Rock Tombs and Sandstone Cathedrals of the Desert
AlUla is a region in north-west Saudi Arabia, known for its sandstone canyons, ancient oasis and the Nabataean city of Hegra, which in 2008 became the country's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The valley has been a crossroads for thousands of years, with settlements stretching back through the Dadanite, Lihyanite and Nabataean periods. The dramatic setting, with rock outcrops rising from open desert, makes it one of the most photogenic places on the Arabian Peninsula.
Hegra is the centrepiece: more than one hundred monumental tombs carved into sandstone outcrops, among them Qasr al-Farid, the lone tomb that stands apart in the desert. Nearby, Jabal Ikmah, an open-air library of ancient inscriptions, and Dadan, the capital of an early kingdom, add layers of archaeology. For visitors who know Saudi Arabia as a whole, AlUla is the best place to feel its deep history at close range, in landscapes that reward slow exploring.
Elephant Rock, Old Town and Desert Culture
Beyond the archaeology, AlUla's natural landmarks are strong. Jabal AlFil, known as Elephant Rock, is a freestanding sandstone formation popular at sunset, and the Harrat Viewpoint looks across lava fields and the valley below. In AlUla Old Town, a restored mud-brick settlement of narrow lanes, visitors find cafes, craft studios and a gentle sense of continuity with a living past. Palm groves in the oasis add a cool green contrast to the surrounding rock.
Culture is part of the AlUla offer. The cooler months bring music, arts and desert events, and the Maraya concert hall, a mirrored building set into the desert, has become one of the region's iconic images. A hotel group can find a strong narrative in AlUla's mix of desert retreats, heritage and design, and travellers who like to compare regions will find a coastal counterpart in Jeddah, with its UNESCO-listed old quarter, a short flight to the west.
Read the full AlUla guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitAlula.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.