Located in the middle of the Najd Plateau of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Wadi Hanifa (or Hanifa valley) is the longest and most important valley near Riyadh, a natural water drainage course for an area of over 4,000 square kilometres and a unique geographical feature in this dry region. Until recently, many segments of the valley had been exploited in an aggressive and environmentally destructive manner. In an effort to redress the balance between the resources of the wadi and the people living around it, the Arriyadh Development Authority has implemented a comprehensive development strategy, a programme of works that aims to restore and develop Wadi Hanifa as an environmental, recreational and tourism resource. Project works so far have included the introduction of landscaping, conservation of the natural environment, development of recreational areas for the people of Riyadh, enhancement of agricultural land in the valley, and the creation of an environmentally sensitive wastewater treatment facility that provides additional water resources for the rural and urban inhabitants of the region.

Situated adjacent to the city, the basin is a major local and tourist attraction thus recreational facilities were combined with habitat enhancement and water quality infrastructure. Natural stone weirs were installed to create a habitat for micro-organisms as well as to increase oxygen levels to reduce chloroform bacteria. The large bio-remediation facility is a one of a kind design which recreates a complex habitat, in turn treating the city and river water naturally. Downstream large Periphyton Benthic Substrate Devices (APBS) have been installed, which have given way to an underwater habitat.

The parks are designed in a way that provides family compartments, in the form of semienclosed areas, that each family can use for the day, without being disturbed by neighboring families.

The complex is also a large park which provides area to explore and interact with the water environment. Moreover, Wadi Bed Naturalized Parkland and Recreational and Interpretative Trail are also great examples of how answers to the challenges of water quality management andpublic access can be woven together.

The parks use will only increase over time and anticipated to provide one million cubic meters of water per day by 2021 to meet a third of the city’s total water demand.