Saudi Arabia: Lionel Messi visits UNESCO World Heritage Site in Diriyah

 

Lionel Messi, an Argentine professional footballer, and his family visited At-Turaif District in ad-Diriyah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is the 300-year-old UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site.

Messi started his trip to Saudi Arabia this week. He explored the World Heritage Site in Diriyah and some of the tourist attractions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital.

At-Turaif is situated on the outskirts of Riyadh. The Paris Saint-Germain footballer started the guided tour in Diriyah, a town in the Kingdom. He also ate dinner with his family at Al-Bujairi Terrace, a top-tier dining destination in the Kingdom.

Later on, Messi and his family visited VIA Riyadh, Riyadh’s new luxury destination. They also explored the Boulevard Riyadh City. They also went to the Arabian Horse Museum, which shows the rich ancient past and growing culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. At the museum, the family interacted with Arabian horses. The star footballer also took a picture with a white falcon on his arm.

Messi’s wife Antonella Roccuzzo also wore a traditional Saudi Hama on her head. The couple took a picture. Historically, Saudi Hama was worn by women in the Najdi region of the Kingdom.

Earlier this week, the famous footballer and his family visited a farm in the Kingdom. He also posted a picture of the Kingdom’s date palm groves. While posting the picture, he wrote, “Who thought Saudi has so much green? I love to explore its unexpected wonders whenever I can.”

Messi’s two kids also fed Arabian gazelles. Earlier this year, 650 Arabian gazelles and 550 sand gazelles were released into the AlUla reserve in Saudi Arabia.

Messi won the World Cup with Argentina in 2022. He has a huge fan following in Saudi Arabia. He is also an ambassador with Visit Saudi, the tourism brand of the Kingdom.