n.
City (pop., 1992: 2,776,096), capital of Saudi Arabia.
Located in the east-central part of the country, it was chosen as the capital of the Sa 016B; d dynasty in 1824. It remained the centre of Sa 02BD; 016B; d 012B; rule until 1881, when the Rash 012B; d family took control of the region. In 1902 Ibn Sa 016B; d regained control, and it became the centre for his conquest of the Arabian Peninsula . When the kingdom of Saudi Arabia was proclaimed in 1932, Riyadh became the capital. Discovery of immense petroleum deposits in the kingdom in the 1930s transformed the old provincial town into a showplace of modern technology. The old city walls were demolished in the 1950s to make room for rapid expansion. In addition to its administrative role, Riyadh is the kingdom's commercial, education, and transportation centre.