The five districts along AlUla’s ‘green pedestrian spine’

This undated photo shows a view of cultural oasis in Saudi desert, known as AlUla. (Photo courtesy: Online)
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Updated 15 April 2021
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The five districts along AlUla’s ‘green pedestrian spine’

  • The idea is to allow visitors to ‘journey through time’ and relive a bygone era along the ancient incense route

DUBAI: A living museum. That is hardly a phrase usually heard to describe an ancient site whose history stretches back some 2,000 years to the time of the Nabataeans, an enigmatic people whose trading empire carved out this mysterious hidden gem in the Saudi desert, known today as AlUla.

The site will soon enjoy a second chance at glory thanks to The Journey Through Time, a master plan developed under the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, chairman of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), and the guidance of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the Saudi minister of culture and governor of the RCU.

The plan, announced on April 7, falls under Saudi Arabia’s broader Vision 2030 strategy to radically diversify its economy away from oil and embrace the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors and a host of other cultural and creative industries as it opens up to the world.

It signals a new chapter in the life of AlUla, sustainably developing the heritage site into a place of education, nature, art and leisure —  the essence of a “living museum.” The idea is to allow visitors to literally “journey through time” and relive a bygone era along the region’s ancient incense route.




Nabataean Theatre

Visitors will begin their journey at AlUla Old Town in the south before moving north into Dadan, Jabal Ikmah and the Nabataean Horizon, before concluding at Hegra Historical City, home of Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site. Each district will be shaped around its specific natural and cultural heritage.

As AlUla is spread across 22,500 square km — an area roughly the size of the US state of New Jersey — a major mobility plan is in the works to allow visitors to move freely between districts without undue harm to the environment.

A 46-km low-carbon tram line will connect AlUla International Airport to the five districts and a scenic roadway will allow visitors to travel by car or, if they prefer another immersive option, on foot, by bicycle, or even on horseback.




AlUla's experimental low-carbon tram line. (Supplied)

Sustainable mobility solutions are built into the plan, “notably the AlUla experiential tram, Wadi Path and Hejaz Railway bike trail, all of which unobtrusively traverse an ancient landscape,” Phillip J. Jones, the RCU’s chief destination marketing and management officer, told Arab News.

To accommodate the expected flood of visitors, planners will provide 5,000 additional rooms to the overall target of 9,400 by 2035. These will range from luxury hotels to eco-tourism lodges.

“Hospitality is ingrained in the culture of AlUla. For millennia, AlUla has served as a vital waystation and meeting point for people from different cultures and civilizations,” Jones said.


READ MORE: The Journey Through Time: A master plan for preserving and sustainably developing Saudi Arabia’s ancient AlUla


And in addition to the site’s many ancient wonders, 15 new cultural assets will be opened along the route. “Each of our districts act as urban centers, with museums, gardens, galleries and villages, resorts, eco-lodges, riding and walking trails, as well as wellness and agriculture experiences,” Jones said.

“Through our efforts, we hope to responsibly grow the tourism industry in AlUla, develop economic prospects and contribute to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.”

A flagship component of the master plan is the Kingdoms Institute, a global hub for archaeological learning and research dedicated to cultures and civilizations that have inhabited the area for more than 7,000 years. These include the ancient kingdoms of Lihyan and Dadan as well as the Nabataeans.




Jabal Ikmah interpretive center

“AlUla has a rich legacy of creativity and culture, and we are committed to preserving, protecting and uplifting its unique cultural landscape,” Nora Al-Dabal, RCU arts and culture programming director, told Arab News.

“From the preservation of heritage sites, the establishment of the different cultural assets to programs designed to promote traditional arts and artisanal practices, many initiatives have been built into the masterplan to advance AlUla’s identity as a crossroads of civilizations.”

In Saudi Arabia’s drive to develop AlUla and open its treasures to the world, it is important to note that a crucial part of the Journey Through Time master plan is about empowering and educating the local population.

“We believe that empowering the community, which has been the cultural custodian of this county, will lead to a stronger tourism, cultural and agricultural economy for AlUla,” RCU spokesperson, Saad Al-Matrafi, told Arab News.

