Humans have occupied AlUla, a vast and fertile landscape in the north-west of Saudi Arabia, for over 200,000 years. Preserving that history is now a major part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 project, which is putting tourism at the heart of the country’s bid to wean its economy off petrochemical dollars and tackle climate change.
The masterplan here starts with the restoration of five historical districts – AlUla Old Town, Dadan, Jabal Ikmah, the Nabataean Horizon and Hegra Historical City. The AlRowah project is also training locals as storytellers and guides, teaching them to bring AlUla’s history to life, while elders from its Old Town (a labyrinth of mud-brick buildings) are being encouraged to share their stories, which will be replayed at the heritage site.
The region’s wildlife is also playing a role. The Royal Commission for AlUla is spearheading a rewilding project to bring native species, such as the Arabian oryx and Nubian ibex, back to north-western nature reserves. It’s having success too. A breeding programme for the critically endangered Arabian leopard has already seen four cubs born since 2021.