AlUla: A Journey Through Time
The ancient city of AlUla in Saudi Arabia is stepping into its “next evolution” as authorities unveil the destination’s global brand image in key international markets, showcasing its rich history and cultural offerings to the world.
“We’ve been very focused on the regional audience, but we’ve never had a media campaign telling our story globally and so this is the launch of that in our six key markets,” said Phillip Jones, the chief tourism officer with the Royal Commission for AlUla.
“It will be an opportunity to introduce a completely new audience to what we have to offer in AlUla.”
Forever Revitalizing: AlUla’s Global Campaign
The commission unveiled its “Forever Revitalizing” campaign during a grand event at the British Museum in London, marking the third leg of a global tour that began in Dubai and Paris, with upcoming stops in New York, Mumbai, and Shanghai.
“London is an interesting place to see this particular exhibition of our history and the world’s history, actually,” said the Saudi ambassador to the UK, Prince Khalid bin Bandar.
“AlUla was the center of so much that brought people around from all over the region, and was a trade destination and a trade hub for the world, like London is today. So for us, it’s really exciting to take an old trade hub and launch it in a new trade hub.”
Preserving Beauty and Heritage
One focus of the commission’s work is to preserve the natural beauty and splendor of AlUla, including its clear, star-filled skies, with a “dark skies policy” in place as part of sustainability efforts.
“We want to make sure that when people come and want to go stargazing, they have an opportunity to see and experience something of that magnitude, and so we’re very focused on preserving and protecting the uniqueness and the authenticity of AlUla,” Jones said. “It’s never going to be a mass tourism destination.”
Future Plans and Sustainability
Despite ongoing efforts to promote AlUla to the world, projects are in the works to build museums, heritage attractions, hotels, and restaurants, with developments set to open between 2030 and 2035. These plans are carefully implemented to preserve the authenticity of the destination.
“By 2030, we may have a million visitors, by 2035, maybe 2 million visitors. But never more than that because we don’t want to spoil it. We want to keep it as pristine and beautiful as it really is,” Jones emphasized.