Jerry Inzerillo Is Leading Diriyah Company’s Giga Project And He’s Not Slowing Down Till 2030
The once capital of Saudi Arabia is aiming to attract 150 million visits
Something is brewing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, something so grand that it’s possible to miss if you’re not tuned into the goings on and happening in the largest country in the Arabian Gulf. When the country started opening up in 2019 to tourists, and when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the country’s Vision 2030 initiative, things haven’t looked the same since. Currently, there are five giga projects happening in the Kingdom: the Neom Project, the Red Sea Project, the Qiddiya Project, ROSHN, and Diriyah Company.
Jerry Inzerillo center, welcoming guests to Diriyah Company’s first Bashayer event and unveiling of the second of $1 billion worth of assets of things to come in the city of Diriyah | Photo Credit Diriyah Company.
Just this month, Diriyah Company celebrated its first Bashayer event, under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Tourism, Secretary-General and Member of the Board of Directors of Diriyah Company, Ahmed Al Khateeb. Each December until Diriyah Company’s projects are unveiled, the project will unveil a $1 billion worth of projects. Last December the UNESCO World Heritage Site At-Turaif and the premier dining district Bujairi Terrace was opened, and this December a new slate of assets within the Wadi Safar masterplan were unveiled, which includes the Wadi Safar Eastern Gate and Wadi Safar Experience Center.
“I sit on the Saudi tourism board. When we look at attracting 150 million visits, we need the infrastructure, of course,” says Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of Diriyah Company. “But on the hotel side, we need a lot of what is entry level, one-star because it's very affordable. Then you go, but we need 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 stars. Now there's a very affluent market that we want to see in Saudi Arabia. We didn't want to overburden it with large convention hotels and skyscrapers. It's not Diriyah. Everything is low, only six stories, the highest anywhere. With the luxury segment, the first three we've signed are Aman, Oberoi, and Six Senses, then The Four Seasons, Capella, Address, and Ritz Carlton. We have all the big luxury brands that have been signed from Montage, Raffles, Rosewood, and The Four Seasons. We're meant to be on the higher end, four and five-star. But the rest of Riyadh will have a multitude of one, two, three, four, or five stars. But it's part of attracting 150 million visits before we welcome the Expo in 2030.”
“The Crown Prince has given us all instructions: to study all the Expos. What I want to show the world, and to cap off Vision 2030 is something that’s without precedent. We already have our marching orders and that’s Expo.”
“The Crown Prince has given us all instructions: to study all the Expos. What I want to show the world, and to cap off Vision 2030 is something that's without precedent. We already have our marching orders and that’s Expo,” continues Inzerillo.
Polo legend Nacho Figueras | Photo Credit Diriyah Company.
The driving range and first nine holes of the Royal Diriyah Golf Club were opened | Photo Credit Diriyah Company.
Ground was broken for three luxury hotels- Aman, Oberoi, and Six Senses. Guests at the unveiling were able to see the new Royal Diriyah Golf Club and its grassed driving range, as well as the completion of the first nine golf holes, designed by 20-time PGA champion Greg Norman. From there guests visited the soon-to-be Royal Diriyah Equestrian and Polo Club, where polo legend Nacho Figueras played in a short match. The Club will eventually host global equestrian competitive and non-competitive events.
The Royal Diriyah Opera House was also announced. It will be located in the heart of Diriyah, and will be a beacon of Vision 2030, showing the world that Saudi Arabia can also be a hub for culture and creativity. After its completion, Diriyah will be one of the world’s foremost historic tourism destinations, because after all, it was where the Kingdom’s first Saudi State was formed in 1727. And it’s here that you will find the Najdi architectural style that’s common among traditional Saudi Arabian villages from times past.
A visual of the soon-to-be Ritz Carlton Residences | Photo Credit Diriyah Company.
For those that are skeptical that a giga project like this can happen, Inzerillo welcomes constructive feedback. His only argument is that you come and look at what has been done and what is being done before you judge too harshly. “We opened $1 billion worth of assets in 2022. We opened $1 billion worth of assets in 2023. Next year we’ll be revealing the new King Salman Boulevard and all the big iconic assets, like the new Opera House with a new 20,000 seat arena, and the new King Salman Mosque, the new Contemporary Art Museum, and the new convention center. So, what I say is that if you feel that the projects are ambitious, come visit us and look for yourself because here it is.”