History in motion

Q: What recent progress has been made with the development of AlUla?

AlUla is an evolving destination that is nowhere near to reaching its full potential.

Phillip J. Jones, Chief Destination Marketing and Management

In October 2020, AlUla reopened its doors to visitors as a year-round destination, with key heritage sites visitors could access including Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising more than 100 well-preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement; Dadan, one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula; and Jabal Ikmah, often referred to as the ‘open-air Library’, offering insights to ancient beliefs, rituals and practices of every-day life.

AlUla Old Town opened to visitors for the first time in early 2021, with the refurbished Incense Road market hosting several local retailers, cafés and restaurants. It is now a must-visit destination.

In 2021, AlUla also added 96 rooms and

22 caravans to its total room capacity with the opening of Habitas AlUla.

The hotel offers an immersive experience where nature inspires creative expression, human connection and the pursuit of adventure. AlUla Airport has also started welcoming international flights with three regular services; two from Dubai, operated by flynas and flydubai, and another from Paris, operated by SAUDIA.

The destination has also become a hub for a wide selection of new experiences including those at our four core heritage sites, plus wellness and adventure activities like mountain biking, rock climbing, ziplining, hiking and more.

Lastly, AlUla has emerged as a gastronomic hotspot with more than 15 new restaurants opening in the last year, including farm-to-table concept Somewhere set in the oasis, and wellknown brands such as Annabel’s, Circolo and Maraya Social by Michelin-starred Chef Jason Atherton.

Q: The destination’s events scene is hotting up with the launch of AlUla Moments: tell us more AlUla Moments covers four unique festivals celebrating the heritage and the culture of AlUla and reviving its legacy as the crossroads of the ancient civilisations.

The four festivals are Winter at Tantora, the destination’s first musical and cultural festival, now in its third year; AlUla Arts Festival, which ran from February to March 2022, bringing together exhibitions and encounters created by a diverse array of local and international artistic talents in celebration of AlUla’s role as a cultural hub; AlUla Skies Festival, acknowledging the ancient relation between the sky and its inhabitants with distinguished activities including hot air balloon displays; and AlUla Wellness, a festival to promote holistic spiritual and physical health.

We are currently introducing AlUla as a hub for unique sports activities. We have already hosted the Extreme-E car racing, launched in April 2021; the Saudi Tour 2022 cycling event in February 2022; equestrian sporting events including The Endurance Cup 2022 and Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo 2022; and the EcoTrail AlUla running race. These activities will continue to be staged in AlUla.

Maraya – one of the world’s architectural marvels with 9,740 sqm of mirrors covering a cube-shaped structure reflecting the vast AlUla desert – is also hosting highprofile conferences and concerts and is one of the largest MICE venues in the region.

AlUla has also implemented a service improvement plan, enabling visitors able to provide immediate destination feedback via QR codes. The service enhancement team monitors responses and takes appropriate action.

Did you know?

Q: What’s new in AlUla and what’s coming soon?

AlJadidah Village is a new culture and dining destination on the edge of the AlUla Oasis and overlooks AlUla Old Town. It features five distinct squares: Art Square, Gathering Square, Muayada Square, Oasis Square and Qanat Square, each with their own unique atmosphere. Reasserting AlUla’s position as a centre of creativity and culture are the AlUla Design Gallery and ATHR Gallery AlUla. Both galleries, which are located in AlJadidah, showcase design projects and exhibitions and will soon host workshops and classes for residents and the visiting design community.

In terms of new accommodation options, Banyan Tree AlUla will open its doors soon, offering a luxurious hospitality experience in the heart of Wadi Ashar.

We are also on track to open a new eco-friendly boutique hotel in AlUla Old Town later this year; a new experience to immerse our visitors in a wholesome life of sustainable living.

Q: What stands out as world-leading in the development of AlUla?

AlUla’s Journey Through Time Masterplan (JTT MP1), launched by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Chairman of the Royal Commission for AlUla, last year, is a 15-year programme to responsibly develop the core historical area of AlUla.

