpower are identified as a key shortage area, particularly in high-value projects. The capability gap must be addressed through sustained investment: “This is something that we really need to invest in,” added Kumar.
Be Ready programme
The key component of the webinar focused on Diriyah Company’s Be Ready Programme, which is the formal alignment framework for all fit-out project partners – providing a structured and pre-boarding process which contractors, designers, consultants, suppliers and operators understand and commit to Diriyah Company’s way of working before they are commissioned. The programme walks participants through the technical expectations and Diriyah Company’s design standards that govern all fit-out work on the site. “You will get to meet our team in person, so you understand who we are, what it is we do, you’ll be able to understand in greater detail our masterplan, of how the process of fit-out takes place,” explained Kumar.
When asked when the “bulk of opportunities” would emerge, Kumar explained that development is expected to be extremely busy from 2026 through to 2030. “If you’ve driven past Diriyah, you can see by the number of cranes which are up there, this work is increasing every day,” added Kumar.
The webinar shows a broader shift that goes well beyond the delivery of projects alone. Diriyah Company is bringing together designers, fit-out specialists, contractors, and more within a common framework that reinforces quality, delivery consistency, and heritage sensitivity across the programme. This results in a deliberate shaping of a unified ecosystem to bring a distinct design identity to a cultural heritage-led, mixed-use development such as Diriyah.
To explore these opportunities and what they could mean for your business, register for the Be Ready programme here: Invest with us | Diriyah Company, Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