“Through these comprehensive measures, we hope to revitalize AlUla as a vibrant and thriving Saudi community.” 

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Twitter: @rebeccaaproctor


Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

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Saudi pavilion at UNESCO Arab Week in Paris celebrates Kingdom’s camel culture

  • It shows how the role of the camel evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon embodying the Kingdom’s values

PARIS: The Saudi pavilion at UNESCO’s Arab Week event in Paris this week featured a showcase of the Kingdom’s deep-rooted connection to camel culture.

It explored the role of the animals as a vital part of the nation’s heritage, identity and civilization, and offered a glimpse into their enduring place in society, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

The exhibits showed how the role of the camel has evolved from essential means of transport and provider of resources to a cultural icon that embodies the Kingdom’s values, and the ways in which camels are embedded in Saudi customs, traditions and literature, including poetry and proverbs.

The Saudi Ministry of Culture designated 2024 “The Year of the Camel” to highlight and reinforce the status of the animal as a national symbol and cornerstone of the Arabian cultural identity. Camels are regularly celebrated across the country through dedicated festivals, race events, clubs and research centers.

UNESCO’s Arab Week, which features 22 Arab nations, was initiated by Saudi Arabia. Guests at the official opening of the event on Monday included Saudi envoys, ambassadors representing other nations, Arab and other international diplomats stationed in France, and officials from UNESCO.


AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital, speaks to Arab News at the Athar Festival of Creativity.
Updated 48 min 4 sec ago
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AI makes media industry more efficient and drives growth, expert says

  • Martin Sorrell: ‘AI speeds up writing processes, increasing efficiency’
  • New tech allows for increasingly personalized content

RIYADH: Artificial intelligence is being used more effectively and efficiently to drive higher economic development in the media industry, said Martin Sorrell, founder and executive chairman of S4 Capital.

At a panel session at the Athar Festival of Creativity Sorrell described how media agencies, such as S4 Capital and its subsidiary, Media.Monks, are using AI in a number of ways.

One application of AI in media, he said, is in “speeding the execution of copywriting and visualization.”

Time to market is drastically decreasing: “What took us literally days is now taking us three hours,” he said. Yet this produces another problem because reducing the time of procurement cuts costs, but this also means it is necessary to move to a model that increases gains in outputs,” he said.

Another application is in personalizing content for consumers. Sorrell told Arab News: “Individualization, hyper personalization, are going to become more important. Knowing the consumer in excruciating detail, using data, using the signals from the platforms, using first-party data, it becomes even more important.”

Using Netflix audience feedback algorithms as an example, Sorrell pointed out that AI enables these algorithms to produce larger and more accurate quantities of output, for example, recommendations based on user profile readings.

“We charge on a per asset used basis. Price of the asset may come down, but total revenue grows because we’re using multiple assets,” he said.

A growing area is in “media planning and buying.” Sophisticated algorithms can far more efficiently choose the distribution of planning and buying than individual media planners.

Technological capital and human capital, however, go hand in hand.

“We as agencies have to validate the algorithm’s analysis. We have to make sure that the client’s money is spent in the right way.”

Another benefit of AI is its ability to improve organizational efficiency. Where organizational silos once kept departments and specializations separate, AI opens up information to the majority of users.

To maintain the emotional connection and trust of the brand-consumer relationship in a technologically driven world, according to Sorrell, understanding individual motivation is increasingly crucial.

“Insights into culture, insights into language, into custom, into belief, into family, into country, that knowledge becomes critically important, far more so in a globalized world,” he said.

The diversity and knowledge of global and local organizations are essential for the success of any company, but the value of personalization means that local knowledge may take the lead, he added.

Quoting Harvard Business School professor Ted Levitt, Sorrell continued: “because remember, consumers will consume everything in the same way everywhere.”

Advising young professionals in tech, media and other industries operating in an AI-powered future, Sorrell said that rather than stripping away opportunities from creatives, avoiding the risk of “bombarding” consumers with much of the same, AI means “creativity becomes even more important.”

Additionally, creatives need to familiarize themselves with the skills and roles that are complementary to the new world: “I think every creative should learn Chinese. I think every creative should learn Spanish, probably Arabic too … and they should learn code.”

