Controversial yet at the same time defiantly charming,
Saudi Arabia has been gaining ground among the most luxurious tourist
aspirations. Since 2016 and committed to the Vision 2030 plan, the country has
invested in development and evolution in different areas, including tourism,
and today has a whole raft of new roads, an international airport and many
modern infrastructures. And while the country in itself beckons you to discover
it, there’s one place in particular that hasn’t escaped the most attentive
eyes: AlUla, a truly breath-taking archaeological gem.
The region, located in the province of Medina in the
north-west of the country, is an oasis protected by sandstone mountains, which
in the past made AlUla an important trading post on the historic incense route
linking India to Europe. It was here that travellers stopped to rest and
replenish their energy. A significant landmark in AlUla is the city of Hegra,
the first UNESCO World Heritage Site in Saudi Arabia and an absolute must-see
for anyone passing through, as it has more than a hundred remarkably well-preserved
tombs with remains of the Nabataean civilisation, which occupied the Arabian
Peninsula more than 2,000 years ago. And when we refer to the breath-taking
landscape, we’re talking above all about the impressive carved stone façades,
which take you back in time and lift your spirits. Compared to Petra in Jordan,
the breath-taking scenery inevitably leads us to question beauty, the symbiosis
between the natural and the man-made.
Known as the pearl of Saudi Arabia, AlUla was closed
to the public for many years, but today it is a beautiful Pandora’s box. The
historic centre of Jeddah, for example, is another must-see, with a style
entirely different from any other you’ll find in Saudi Arabia and even among
other Arab countries, despite the fact that it includes many closed old
buildings. In contrast, there are electric vehicles to transport tourists, a
strong presence of the authorities stepping up security, city blocks built from
scratch to house food courts and several fine-dining restaurants run by foreign
chefs with Michelin stars.
