Saudi Arabia is steadily moving towards developing its heritage and cultural economies with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launching the Kingdom’s masterplan, dubbed ‘A Journey Through Time,’ which aims to transform AlUla into a global destination for heritage, nature, art, and culture.
Other than contributing to the Saudi national economy, the project will also place the Kingdom on the map of international tourism and attract foreign investment, specialists told Asharq Al-Awsat.
More so, the new design vision for AlUla to turn it into a global attraction will also generate investment opportunities worth billions of dollars.
Over the next 15 years, the historic AlUla valley, home to Hegra and a multitude of other historic sites, will be transformed into a living museum designed to immerse visitors in 200,000 years of natural and human history.
The project is being led by the crown prince, who is also chairman of the board of directors of the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate, and followed up by the Minister of Culture, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, also governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla.
Developing prominent Saudi heritage monuments reflects positively on the tourism sector and the national economy as it activates the role played by archaeological sites in achieving the aspirations of the state, Vice Chairman of the Riyadh Chambers Board of Directors Nayif al-Rajihi told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Rajihi went on to explain that mega heritage projects will attract foreign and local investments, and will create quality job opportunities.
He added that they will also help reduce joblessness rates, which is one of the main targets of the Kingdom's 2030 vision.
It is worth noting that the recently announced masterplan for AlUla contributes to the advancement of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and opens a new chapter in accelerating the growth of a diversified economy and vibrant community.
