Riyadh’s Masmak Palace attracts thousands during Eid holiday

More than 25,000 people visited the historic Masmak Palace Museum during the Eid holidays. Director of the museum Nasser Al-Oraifi said the influx of visitors started last week.
“Apart from the historical importance of the palace, events of Eid celebrations being organized in some nearby locations is another reason why visitors including expatriates came in huge numbers to the museum,” Al-Oraifi said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency.
“At the orders of President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, Prince Sultan bin Salman, the museum was open during the Eid holidays. Special guides were appointed to take the visitors inside the museum,” he said, adding that the people are showing deeper interest in museums especially to visit the Masmak Palace Museum, which is culturally and educationally important.
He said visitors were allowed in the museum from 4 p.m. until its closing time at 11 p.m. They viewed items and visual displays on various stages of the unification and founding of the Kingdom.
He said many visitors acknowledged that they could learn a lot about the national history and heritage apart from enjoying many other things displayed at the museum. “Visits to museums is an essential part of tourism trips especially when many of the Saudi museums have achieved international standards in quality of display, design and the historic value of the showcased piece,” a visitor said.
The visitor continued, “I could learn from close quarters the history, culture and the heritage of the Kingdom with a visit to this museum.”
Apart from the Masmak Palace, other museums in Riyadh such as the National Museum and government museums in other parts of the Kingdom were also open for visitors during the Eid holiday because of the policy of the SCTA to make museums play a significant role during national celebrations and social occasions and contribute to the growth of tourism.