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AlUla Reveals its Plans for Developing Tourism

AlUla is becoming more attractive to tourists. Reuters
AlUla is becoming more attractive to tourists. Reuters
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AlUla Reveals its Plans for Developing Tourism

AlUla is becoming more attractive to tourists. Reuters
AlUla is becoming more attractive to tourists. Reuters

Saudi Arabia plans to turn the historical city of AlUla in the northeast into an international tourism center that draws visitors interested in art and culture.

The Royal Commission for AlUla, the body tasked with developing and implementing sustainability initiatives, presented its plans for developing tourism at its natural reserves.

Members of the commission took part in a panel discussion at the Hospitality of Tomorrow virtual conference organized by Bench Events.

The participants said that the Royal Commission aims to attract two million visitors annually to AlUla, create 38,000 jobs, contribute 120 billion riyals (32 billion dollars) to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and protect AlUla’s historical and cultural heritage sites.

The conference was organized to provide a platform for discussion between stakeholders and leaders in the hospitality sector with the aim of speeding up its recovery by establishing the ties needed to build understanding and enhance relations and unity.

In the session, Abdulrahman Alsuhaibani, Director of Museums and Exhibitions, and Heritage Consultant, Royal Commission for AlUla said that AlUla is an exceptional site that has had human existence for more than 200,000 years, and the successive civilizations that inhabited it left rich and diverse legacies that makeup AlUla’s rich heritage. "We have a new and important old story that we would like to tell its chapters; accordingly, preserving AlUla and protecting its treasures and its heritage is among our priorities.”

The invigorating role that arts play in the development of AlUla and bringing in the local community was also discussed, with Nora Aldabal Arts and Culture Programming Director, Royal Commission for AlUla saying: “Bringing attention to AlUla as a cultural center supports creativity and artistic exchange (...) in cooperation with international bodies such as Desert X, where artists had the opportunity to make exhibitions in the context of societies, making society an essential pillar of the experiment’s success.”

Neville Wakefield from Desert X stressed that culture is the center of communication, adding that they worked to attract artists from all over the world and urged them to participate in the discussion and establish channels of dialogue amongst themselves as they visited the natural sites of AlUla.

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NEOM Nature Reserve Reintroduces Six Animal Species

NEOM is working to rebuild self-sustaining ecosystems through habitat rehabilitation, species recovery, and cutting-edge ecological monitoring - SPA
NEOM is working to rebuild self-sustaining ecosystems through habitat rehabilitation, species recovery, and cutting-edge ecological monitoring - SPA
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NEOM Nature Reserve Reintroduces Six Animal Species

NEOM is working to rebuild self-sustaining ecosystems through habitat rehabilitation, species recovery, and cutting-edge ecological monitoring - SPA
NEOM is working to rebuild self-sustaining ecosystems through habitat rehabilitation, species recovery, and cutting-edge ecological monitoring - SPA

As part of its bold rewilding strategy, NEOM has reintroduced more than 1,100 animals across six species to its expansive Nature Reserve—an important milestone in its broader mission to restore the region’s natural balance. With 95% of the region’s land preserved for nature, NEOM is working to rebuild self-sustaining ecosystems through habitat rehabilitation, species recovery, and cutting-edge ecological monitoring.

According to NEOM, when the Arabian Oryx was first reintroduced into the Nature Reserve in December 2022, it marked a milestone occasion, signifying the first time the animal had walked the sands of north-western Saudi Arabia for nearly 100 years, SPA reported.

In the early 1970s, the Oryx was extinct in the wild due to hunting and poaching, but conservation efforts across the region have seen its numbers swell in recent years, with more than 208 now calling NEOM home. Perfectly adapted to the region’s desert conditions, its white coat reflects the sun, while its complex nasal system cools the air it breathes and conserves water by recycling moisture as it exhales.

Another member of the Bovidae family, Arabian Sand Gazelles are petite, graceful animals that typically reside in sand dunes and coastal flats across the Arabian Peninsula. Gazelles are swift creatures, clocking speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour in short bursts.

They are herbivores, and while NEOM’s regreening initiative continues to develop – with 4.7 million trees, shrubs, and grasses planted to date – the 530 Arabian Sand Gazelles currently residing in the reserve benefit from the natural vegetation that has returned to the area, following the removal of heavy livestock grazing. NEOM is also home to 223 Arabian Gazelles, which are typically darker in color and harder to find, preferring to reside in foothills and rugged mountain terrain.

Desert-dwelling wild goats can be found in NEOM’s rocky, mountainous terrain, and are typically recognized by their impressive arched horns. Males have backward-arched horns that can reach up to one meter in length, while females have much shorter horns and are lighter in color.

They are incredible climbers and have hooves with rubbery soles to act as suction cups on hard surfaces, aiding them in navigating steep cliffs to avoid predators, including wolves. NEOM has successfully reintroduced 53 Nubian Ibex to the reserve, adding to the population of several wild Ibex who have naturally returned to the area and are often caught on camera as part of NEOM’s monitoring program.

The red-necked ostrich, the largest and fastest living bird on earth, can stand up to 2.7 meters tall and weigh more than 150 kilograms. Their eggs are the largest of any living animal, measuring up to 15 centimeters long and up to 1.4 kilograms in weight. The bird gets its namesake from the fact that males have a reddish hue on their neck, especially in breeding season, when they perform an elaborate courtship display to attract females.

Currently, 27 chicks have been raised in NEOM Nature Reserve, which are well adapted to the region’s climate and feed on seeds, grass, leaves, and occasionally small insects or animals. Their strong legs allow them to run up to 70 kilometers per hour and, despite their size, red-necked ostriches are flightless.

Furthermore, the Lanner Falcon, last spotted in the wild in Saudi Arabia more than four decades ago, was reintroduced to NEOM Nature Reserve earlier this year in a momentous occasion. Known for its speed and agility, the Lanner Falcon can dive at speeds of more than 320 kilometers per hour. It has a striking appearance, with dark markings on its chest and belly, and a distinctive black moustache mark across its white face.

The release of Lanner Falcons into Bajdah at NEOM Nature Reserve forms part of a rewilding partnership between NEOM and the Saudi Falcon Club (SFC), which aims to reintroduce native falcon species within the Kingdom.