Ancient monuments, world class chefs and an arts scene to rival Paris: Welcome to AlUla

With airport expansion plans and new attractions, the ancient city of AlUla could soon be the arts and culture hub of Saudi Arabia.

Transcript

00:00 Al-Lunar in the northwest of Saudi Arabia has been traditionally on the caravan and

00:06 trading routes.

00:07 It`s about 1,100 kilometers northwest of Riyadh.

00:11 And as its core, it`s a boutique luxury heritage and cultural destination.

00:20 Perhaps best known for Hegra, which the Nabataeans left us.

00:23 And of course, this year we celebrate the 15th anniversary of Hegra being classified

00:30 by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

00:34 You add to that the ancient civilization of Dardan, best typified by the lion tools, one

00:40 of the major archeological sites of anywhere in the world.

00:48 We have ambitious plans for the cultural sector.

00:51 For two years now, we have posted a very successful DesertX in partnership with Coachella.

00:57 And that will be the forerunner to Wadi Al-Fan, which is the valley of the arts.

01:03 65 square kilometers of beautiful canyon that will provide the inspiration for creative

01:10 expression by the world`s top sculptors.

01:14 So, truly a magical destination, and it`s against these stunning landscapes as well

01:22 that so many of our wellness experiences are playing out.

01:25 And quite frankly, so many of our dining options, some of the best names in the culinary world

01:30 coming to set up restaurants, either pop-up restaurants or more permanent restaurants

01:35 against the stunning landscape.

01:37 [Music]

01:43 (dramatic music)