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{{Short description|Former palace of King Saud bin Abdulaziz in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia}}
{{Distinguish|Alhambra Palace}}

{{Infobox historic building
| name = Al-Hamra Palace
| native_name = القصر الحمراء
| native_name_lang = ar
| alternate_names =
| image = Riyadh Red Palace 1960.jpg
| caption = al-Hamra Palace, 1960
| location = [[Al Fouta|al-Fouta]], [[Riyadh]], [[Saudi Arabia]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|24|38|33|N|46|42|33|E|type:landmark_region:SA-ES|display=inline}}
| start_date = 1943
| completion_date = 1948
| architectural_style = [[Palladian architecture|Palladian]]
| structural_system = [[Reinforced concrete]]
| main_contractor = [[Saudi Binladin Group]]
| known_for = First [[reinforced concrete]] structure in [[Saudi Arabia]]
}}
'''Al-Hamra Palace''' ({{Lang-ar|القصر الحمراء|lit=|translit=al-Qaṣr al-Ḥamrāʾ}}), better known as the '''Red Palace''' ({{Lang-ar|القصر الأحمر|translit=al-Qaṣr al-ʾĀḥmar}}) is a [[Palace museum|palace-turned museum]] and a cultural landmark located in the [[Al Fouta|al-Fouta]] neighborhood of [[Riyadh]], [[Saudi Arabia]]. It was commissioned in 1942 by [[Ibn Saud|King Abdulaziz ibn Saud]] as a gift to his son, [[Saud of Saudi Arabia|Saud bin Abdulaziz]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Riyadh’s Red Palace |url=https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/1635281/riyadh%E2%80%99s-red-palace |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=Asharq AL-awsat |language=en}}</ref> and served as the latter's main residence and workplace from its completion in 1948 until he moved to the al-Nassiriyah Palace in 1956. It is the first [[reinforced concrete]] structure in the history of Saudi Arabia and its layout and design were modeled after the historic [[British Residency, Hyderabad|British Residency]] building in [[Hyderabad]], [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-12 |title="فهدة بنت سعود" تحكي لـ"سبق" قصة بناء "القصر الأحمر": احترق "الطي |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212163908/https://sabq.org/Bjvk59 |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=web.archive.org}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |date=2017-01-20 |title=القصر الأحمر .. أول مبنى مسلح في الرياض ومقر مجلس الوزراء |url=https://www.aleqt.com/2017/01/20/article_1123826.html |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=صحيفة الاقتصادية |language=ar}}</ref> It was opened to the general public in 2019 after being abandoned for almost 18 years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-23 |title=Red Palace pulling crowds to Riyadh |url=http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/561841 |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=Saudigazette |language=English}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-14 |title=القصر الأحمر بالرياض يروي لزواره حكايات عمرها 7 عقود |url=https://www.alarabiya.net/saudi-today/2019/03/14/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6-%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%8A-%D9%84%D8%B2%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%AD%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7-7-%D8%B9%D9%82%D9%88%D8%AF |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=العربية |language=ar}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |date=2019-03-14 |title=القصر الأحمر الشهير في العاصمة السعودية الرياض يفتح أبوابه للجمهور لأو |url=https://www.independentarabia.com/node/12546/%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9/%D9%81%D9%86%D9%88%D9%86/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%B5%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6-%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%AA%D8%AD-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%85%D9%87%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9 |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=اندبندنت عربية |language=ar}}</ref>

Following the construction of al-Nassiriyah Palace in 1956, Saud handed over the premises of the palace to the [[Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia|Saudi Council of Ministers]] where it functioned as their main office between 1956 and 1988, hosting numerous foreign dignitaries and head of states during their official visits to the country in that period.<ref name=":0" /> The palace temporarily served as a military headquarter during the 1990–1991 [[Gulf War]] and later became part of the [[King Abdulaziz Historical Center]] (KAHC) in 1999.