It contributes to the advancement of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, opening a new chapter in the development of AlUla as a Living Museum while accelerating the growth of a diversified economy and vibrant community. JTT MP1 is underpinned by the AlUla Sustainability Charter, which sets out 12 framework principles guiding AlUla’s future development, with a focus on protection and preservation. The AlUla Sustainability Charter sets the ground for an innovative and integrated approach to sustainability.

Our roadmap encompasses Economic, Environmental and Social sustainability to move from responsible development to sustainable development.

This includes a zero-carbon policy supported by circular economy principles – net-carbon-neutral by 2035 for local emissions (excluding air travel and food imports) – and priorities such as increasing the share of renewables for water heating and in the power mix; increasing the amount of landscaping and land regeneration; reducing space cooling consumption and methods; and introducing cradle-to-cradle solutions to expand on the use, recovery and reuse of safe and healthy products and materials.

There are also specific resiliency policies to prepare for anticipated and unexpected human-made or natural threats to absorb impact, recover, and adapt. Policies relate

AlJadidah Village at a glance

AlJadidah, adjacent to the recently re-invigorated AlUla Old Town, has been transformed into a pedestrian-only art, culture and dining destination. The compact and walkable zone, meaning ‘new town’, is a must-visit precinct in AlUla with a year-round offering of art curated attractions, galleries, entertainment, beauty and exciting new eateries. AlJadidah is centered around five distinct squares:

Muayada Square is where visitors can enjoy a diverse range of dining experiences at new and existing venues including Moon Shell, a vegan restaurant specialising in healthy brunch bowls and smoothies.

Oasis Square connects the new village with the old oasis and features a stage where musicians entertain the crowds. Italian restaurant Circolo is already becoming a hot favourite, as is the Nail Art Spa and the men's barber shop The Art of Shaving.

Art Square is home to the Athr & Design galleries and the exciting new seasonal activation of Cinema Al Housh, AlUla’s first arthouse cinema. Here movie-goers can choose from a curated selection of independent films from the Cannes and the Venice film festivals. The cinema will also show a selection of Saudi and Arabic films.

Design Square offers AlUla residents and visitors the opportunity to stock up on international designer goods and fashion brands. The AlUla Design Gallery is leasing out a space to the first ATHR art gallery outside of Jeddah, while the remaining space will celebrate design projects and host exhibitions, workshops and classes for residents and the visiting design community.

From top: Face Rock AlUla Oasis

Adventure activities include mountain biking at Hegra to flood and water management, off-road and vegetation.

In addition, the G20 and the UN’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) worked with RCU to produce the AlUla Framework for Inclusive Community Development through Tourism, which was endorsed in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration at the Riyadh Summit. The framework provides a series of case studies on community inclusive tourism development projects from around the world.

The RCU case study outlines the role of the local community as both drivers and benefactors of tourism development.

Q: What has been the impact of new direct international flights to AlUla and what is the strategy for broadening connectivity?

AlUla is now a year-round destination with recently launched direct flights a real game-changer. Improved accessibility is not only crucial to attract more visitors, but for the destination’s economic and social growth. The direct flights are important as they come from Dubai and Paris, both crucial markets with strong growth potential.

Q: What are the destination’s key source markets?

The GCC, US, Australia, France, Italy, Germany, the UK, China and India are key markets, as well as domestic tourism.

The Saudis have discovered their own country, with 50% of visitors to AlUla hailing from the kingdom. The UAE is second largest source market, while 12% of visitors are from France and Europe and 6% are from the US. We will welcome more than 200,000 visitors in the next two years. We have a limited inventory though because we don’t want to ruin the experience. We want to preserve and protect these sites for another 7,000 years, so we aim to attract high-end luxury visitors rather than mass tourism.

Remembering AlUla Moments 2021-2022

AlUla Moments took place from December 2021 to March 2022. Staged under the ‘Celebrate Every Moment’ banner, the new events brand hosted four unique festivals: Winter At Tantora returned after a year-long pause, and the ancient desert city welcomed AlUla Arts, AlUla Skies and AlUla Wellness festivals.

The calendar of events raised the bar for visitor experiences in the historic city of AlUla, celebrating the cultural heritage and extraordinary landscapes through a variety of events and activations and drawing an outstanding increase in the expected number of visitors.

