Parsons Corporation has announced that it has secured a $56 million contract from Diriyah Company to provide design and construction supervision services for the Phase II of its mega project coming up in Riyadh.

Diriyah, home to the At-Turaif Unesco World Heritage Site, is the well-preserved birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was the ancestral home of House Al Saud – Saudi Arabia’s royal family. 

Diriyah Company is creating a mixed-use urban destination just 15 minutes from the centre of Riyadh that combines traditional Najdi architectural styles with modern urbanism. 

Upon completion, the first phase of the landmark giga-project will be 100% walkable and provide a unique opportunity to visit, live, work, shop, and dine in a setting that pays homage to the Kingdom’s past.

Under the 5-year contract, Parsons will support the design and delivery of a series of iconic and neighbourhood parks, open spaces and over 55km of streetscape. 

Its scope of work also includes the design and construction supervision of Diriyah Phase II: Public Realm consisting of streets, footpaths, accessible open spaces and civic buildings and facilities, helping create an environment that people want to live and work in.

On the contract win, Pierre Santoni, President, Infrastructure EMEA at Parsons, said: "It is an honour to work with Diriyah Company on creating this iconic mixed-use destination that celebrates Saudi’s rich culture and heritage."

"This unique urban development program will use the latest technology and urban planning practices blended with the city’s traditional Najdi architecture design, which dates back 300 years," he stated.

"Our team is committed to leveraging our nearly seven decades of experience in the Kingdom combined with our expertise in innovation to advance Diriyah Company’s important program goals," he added.

On the contract announcement, Diriyah Company Group CEO Jerry Inzerillo said: "We are delighted to be working with such a world-class firm as Parsons as we accelerate the development of Diriyah’s $63.2 billion development. This contract will play an important role in ensuring we achieve our goal of delivering a human-centric walkable city for approximately 100,000 residents, a contemporary working environment for tens of thousands and a place to welcome nearly 50 million visits a year in the future."

Parsons first started working with the PIF in 2017 and has been a trusted partner in shaping the Kingdom’s urban development, on projects including NEOM THE LINE, NEOM Oxagon, Soudah Peaks and Rua Al Madinah. 

These projects, along with many others Parsons is supporting, are all part of the Kingdom’s national Vision 2030 which aims to diversify its economy and establish Saudi Arabia as a global leader.