Al Malaz, Riyadh

Al-Malaz (Arabic: الملز), formerly known as al-Riyadh al-Jadidah, is a commercial and residential neighborhood next to Sinaiyah Qadeem in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which also comprises of az-Zahra, al-Faruq, ad-Dhubat and Jarir. Built around the mid-1950s as housing project for government employees by King Saud, it was the very first modern neighborhood with 750 villas in the Kingdom's capital which replaced the traditional Arab architecture with a modern one. The area is also popular for several iconic structures, supermarkets and streets.
History.
Prior to its development in early 1950s, the area had several names such as Abu Makhruq, Wattah and al-Khirbat. The area barely had buildings or streets except a equestrian field where King Abdulaziz enjoyed horse racing shows, which was later shifted to Jenadriyah Farm. After the ascension of King Saud bin Abdulaziz to the throne in 1953, he initiated the relocation of government ministries from Jeddah to Riyadh. In order to meet the accommodation needs of the employees, he launched the 'Al-Malaz Housing Project' of almost 750 villas for the same. In 1957, the first campus of Riyadh University was established in the area, followed by Riyadh Zoo. The area saw rapid development expansion during the economic boom of late 1970s and early 1980s along with the expansion of the neighborhood, which later included several shopping centers, schools and restaurants.