Riyadh, city and capital of Saudi Arabia. The city’s name is derived from the plural of the Arabic rawḍah, meaning gardens or meadows, so named for a natural fertility provided by its location at the juncture of Wadis Ḥanīfah and Al-Baṭḥāʾ. The spectacular sight of Riyadh from the air, illuminated in the evening by city lights, is reminiscent of its eponymous meadows; a bright sea of lights dot the desert as if fluorescent flower gardens have suddenly blossomed among its dark contours.