Buraydah A Riyadh, Saudi Arabia story
Cities
Deserts
The smaller city of Buraydah, northwest of Riyadh, shows the same pattern of urban growth and agricultural development. From 1972 to 1986, the population of Buraydah almost tripled, from 60,000 to about 180,000 people. The rapid growth continued, and the population was 378,422 in 2004 and 669,000 in 2020. The 48-year increase is over 1,000%.
New roads are visible in these images, and irrigated land has increased. Buraydah and Riyadh both lie in Saudi Arabia’s central corridor of settlement and development.
Location
Dec. 25, 1972, Landsat 1 (path/row 180/42) — Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
June 15 and 22, 1989, Landsat 5 (path/row 167,168/42) — Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
May 26 and June 2, 2002, Landsat 7 (path/row 167,168/42) — Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
June 17 and 24, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 167,168/42) — Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
July 27 and Aug. 5, 2019, Landsat 8 (path/row 167,168/42) — Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
June 30, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 168/42) — Buraydah, Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Additional Imagery & Stories
Al Kharj
Southeast of Riyadh, irrigation has clearly increased over time, particularly around the city of Al Kharj. The red circles are fields with center-pivo...
University
Princess Nora Bint Abdul Rahman University opened in 2011 just north of Riyadh. This change in land use is noticeable between King Khalid Internationa...