Diriyah Company Sets Guinness World Record for Largest Construction Safety Lesson

Diriyah Company Sets Guinness World Record for Largest Construction Safety Lesson
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Diriyah Company Sets Guinness World Record for Largest Construction Safety Lesson

Diriyah Company Sets Guinness World Record for Largest Construction Safety Lesson

Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Company has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest construction safety lesson, with the participation of 2,864 workers in Diriyah's Wadi Safar development. The record was achieved in collaboration with Al-Rashid Trading & Contracting Company (RTCC).

In a statement, Diriyah Company said the World Record certification ceremony was held at its head office on Monday.

The 30-minute safety lesson, conducted by a single safety instructor, focused on the "Top Five Critical Safety Hazards in the Construction Industry." The lesson highlighted the importance of safe working practices and personal responsibility by touching on key health and safety measures directly relevant to their daily tasks on-site and is part of a broader commitment to safety training.

Ongoing assessments will be conducted on-site, and additional training will be provided by Diriyah Company's Occupational Health, Safety, & Security program.

To accommodate the scale of the exercise, a dedicated outdoor venue with a specially designed stage was constructed, creating an environment conducive to learning while supporting the official record attempt. A structured entry and exit system using special gates was implemented to measure participation and uphold the integrity of the record attempt. This method provided a precise number of attendees, ensuring compliance with the record requirements.

Through this initiative, Diriyah Company not only set a new benchmark in construction safety training but also reinforced its solid commitment to workers' well-being.

Group CEO of Diriyah Company Jerry Inzerillo said: "This new world record, in which Diriyah's project staff gathered in Wadi Safar, one of Diriyah Company's masterplans covering an area of over 62 sq km, demonstrates our unwavering commitment to safety and our goal of ensuring everyone returns home safely to their families."

"Our health and safety management system goes above and beyond to ensure and protect the welfare of employees, contractors, and on-site teams working across the Diriyah project," he added.

Diriyah Company upholds the highest safety standards across its construction and development sites, reinforced by regular training sessions for both internal teams and external contractors.

To date, Diriyah Company has achieved a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.015 for ongoing infrastructure projects.

Wadi Safar, one of Diriyah Company's masterplans, is an exclusive sanctuary of refinement and well-being built from a rich cultural heritage. It features a range of exclusive residential options and internationally renowned hospitality, retail, and leisure venues.

In July 2024, a $2.13 billion joint venture construction contract was awarded for the development of the Royal Equestrian & Polo Club, Wadi Safar, and world-class hotels Aman Wadi Safar, Six Senses Wadi Safar, The Chedi Wadi Safar, and the Faena Wadi Safar.

Wadi Safar is also the location for the prestigious Royal Golf Club, Wadi Safar, and the 27-hole signature championship golf course designed by golf legend Greg Norman.



Europe's Oldest Lake Settlement Uncovered in Albania

A drone view shows archaeologists diving in the lake of Ohrid to uncover objects, in the village of Lin, Albania, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Fatos Bytyci
A drone view shows archaeologists diving in the lake of Ohrid to uncover objects, in the village of Lin, Albania, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Fatos Bytyci
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Europe's Oldest Lake Settlement Uncovered in Albania

A drone view shows archaeologists diving in the lake of Ohrid to uncover objects, in the village of Lin, Albania, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Fatos Bytyci
A drone view shows archaeologists diving in the lake of Ohrid to uncover objects, in the village of Lin, Albania, July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Fatos Bytyci

Archaeologists working on the shores of Ohrid Lake in Albania are convinced they have uncovered the oldest human settlement built on a European lake, finding evidence of an organized hunting and farming community living up to 8,000 years ago. The team, from Switzerland and Albania, spends hours each day about three meters (9.8 feet) underwater, painstakingly retrieving wooden stilts that supported houses.

The are also collecting bones of domesticated and wild animals, copper objects and ceramics, featuring detailed carvings.

Albert Hafner, from the University of Bern, said similar settlements have been found in Alpine and Mediterranean regions, but the settlements in the village of Lin are half a millennium older, dating back between 6,000 and 8,000 years.

"Because it is under water, the organic material is well-preserved and this allows us to find out what these people have been eating, what they have been planting," Hafner said.

Multiple studies show that Lake Ohrid, shared by North Macedonia and Albania, is the oldest lake in Europe, at over one million years.

The age of the findings is determined through radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology, which measures annual growth rings in trees. More than one thousand wood samples have been collected from the site, which may have hosted several hundred people.

It is believed to cover around six hectares, but so far, only about 1% has been excavated after six years of work.

Hafner said findings show that people who lived on the lake helped to spread agriculture and livestock to other parts of Europe.

"They were still doing hunting and collecting things but the stable income for the nutrition was coming from the agriculture," he said.

Albanian archaeologist Adrian Anastasi said it could take decades to fully explore the area.

"(By) the way they had lived, eaten, hunted, fished and by the way the architecture was used to build their settlement we can say they were very smart for that time," Anastasi said.