Deira Souq

Deira Souq is a traditional market area in the heart of old Riyadh, located around Al Masmak fortress, Qasr Al-Hukm and the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Grand Mosque. The best known of them is Souq Al-Zal, noted for its trade in carpets and antiques.

These markets grew up in the commercial centre of Riyadh when it was a small walled town, and their squares were a meeting place for traders, caravans, Bedouin and people from nearby villages. As the city expanded in the second half of the twentieth century, much commercial activity moved to modern districts. Deira nevertheless kept its character, and the area was reorganised as part of the redevelopment of the Qasr Al-Hukm district.

Visitors find carpets and rugs, the cloaks, headcloths and other items of traditional men's dress, oud, incense and oriental perfumes, copperware, daggers and curios, along with gold shops and shops selling abayas. Deira is among the main places in the capital that still preserve the appearance of a traditional Najdi market.