More than 109,000 event tickets were sold across all activations, while the iconic mirrored Maraya hosted 11 concerts including appearances from Alicia Keys and Lionel Richie. AlUla airport also saw a major increase in passenger numbers from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, as well as Dubai and Paris, following the launch of direct routes from both.

AlUla Moments featured several unique events at the heritage sites and in nature reserves, including the popular Hegra Candlelit Classics, Symphony Under the Stars, the Ikmah Fashion Cavalry show with Dolce & Gabbana, and the Music of Ancient Eras.

Main sporting highlights included the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup 2022. Hosted for the third time, an international CEI2*120km endurance competition organised in cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Equestrian Federation (SAEF) covered 120km. Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo 2022 also returned for a second time while Polo lovers were treated to the first

Polo tournament to be held in the desert, with four players from the legendary La Dolfina Polo team leading one team each.

The Saudi Tour 2022 cycling race was brought to AlUla for the first time with cyclists challenged to a steep climb up to the picturesque viewpoint on the Harrat Uwayrid. The EcoTrail AlUla 2022 saw more than 950 participants running races of 80km, 50km, 25km, 10km, or a 5km sunset race, while young athletes had the opportunity to participate in the Kids Race for the first time.

AlUla Moments also introduced adventure activities like abseiling, hiking trails, a canyon hike, a bike hub, cycling trail, zipline, gravity cart experience, rock climbing and dune buggies tours.

Culinary experiences were delivered by new restaurants including the Greek eatery OKTO, Tama at Habitas AlUla, Le Maschou, vegan venue Moon Shell, Ital- ian restaurant Circolo and world-famous SALT and SOMEWHERE.

Three new festivals

The very first AlUla Skies festival featured hot air balloon rides and the night hot air balloon Glow Show, which broke the Guinness World Records™ title for the World’s Largest Hot Air Balloon Glow Show, featuring 142 brightly-lit balloons streamlined above the ancient site, illuminating the rock-strewn desert landscape.

The festival also featured ‘Constellations’, an activation for stargazing with more than 2,000 drones highlighting constellations in a high-tech show

At the first AlUla Wellness festival, The Five Senses Sanctuary offered guests treatments, cultural shopping experiences, talks and yoga classes; Habitas launched its Thuraya wellness centre; and PULSE studio brought its Fitness X

Music pop-up experience to AlUla Oasis. AlUla Arts festival featured the blockbuster site-responsive Desert X AlUla 2022. The second edition of the stunning exhibition, set in a desert valley, included artworks from local and international artists under the theme of ‘Sarab’.

The artworks produced in the first AlUla Artist Residency were displayed between Mabiti and AlUla’s palm groves; Barzan Living Gardens highlighted the relationship between people and nature, between community and visitors; The Cortona on the Move AlUla photography festival brought talks and screenings on the art of narrative photography to newly opened arts hub AlJadidah; and ‘What Lies Within’ treated visitors to Maraya with an emotive and star-studded selection of artworks from the collection of the Saudi art collector Basma AlSulaiman. www.experiencealula.com

Q: How is AlUla tapping into traveller demand for new and unique tourism experiences?

We are continuously working to improve the tourist experience in AlUla by introducing new leisure and adventure activities, hotels and F&B outlets and by enhancing the quality of the services that we provide.

At the same time, we are preserving AlUla's extraordinary human and natural heritage, as well as the natural environment in the city.

Q: What’s your long-term vision for AlUla – what will it be famous for and why will people want to visit?

Today, thanks to the efforts and vision of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s and the RCU, AlUla is a living museum.

The city is open for tourists with a passion for history, architecture, archaeology and art.

With a UNESCO World Heritage site, a rich history with relics that date back 7,000 years and many international art exhibitions, a visit to AlUla is enchanting and captivating. It is the world's masterpiece that all will want to visit.

Q: What will be AlUla’s economic and social contribution to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia?

The Journey Through Time Masterplan for AlUla is projected to contribute SAR 120 billion (US$32 billion) to the national GDP, create 38,000 new jobs and almost triple the regional population to 130,000 by 2035.