Riyadh in 1980 was a city on the cusp of transformation. Still carrying the feel of a desert town, it was rapidly expanding due to the oil boom of the 1970s. Modern buildings and infrastructure were emerging, but traditional culture remained dominant.
Life was conservative and deeply shaped by Islamic values, with daily routines marked by prayer times. The city was beginning to attract workers and professionals from across the country and abroad, setting the stage for its rise as a major regional capital.
Captured by
Duncan_and_Gladys, these amazing photos reveal street scenes of the Saudi capital in 1980.
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Taxi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Airstreams in a government yard, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Al Yamamah Hotel, Shara al Mataar, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Apartments, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Back alley, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Back street, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Bus on Shara al Mataar, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Children at play in street, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Construction, Shara Farazdaq, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Decorated Toyota, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Demolition: Designs in interior plaster, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Drainage work, Shara al Jami, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Goats on street, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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High-rise apartments, remains of old crenellation in the foreground, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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High-rise, Shara al Khazzan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Immigrant workman, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Masmak Fortress, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Ministry of Finance, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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New Hyatt Regency Hotel, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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New office building, Shara al Mataar, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Old houses, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Old negro with rice, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Older housing, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Older housing, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Parking lot, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Qasr Nura, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Ready for the road, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Restaurant and Cafeteria Al Waleed, Shara Farazdaq, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Riyadh street scenes, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Riyadh street scenes, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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School playground, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Shanties, office and mosque, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Shara al Jami, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Shara al Mataar, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Street parking, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Street with goats, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Sunset, Shara al Jami, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Veiled woman, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Water tower, Qasr Nura, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Water tower, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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World Bank Resident Mission, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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Wrestling with a tyre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1980 |
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