How a new 'architectural openness' is remaking Saudi streets

Al-Madini spruced up his garden with tropical almond trees imported from Thailand and added a swimming pool to his recently renovated villa in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Photos: Fayez Nureldine/AFP

For years, Haitham al-Madini's house was like all the others on his block: a beige, nearly windowless facade sealed off from the outside world – as Saudi Arabia itself largely was.

But two years ago, confined during a pandemic lockdown, al-Madini decided to open things up, adding a street-facing patio, redoing the exterior walls in limestone and installing soft lighting in the entryway.