Client

Diriyah Company is a Public Investment Fund (PIF) giga-project established to develop Diriyah—the ancestral home of the Al Saud royal family and a UNESCO World Heritage Site—into a world-class cultural, heritage, and tourism destination.

As one of the five PIF giga-projects, it plays a central role in Vision 2030’s ambition to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy through culture and tourism, showcasing over 300 years of the Kingdom’s history to a global audience.

Goal

Diriyah Company sought an independent, research-based evaluation of its performance management system across three capabilities: Performance Measurement, Performance Improvement, and Performance Culture.

The objective was to obtain formal recognition of its maturity level against an internationally recognized framework, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and receive a structured roadmap to support continuous development across all three capabilities.

Story

The GPA Unit conducted a Strategy & Performance Management Maturity Assessment of Diriyah Company using the GPAU Strategy & Performance Management Maturity Framework v3.0—the latest iteration of the framework at the time.

The methodology combined document reviews, organization-wide quantitative surveys (with 228 stakeholders invited to participate), and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, ensuring a comprehensive and balanced evaluation across all three capabilities.

The findings confirmed a performance management system built on strong foundations. Performance Measurement emerged as the standout capability, with Diriyah Company becoming the first organization globally to achieve Maturity Level V – Leading under Framework v3.0. The assessment highlighted strong governance maturity, disciplined target-setting, and effective use of performance data to support strategic decision-making.

Performance Improvement and Performance Culture both achieved Maturity Level IV – Advanced, indicating well-structured systems with clear momentum for further progression.

In recognition of its Level V achievement in Performance Measurement, Diriyah Company was proposed for inclusion in the GPA Unit Performance Excellence Hall of Fame—reserved for organizations reaching the highest maturity level in a specific capability. The assessment was conducted in full compliance with the GPAU Institute for Standards and Accreditation, with maturity compliance awarded across all three capabilities assessed.

Key Numbers

3 

capabilities assessed: Performance Measurement, Performance Improvement, Performance Culture

228 

stakeholders invited to participate in the organization-wide survey

57 

recommendations delivered in the improvement roadmap

Client & Expert Feedback

“What stands out is the strength of governance and the maturity of target-setting and KPI management practices. Level V in Performance Measurement signals a system that is stable, embedded, and decision-oriented. The Level IV results in Improvement and Culture reinforce that Diriyah Company has the structure and momentum to advance further.”
— Dr. Teodora Gorski, Head of Strategic Partnerships & Growth, Global Performance Audit Unit

Key Lessons

1. Heritage projects carry a governance obligation
   When an organization is entrusted with a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a foundational national narrative, performance management becomes a matter of institutional accountability. Diriyah’s Level V result reflects an organization that fully recognizes and operationalizes this responsibility.
2. Measurement maturity unlocks broader performance
   Diriyah’s strongest capability—Performance Measurement—was not incidental. When data is reliable, targets are meaningful, and KPIs are designed for decision-making, both performance improvement and organizational culture evolve more effectively. Establishing measurement maturity is one of the highest-leverage investments an organization can make.