The palace hosted many foreign heads of states and officials between 1948 and 1988, such as Shah [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi|Mohammed Reza Pahlavi]] of [[Pahlavi Iran|Iran]], President [[Shukri al-Quwatli]] of [[Syria]], [[Talal of Jordan|King Talal bin Abdullah]] of [[Jordan]], Crown Prince Saif al-Islam al-Badr of [[Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen|North Yemen]], President [[Camille Chamoun]] of [[Lebanon]], President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] of [[Egypt]] and Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] of [[India]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=سُمي بالقصر الأحمر نسبة إلى لونه القريب من الأحمر |url=https://www.al-jazirah.com/2019/20190406/cm27.htm |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=www.al-jazirah.com}}</ref>

== History and background ==
[[File:British_Residency_Hyderabad_12.jpg|thumb|[[British Residency, Hyderabad|British Residency]] building in [[Hyderabad]], [[India]], which the al-Hamra Palace in Riyadh was modeled after]]
[[Ibn Saud|King Abdulaziz ibn Saud]] along with his family members had moved to the [[Murabba Palace]] in 1938 as the walled town of Riyadh became more densely populated and congested.

In 1940, [[Saud of Saudi Arabia|Saud bin Abdulaziz]], then-heir apparent and [[Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia|Crown Prince]] of [[Saudi Arabia]], was on an official-visit to the [[Hyderabad State]], one of several [[princely state]]s of British India. As he came within the sight of the building of the [[British Residency, Hyderabad|British Residency]] in the [[Koti, Hyderabad|Koti]] suburb of [[Hyderabad]], he was so impressed by the architecture that he sought to build palaces for himself in a similar fashion upon returning to the country.<ref name=":12" />

In 1943, Saud's two-storey mud palace, which was situated adjacent to the [[Murabba Palace]], witnessed a fire-breakout. Saud and his family were safely evacuated and temporarily moved to another royal residence before the earth-structured palace got razed down and al-Yamamah Secondary School was built on the site.<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 October 2016 |title=افتتاح ( قصر الناصرية ) عام 1956م كان الحدث الاهم عند سكان الرياض |url=https://www.alriyadh.com/1537785 |access-date=25 September 2023 |website=www.alriyadh.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=مساكن الملك سعود في الرياض |url=https://kingsaud.org/ar/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=King Saud bin Abdulaziz |language=ar}}</ref>

[[Ibn Saud|Abdulaziz]] commissioned the construction of the al-Hamra Palace in 1942, and awarded the contract to Saudi construction magnate and businessman [[Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden|Mohammed bin Laden]]. Construction began in 1943 and was completed by 1948.<ref name=":12" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=العتيبي |first=بدر |date=2019-03-18 |title="فهدة بنت سعود" تحكي لـ"سبق" قصة بناء "القصر الأحمر": احترق "الطيني" فشُيِّد أول بناء "مسلح" |url=https://sabq.org/saudia/bjvk59 |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=صحيفة سبق الالكترونية |language=ar}}</ref>

In 1953, King Abdulaziz ibn Saud died, and subsequently had his son Saud bin Abdulaziz succeeding him as the new monarch of Saudi Arabia. Besides his residence, the palace now also began to serve as his official workplace. He commissioned the construction of al-Nassiriyah Palace in the eponymous neighborhood in Riyadh, and moved there upon its completion in 1956.

The palace was later handed over to the country's Council of Ministers and also served as the workplace of [[Faisal of Saudi Arabia|Faisal bin Abdulaziz]], who was then Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. In 1966, the [[Council of Ministers of Saudi Arabia]] passed a resolution during the reign of [[Faisal of Saudi Arabia|King Faisal bin Abdulaziz]] to renovate the palace.<ref>{{Cite web |title=قصر الملك سعود هو "الحمراء" لا "الأحمر" |url=https://www.al-jazirah.com/2019/20190420/cm11.htm |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=www.al-jazirah.com}}</ref>

The main office of the Council of Ministers moved to the [[Al Yamamah Palace|al-Yamamah Palace]] in 1988 during the reign of [[Fahd of Saudi Arabia|King Fahd bin Abdulaziz]] and the palace was later on handed over the Saudi Board of Grievances. In 2001, the palace was completely abandoned.<ref name=":13" />

In March 2019, the palace was opened to the general public for the first time where an exhibition was conducted within the premises that displayed belongings of Saudi monarchs.<ref>{{Cite web |last=الرياض |first=مكة- |date=2019-03-14 |title='القصر الأحمر' بالرياض يعرض للمرة الأولى مقتنياته التاريخية |url=https://makkahnewspaper.com/article/1098816/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%AF/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%85%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B6-%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6-%D9%84%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A9 |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=صحيفة مكة |language=ar}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Uncategorized|date=September 2023}}

Al Hamra Palace (Riyadh) - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article