Wadi Hanifah

The valley that runs through the heart of Riyadh, a 120-kilometre stretch of green corridor restored from a polluted drainage channel into a park with walking and cycling paths, palm groves, small lakes, and restored wetland vegetation. On weekday mornings it is used by joggers and families; on weekends it fills with picnickers and children. It is also one of the better birdwatching spots in Riyadh, with waders, kingfishers, and migrating raptors using the wetland areas.

The path from the old city area through to Diriyah can be walked or cycled in a day. Several cafes and rest areas are distributed along the route. The best section for scenery is the stretch through Diriyah, where the wadi runs below the mud-brick walls of the old capital. Entry is free; accessible at all hours.

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A story
Wadi Hanifah was, until recently, an open sewer. The seasonal river that flows through the heart of Riyadh had become so polluted by the 1990s that it was little more than a channel of industrial effluent. A major restoration project between 2001 and 2010, one of the largest urban river rehabilitation projects in the world, transformed the wadi into a 120-kilometre greenway with walking paths, parks, wetland bird reserves, and clear water flowing through native vegetation.

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