Diriyah seeing strong real estate growth, planning mid-level housing units: Group CEO

Diriyah seeing strong real estate growth, planning mid-level housing units: Group CEO
Jerry Inzerillo, group CEO of Diriyah Co., speaking at the Real Estate Future Forum. Screenshot
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Updated 29 January 2025

Diriyah seeing strong real estate growth, planning mid-level housing units: Group CEO

Diriyah seeing strong real estate growth, planning mid-level housing units: Group CEO

RIYADH: The Diriyah project is experiencing strong success in residential real estate sales and is now targeting mid-level buyers, said a top executive. 

On the final day of the Real Estate Future Forum, Jerry Inzerillo, group CEO of Diriyah Co., highlighted the rapid growth of the area’s residential and commercial property market, emphasizing the strong demand for homes.

He also spoke about the continued expansion of Diriyah’s business landscape, with plans to open Zallal in April, which will feature 23 new businesses, further boosting the area’s appeal. 

These developments are a key part of a strategy to position the destination — one of ’s five giga-projects supported by the Public Investment Fund — as both a residential and commercial hub, contributing to the Kingdom’s economic transformation under Vision 2030. 

“I’m thrilled to say that we’re selling a lot of our residential real estate,” Inzerillo said, adding that Diriyah will offer “several hundred units for the mid-level buyer” at the upcoming Cityscape event in November, catering to a broader range of potential homeowners. 

Beyond real estate, Inzerillo talked up the area’s historical and cultural importance to , saying: “Diriyah is the house of Al-Saud, the source of our national identity and pride. 

“What makes us unique is that we are the celebration of culture and heritage.” 

Inzerillo also discussed Diriyah’s spiritual importance, noting that one of its crowning achievements is providing a welcoming environment for religious travelers from around the world. 

“One of the greatest things in the world is to allow 2 billion Muslims to feel welcomed to fulfill pilgrimage to the two holy cities,” he said. 

The CEO shared that 14 percent of his workforce, now totaling 3,200 employees, are from Diriyah’s local community. 

Inzerillo noted the completion of 9 km of parks, which contributes to the area’s green spaces and makes it more attractive to residents and visitors. He also highlighted construction safety milestones, stating that Diriyah had logged 209 million construction man-hours without a fatality. 

Reflecting on the Kingdom’s increasing international appeal, Inzerillo said: “People from all over the world are coming to see Saudi, and they’re going back happy.” 

The CEO concluded by expressing confidence in the Kingdom’s future capabilities, stating: “What I would say for sure by 2030, even though I believe it now, is that the Kingdom, with its leadership now, is capable of hosting any global event in any way and be the best host for that thing.”


‘A Paperless Event’ – the slogan of Saudi technology at the UN General Assembly for Tourism

‘A Paperless Event’ – the slogan of Saudi technology at the UN General Assembly for Tourism
Updated 07 November 2025

‘A Paperless Event’ – the slogan of Saudi technology at the UN General Assembly for Tourism

‘A Paperless Event’ – the slogan of Saudi technology at the UN General Assembly for Tourism

RIYADH: Papers are absent, and Saudi technology is present to say “a paperless event” at the UN General Assembly meetings for the tourism sector, which will be held in Riyadh, with the participation of more than 100 ministers from around the world, Al-Eqtisadiah reports.

The assembly meetings are set amidst natural green plants cultivated in the Saudi desert, surrounding the roundtable that will bring the ministers together. They will chart their plan and vision for the next 50 years, discuss the use of artificial intelligence in the global tourism sector, and ensure the human element is not marginalized.

Sara Al-Saud, the general supervisor of International Affairs for the Saudi Ministry of Tourism, said that “there is a shortage of an estimated 43 million workers in the global tourism sector.”

She clarified that the topic of AI will be one of the subjects discussed by the over 100 ministers, in addition to shaping the Assembly’s vision for the next 50 years.

She added that the Assembly meetings are expected to witness the signing of memorandums of understanding and agreements during the event, alongside a number of recommendations that will be announced in due course.

For his part, Ahmed Al-Ghamdi, the director-general of International Research and Planning, emphasized that the human element is very important in the tourism sector, and that artificial intelligence significantly helps small and medium enterprises improve their service quality and customer experience.

The Executive Director of UN Tourism, Natalia Bayona, explained that the global tourism sector is the largest employer of youth, with 60 percent of them working with AI. She added that many tourists worldwide use AI to explore tourist destinations.

Consequently, a survey was conducted with member states to ascertain if they have local AI strategies and to identify what support could be offered to develop the mechanism, especially since the tourism sector relies heavily on small and medium enterprises.

Globally, the tourism sector contributed 10 percent to the global gross domestic product in 2024, equivalent to $10.9 trillion, recording a growth rate of 8.5 percent compared to 2023, thereby surpassing pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

On the local front for the Saudi tourism sector, unprecedented levels were recorded in terms of visitor numbers, spending volume, job creation, and contribution to the GDP.

The direct and indirect contribution of the tourism sector to the GDP reached 11.5 percent in 2023. The International Monetary Fund predicts that the Saudi tourism sector will achieve a growth rate of 16 percent by 2034.