In the early 20th century, the mountain of Abu Makhrouq was a feature marking the entry into Diriyah-Riyadh, a mountain used for watching horse races and recreation in a desert context. With the expansion of Riyadh as the capital of the kingdom, the mountain was incorporated into the neighborhood of AlMalaz. Planting and green terraces changed the mountain into a public park at the heart of the administrative neighborhood, but by the 21st century lack of maintenance ended up in the closure of the park.

The proposal, done for a competition to reimagine Abu Makhrouq Park, was a two-part strategy which took advantage of Riyadh's history to explore a new direction for a public park. Rather than restoring the terraces to a green condition, the proposal argued that what made Abu Makhrouq interesting was that it was an urban mountain, and that it offered an idea of leisure and rest that did not require greenery, simply the quiet and beauty that a mountain in the desert offers. The proposal maintained the outcrop’s unique presence as a topographic feature in the desert.

The remainder of the site was turned into a contemporary reimagining of a farm, retaining the subdivisions and planting that would have been present at the beginning of the 20th century in Riyadh but taking on a new form rather than a purely utilitarian one. Choosing not to reference a European park or Anglo-American tradition, this strategy of mixing shading, produce, and reducing decorative planting poses a sustainable vision for how to preserve the historic idea of leisure in the Arabian Peninsula, and to think of public parks in the garden tradition where productive landscapes double as recreational and contemplative spaces.