Establishment and the First Saudi State Qasr al-Hukm traces its origins to the reign of Deham bin Dawas al-Shalaan in 1747, the-then ruler of
Riyadh oasis who built a fortified palace for himself. He abandoned the palace and fled
Riyadh for
Bani Khalid-ruled
al-Hasa when
Muhammad ibn Saud's forces advanced towards the city in 1773.
During Second Saudi State Following the defeat of the
First Saudi State in the aftermath of the
Ottoman–Wahhabi war in 1818, the palace was inhabited by Mishari bin Muhammad bin Muammar, who ruled as Riyadh's emir under the
Ottoman-backed
Egyptian tutelage until 1824, when
Turki bin Abdullah al-Saud recaptured the city and rebuilt the palace after reinstating the
Second Saudi State. As
Diriyah was dilapidated by the
Egyptian forces in 1818, as a result, Qasr al-Hukm was eventually made the new center of power for the
House of Saud by
Turki bin Abdullah. In 1834, Turki was assassinated by his cousin Mishari bin Abdul Rahman as he was leaving the
Great Mosque after
Friday prayers. Mishari had subsequently proclaimed himself the new Imam of the Saudi state. Turki's son,
Faisal bin Turki, upon being informed of his tragedy, rushed back towards
Riyadh in order to avenge his father's assassination whilst abandoning his campaign against
Bahrain. Upon reaching Riyadh, he had found Mishari hiding inside the palace and laid siege to it. Faisal subsequently killed Mishari and succeeded him as the new Imam. By the 1880s, the
Haʼil-based
Rashidi Emirate took-over
Riyadh and deposed the
House of Saud, bringing the
Second Saudi State to a close in 1891 after the
Battle of Mulayda and exiling its last leader,
Abdul Rahman al-Saud and his family to
Kuwait. The
Rashidi leader,
Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Rashid went on to destroy much of the palace in around 1889 in order to efface the legacy of the Saudis. when the reconstruction of Qasr al-Hukm was completed. Electricity was introduced in the palace in 1931. It was his residence until 1938, when he moved to
al-Murabba Palace. However, the palace continued to exercise administrative duties until his death in 1953. The palace and its surrounding area gradually declined in importance when
King Saud bin Abdulaziz accelerated the expansion and modernization of
Riyadh following his ascension to the throne in the 1950s, whereby he began constructing new neighborhoods in the city's north such as
al-Malazz and al-Nasiriyah. In 1964, members of the royal family pledge allegiance to the new monarch of Saudi Arabia,
Faisal bin Abdulaziz. In 1975, members of the royal family and tribal leaders pledged allegiance to
King Khalid bin Abdulaziz and
Crown Prince Fahd bin Abdulaziz. In 1976,
The High Commission for the Development of Arriyadh commissioned the Qasr Al-Hukm District Development Project and agreed on developmental programs that were prepared to transform the
Qasr al-Hukm District into a cultural center. The designs were completed by 1979 and the construction lasted between 1983 and 1992 in broadly two phases, costing around US$500 million. The project was overseen by
Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the-then
governor of Riyadh.
Phase 1 (1983–1988) The first phase lasted between 1983 and 1988, in which the main offices of the
Riyadh's governor,
mayor and the regular police were constructed in the palace.
Phase 2 (1988–1992) The second phase lasted between 1988 and 1992, where the
Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque, Al-Hukm Palace,
Al-Adl Plaza, Assafah Plaza, Imam Muhammad bin Saud Plaza, Al-Musmak Plaza, Al-Thumairi Gate, and Dekhna Gate, Ad-Deerah Tower were restored and built.
Phase 3 (since 1992) The third phase focused on winning confidence of the country's private sector. Headquarters of some institutions were constructed like the High Court, Civil Defense, Sheikh Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al Alsheikh Mosque, Dekhna Plaza, al-Zal Souq, and modern seven commercial complexes. == In modern times ==