Construction Begins on King Abdulaziz Park, a Green Riyadh Landmark

The park will be a verdant oasis north of the capital, bordered by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Road, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Road, Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen Road, and Anas bin Malik Road. (SPA)

18:53-24 July 2024 AD ـ 17 Muharram 1446 AH

Construction Begins on King Abdulaziz Park, a Green Riyadh Landmark

Riyadh’s skyline is set to dramatically change as construction kicked off on King Abdulaziz Park, a cornerstone of the ambitious Green Riyadh initiative, said the Royal Commission for Riyadh City in a statement on Wednesday.

The project was greenlit by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud following a proposal by Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, who also chairs the Royal Commission for Riyadh City.

The park will feature six distinct botanical zones, including a 200,000-square-meter botanical garden showcasing over 200 native plant species. (SPA)

Spanning an impressive 4.3 million square meters and slated for completion in three years, the park will be a verdant oasis north of the capital, bordered by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Road, Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Road, Prince Badr bin Abdul Mohsen Road, and Anas bin Malik Road.

Its strategic location near King Khalid International Airport and Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University, coupled with excellent public transport links, ensures easy accessibility for residents and visitors alike.

A global design competition yielded a winning concept that harmoniously blended with the local environment. The park will feature six distinct botanical zones, including a 200,000-square-meter botanical garden showcasing over 200 native plant species. Other areas will recreate highland, plain, plateau, and desert landscapes, fostering biodiversity and creating a haven for wildlife.

More than two million trees and shrubs carefully selected for Riyadh’s climate will be planted to achieve the ambitious target of 65% shade coverage. The park’s irrigation system will utilize recycled water, minimizing environmental impact.

Beyond its ecological benefits, King Abdulaziz Park will be a vibrant community hub. It will boast 24 children’s play areas, 30 sports facilities, and over 115 kilometers of pedestrian, jogging, and cycling paths, encouraging residents to live healthier lifestyles. Green terraces, squares, and open-air theaters will host events and festivals, while restaurants and shops will cater to visitors.

As a flagship project of the Saudi Green Initiative, King Abdulaziz Park is a significant step towards realizing Saudi Vision 2030’s goal of planting 10 billion trees nationwide. By increasing Riyadh’s green spaces to 9% and the per capita green space to 28 square meters, the park will help mitigate climate change, improve air quality, and boost the city’s global standing as a desirable place to live.

‘Wellness Rooms’ Are Claiming Space in Many Homes

This photo provided by Thermasol, shows a Total Wellness Package Steam Shower. (Thermasol via AP)

Asharq Al Awsat

07:35-29 March 2025 AD ـ 29 Ramadan 1446 AH

Asharq Al Awsat

07:35-29 March 2025 AD ـ 29 Ramadan 1446 AH

‘Wellness Rooms’ Are Claiming Space in Many Homes

This photo provided by Thermasol, shows a Total Wellness Package Steam Shower. (Thermasol via AP)

Our homes have been multitasking for a while now. They may be where we work, they are certainly where we play, and in today’s stress-filled world, they’re often the place where we feel most at peace.
Spurred by the pandemic, dens became offices, extra bedrooms became workout zones, dining rooms morphed into multifunctional creative spaces.
Often, we’re seeing rooms transformed into sanctuaries of self-care: welcome to the “wellness room.”
“Small sophisticated home gyms, music rooms, meditation rooms and Zen gardens are some of the wellness spaces we’ve designed recently,” says designer Gonzalo Bueno, who owns the firm Ten Plus Three in Dallas. “Spaces for wellness, retreat and recharging are all really popular right now.”
Bueno and his team combined several of these ideas in a home renovation in Austin, Texas. There is an outdoor Zen garden, flanked indoors by a meditation room on one side and the soaking tub of the primary bath on the other, with both facing a serene green space.
Holistic high and low tech “Soundbathing,” where you immerse yourself in soothing instrumental and natural sounds, has become popular at many professional spas. Now, companies are making versions for the home, or you can set one up yourself.
Create a low-tech soundbathing studio with some comfy pillows, yoga mats, essential oil scent and dimmed lights or candles and then either play or use recorded sounds of chimes, singing bowls and gongs. You can find links to meditation sounds online.
There are full-size beds available that use low frequency sound and vibrations, or you can find cushion-y mats with some of the same features, far less costly.
Traditional saunas use steam, but infrared light saunas are an easier-to-install alternative for indoors. Several makers offer single, two-or three-person versions made of wood or just an insulated fabric. Fancy ones come equipped with Bluetooth audio and color-changing lights.
If you really want to splash out on an in-house, multi-sensory, luxury experience, there are shower units integrating tech into customizable water, steam, lighting and music.
Quiet and maybe deep Jack Ovadia, whose eponymous design firm is based in New York, created a one-person onsen, the Japanese deep-soak-style tub, for a Phoenix client. The cocoon-like space has a contemplative wall of terrazzo pebbles and a pretty, petal-bedecked chandelier above.
But he also is doing wellness rooms that can multi-serve with a sauna and then an invigorating cold plunge tub. In his own home, he has an area to practice yoga and Pilates.
“Having a private space is essential," Ovadia says. "A wellness room should be a space where the outside world dissolves; no background noise, no movement beyond your own. This is where you go to let go; to drop into something quieter, something deeper.”
Celebrating creativity solo or with your peeps Your ideal wellness room might be a little more energetic than the serene, spa-like versions.
“We’re designing more music rooms,” Bueno says, “which isn’t surprising since music is so healing. “
He notes how much fun it is to work with clients who have a passion — “art, yoga, music or entertaining” — and design spaces to help bring that passion home.
“Recent clients had an extensive vinyl collection," he says. "Others have wanted a room to enjoy music during large family gatherings.”
Materials and accessories to set the mood Make sure the size of the space suits your activity and you use materials to set the tone.
“Bring in warmth and a sense of calm with things like natural tan oak, cork, bamboo, neutral tones and organic textures,” Ovadia says.
Small table lights can be set on a timer to play calming nature sounds. Some offer a soft amber glow or an array of soothing day-to-evening hues. Invest in a comfy sectional if you have space, or look for flop-worthy giant beanbags and squooshy oversize chairs.
If it’s an energy-filled space you’re after, Bueno has some suggestions for lighting that kicks things up a little, or a lot.
“We did a home gym with red accents, to bring in passion and motivating energy,” he says.
Engaging art can add to that vibe. Bueno mounted a clubby neon work in a large music/family room that says, “This Must Be the Place.” In the red gym hangs a contemporary piece that reads, “Keep On Keeping On.”
And for the quiet well room? Dreamy nature photographs, prints or mural wallpaper would be the chef’s kiss.
If you don't have room for a wellness room Nowhere to stake out a wellness room in your own place? You might have something similar in your hometown.
Public wellness spaces are becoming places to jive and gather as well. So-called social spas offering traditional spa services, as well as group hangout spaces and social activities, are popping up around the US.
“It’s the new nightclub,” Ovadia says. “Self-care is evolving into a shared experience, becoming a prominent scene rather than just a side routine.”

Construction Begins on King Abdulaziz Park, a Green Riyadh Landmark

Construction Begins on King Abdulaziz Park, a Green Riyadh Landmark

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‘Wellness Rooms’ Are Claiming Space in Many Homes

‘Wellness Rooms’ Are Claiming Space in Many Homes

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