Riyadh

Riyadh (Arabic: الرياض) is the 3rd largest city in the Riyadh Islamic Federation, with a population of 1,894,739, From 1 December 1971 to 1 March 2013 it served as the capital of RIF, losing the title to Abu Dhabi.

Etymology
The land that eventually became the emirate of Riyadh was unusually green for its location, due to the nearby Ziyad Oasis. Taking this into account, after the end of the 1947 War between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, the British established a new emirate, named Riyadh, which translates into "the gardens."

History
In 1947 a border dispute between Abu Dhabi and Dubai grew into a full scale war between the two. The British were unable delineate a border that both would agree on, leading to Dubai invading Abu Dhabi. The war dragged on for another 6 months before the British intervened. The United Kingdom proposed the formation of a new Sheikhdom between the two emirates, to act as a buffer zone. The original settlement was an insignificant village of less than 5,000 people.

When RIF gained independence from the United Kingdom, Riyadh was chosen as the capital over Abu Dhabi, due to Dubai's relations towards Abu Dhabi. After the formation of the People's Democratic Republic of Riyadh the city was the site of various anti-government protests. The Battle of Riyadh began with the rebel offensive into the city from Abu Dhabi. Riyadh City was the last city to fall into rebel hands, in the Battle of Ziyad, but the Union Defence Force still had small footholds on the city. After the signing of the Treaty of Al Maysah, Riyadh City was quickly rebuilt, and the city reclaimed its title as the prestige capital of the Riyadh Islamic Federation. The city enjoyed peace and prosperity along with the other 8 emirates left in the RIF. In 1976 Riyadh City held a series of reunification talks between the Riyadh Federation and the People's Democratic Republic of Riyadh. Talks soon broke down and on the orders of Sheikh Zayed Sayyid al Nashid the PDRR's embassy in the city was closed. On September 28, 1976 the PDRR invaded the emirate of Riyadh stating it would unify itself and RIF under a single communist government. The Riyadh Islamic Federation defeated the PDRR in 1978 and it was absorbed back into the federation.

In the early 1980s Riyadh City and the rest of the federation enjoyed massive growth and stability. In 1989 the Riyadh Islamic Federation signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, leading to strengthening relations with the United States and allies. The 90s brought even larger growth and the acceleration of Riyadh City's construction craze. The outbreak of the Gulf War had a negative affect on the growth of Riyadh City, with many businesses leaving the city for areas farther away from the war. Although after the end of the war the city quickly recovered and business began to return to the city.

On December 17, 2013 while Riyadh City was hosting the monthly soccer competition, Super Sunday a series of bombs exploded near the stadium's main entrances, effectively cutting of any way of escaping the stadium. At around 1:30PM the roof of the stadium caved in, and by 2:00PM the entire stadium had collasped. Rescue crews struggled to clear a path to the trapped spectators. Eventually, they managed to clear a path and began to evacuate people from the stadium. Of the 47,000 spectators in the stadium 45,782 of them survived the bombing. Since the attack, Riyadh City, and other cities around the federation have begun enforcing strict building codes.

Cityscape
Riyadh has a rich collection of buildings and structures of various architectural styles. Many modern interpretations of Islamic architecture can be found here, and as a result of this boom, modern Islamic – and world – architecture has literally been taken to new levels in skyscraper building design and technology. A culmination point was reached in 2012 with the completion of the Khaleej Tower, the world's second tallest building. The completion of the Khaleej Tower, following the construction boom that began in the 1980s, accelerated in the 1990s, and took on a rapid pace of construction unparalled in modern human history during the decade of the 2000s, leaves Riyadh City with the second tallest skyline in the world.

Riyadh Metro
The Riyadh Metro, which has been under construction since 2003 is slated to open in June 2013. The metro will have 7 lines, 3 of which will be underground. It is estimated that atleast 200,000 people will use the Metro each day. When completed, the Metro's total length will be 229km (142m) overtaking the Dubai Metro, as the longest fully automated metro in the world.