“The skills of the ‘Mad Men’, that Don Draper had or his colleagues … are very different to what you need now.”


Green initiative launched in Eastern Region

Updated 05 November 2024
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Green initiative launched in Eastern Region

  • Goal is to plant more than 500,000 trees and 3 million flowers throughout Dammam’s streets and parks
  • Scheme, in line with Vision 2030’s goal of increasing green spaces, also aligns with the broader national afforestation campaign

DAMMAM: The Eastern Region Municipality has announced a special initiative involving 30 volunteers to mark National Greening Season, launched by Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadley.

The goal is to plant more than 500,000 trees and 3 million flowers throughout Dammam’s streets and parks in a bid to improve air quality, reduce heat and enhance biodiversity, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The scheme, in line with Vision 2030’s goal of increasing green spaces, also aligns with the broader national afforestation campaign under the Saudi Green Initiative, which aims to promote sustainable environmental development and enhance vegetation cover.

The municipality emphasized the initiative would help combat desertification and promote the achievement of environmental balance through the use of locally suitable plants. 

It highlighted how collaboration with various institutions will raise awareness about afforestation and support green infrastructure, thereby improving the quality of life in the Eastern Region.


Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites

Updated 05 November 2024
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Madinah research center releases map of 50 prominent archaeological sites

  • Map includes documented historical landmarks, their current locations, and their association with the life of the Prophet Muhammad
  • Forms part of the center’s scientific and cultural documentation efforts, with the map featuring an interactive barcode for each historical landmark

RIYADH: The Madinah Research and Studies Center has released an updated version of the Innaha Taybah map, which features 50 historical and archaeological sites in the region.

The map includes documented historical landmarks, their current locations, and their association with the life of the Prophet Muhammad.

This comes as part of the center’s scientific and cultural documentation efforts, with the map featuring an interactive barcode for each historical landmark that introduces the place and allows users to view the historical site’s details.

It contains significant landmarks that tourists can visit, starting with the Prophet’s Mosque, the most prominent site in Madinah and a destination for Muslim visitors throughout the year.

Also featured are Baqi’ Al-Gharqad, Al-Safiyyah Museum and Park, the Architecture of the Prophet’s Mosque Exhibition and the International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography.

The map also includes prominent historical mosques that were built during the Prophet’s era and are still standing, such as the Mosque of Al-Ghamama, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque, Omar bin Al-Khattab Mosque, Ali ibn Abi Talib Mosque, Al-Sajdah Mosque, Al-Ijabah Mosque, Al-Suqya Mosque, Al-Manaratain Mosque, Bani Haram Mosque, Al-Fatah Mosque, Al-Rayah Mosque, Bani Harithah Mosque, Al-Shaikhain Mosque, Al-Jumu’ah Mosque, and Quba Mosque.

The Innaha Taybah map includes numerous archaeological landmarks, notably the Sela Mountain, Jabal Aynayn (Al-Rumat), the Martyrs of Uhud Cemetery, and ancient wells that have been rehabilitated as part of a project to restore historical sites in the region. These include Bir Al-Khatam (Well of Arees), Athq Well, Al-Ihn Well, the Well of Ghars and Al-Foqair Well. Other sites include the Urwa Palace, Al-Jamawat, the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, and natural landmarks connected to events that took place in Madinah during the time of the Prophet Muhammad and subsequent eras.


Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises

Updated 05 November 2024
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Saudi cabinet calls for Arab-Islamic summit, urgent political solutions amid regional crises

RIYADH: The Saudi cabinet discussed the Kingdom’s call for an Arab-Islamic summit to address ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestinian territories and Lebanon, in a session chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday.

The cabinet also stressed the urgent need for a political resolution to the crisis in Sudan, urging all parties to honor the commitments outlined in the "Jeddah Declaration" of May 2023. It emphasized the importance of an immediate ceasefire in Sudan, a cessation of hostilities, and the unobstructed delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need.

The cabinet also reviewed the Kingdom’s recent hosting of the inaugural meeting of the Global Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution, which brought together representatives from 90 countries and international organizations.