There is a newer Riyadh north of the old city, and KAFD is its glass-and-stone heart, a district built vertical and this is where the Kingdom’s first W chose to plant itself. Inside, Al Sadu weaving patterns run through the interiors, stone and veined marble echo the desert beyond the towers, and a six-metre tapestry by Saudi artist Abdulnasser Gharem hangs in the lobby like a thesis statement.

Stay here and the days find a rhythm of their own, fire in the evening, at the open flames of the Latin American kitchen, water in the afternoon, up on the deck where the pool holds the last of the light, and in between, a spa for slowing down and a gym that never closes for those who won’t.