MODA, Ministries & Other New Riyadh Buildings - Feb.-Jun. 1961

In the beginning of the 1960's, Riyadh was an interesting and contrasting mix of the old and new. A rather small and ancient desert city was being transformed in to a modern country capital.  Old structures were being torn down.  New buildings with ultra modern design were being hastily built, many of them to house various Saudi government functions.  This album presents the "new" as photographed in 1961.  The following 2 albums present some of the old that remained and the mix and contrast of the two.  Many buildings and places can not be reliably identified in these photos.  In some cases only a number for this album is presented in the hopes that someone else viewing these albums can make an identification. Please send your information to Keith.

See crude old map from "Through the Camel's Eye with ibn Moses" for relative location of buildings & landmarks of Riyadh in 1960-61.

This view was probably from an upper floor of the Rose of Orient Hotel looking north across the hospital & Al Yamama Hotel. The locally famous landmark, "The Camel's Eye," is in the distant far right, MODA, the airport & our compound on left.

This view to the northwest, across Airport Ave., shows many of the Saudi ministry buildings and even a faint image of the jump tower near our compound by the airport.

<<It was from the Camel's Eye (or Abu Makhrup) that the young King Abd al-Aziz & his small band launched their historic attack on Riyadh in 1902 -- now a local park.

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense and Aviation (MODA), where we had our Mission offices, was the center of the Saudi military establishment - The Saudi "Pentagon," so to speak.

The street side entrance & south wing of MODA.

MODA's "front door."

Looking down on MODA's entrance area from an upper floor (our offices were on this upper level).

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#12 View towards the south west & City center, apparently taken from Rose of Orient Hotel.

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#17 Maybe the Senior Officers Institute..?

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#32 Caption on this slide: "Bill, Soliman, Hassan." ... ? (Roommate PFC Bill Cathcart is on left.)

#33 The airport terminal & control tower near our Mission compound (apparently never or seldom manned during this period).

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