Globe hopping
30 / Introducing...
Unspoilt
AlUla As Saudi Arabia begins to open up to mainstream tourists, AlUla will appeal to seasoned travellers looking for unique culture and ancient heritage, says Adam Coulter
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best place for... Music: A concert at Maraya adventure: The Adventure Trail Nature: Oasis Heritage Trail Arts & Culture: Madrasat AdDeera History: 4 heritage sites - Hegra, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah & AlUla Old Town Shopping & Dining: AlUla Old Town & Al Jaddidah Tomb of Lihyan son of kuza, Hegra
s our plane begins its descent into AlUla International Airport, I look out of the window and see an endless desert that, at first glance, seems featureless and barren. But then I spot a splash of green, the leaf of a palm; ochre and rose pink, the colour of the cliffs, or straight lines – the tell-tale signs of a human hand. From the newly constructed airport – almost everything in Saudi seems ‘newlyconstructed’ – we head towards Hegra, which along with Mecca and Medina is arguably Saudi Arabia’s top cultural site. I say “top” rather than most famous, because ask most people to name something cultural in Saudi, apart from those two religious sites, and they will likely struggle. But not for much longer. I stand looking at the towering structures of Hegra, as tall as three-storey houses, marvelling at the intricate designs so undamaged after 500 years of enduring desert winds and heat. When so much of the world has been charted, mapped, written about and photographed, there is something incredibly special about visiting a site that few people have ever heard of let alone visited – and that is a good hook on which to sell AlUla.
Open for tourism Elephant rock
Alula Oasis view trail
Maraya has hosted musicians such as Alicia Keys and Seal
If you visited World Travel Market last year you can’t fail to have noticed Saudi Arabia was the main sponsor – and as part of this tourism pus, AlUla was officially launched to the wider tourism sector. All this activity forms part of Vision2030, the rulers’ acknowledgment that its oil is going to run out at some point and a desire to shift the country towards tourism. To this end, if you travel to Saudi Arabia or send your clients you will visit a country that has been effectively closed to the world for the past 12 years or so, opening up.
sellingtravel.co.uk
Introducing Alula v12.indd 30
2/24/22 05:15 PM
