As the plane begins its descent, the view outside the window is of a vast desert: there are reddish mountains on the horizon standing tall like an indestructible fortress, and some ancient structures which we would later learn were tombs carved out of a colossal rock, marked at the entrance with curses intended to ward off grave robbers. The flight may have been headed to the oasis city of AlUla in northwest Saudi Arabia. 1,000km from the capital Riyadh, but nobody would have thought twice if they’d been told they were landing on Mars.
Members of the press and selected artists flocked to the remote desert in November 2022 to get a glimpse of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)’s grand scheme. The organisation plans to turn the area, known for its rich natural heritage and archaeological sites, into a modern cultural destination. For decades, oil has been Saudi Arabia’s main source of wealth; the AlUla project, established by royal decree in July 2017, is seen as proof of the country’s recent ambition to
