Saudi Arabia

Al-`Ula

Saudi Arabia
Al-`Ula, Saudi Arabia
Photo: Pteropus conspicillatus CC BY-SA 3.0 source
Bronze
Wander Well Bronze
Top 88% in country
Beauty
Economic need
Tourism penalty

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How to get there 26.6085, 37.9232
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This town in northwestern Saudi Arabia with around 4,000 years of continuous human settlement, Al-'Ula sits in a fertile valley between two large mountains and served as the ancient Nabataean second capital. The wider region holds UNESCO-registered archaeological sites, including remains of the Nabataean, Lihyanite, and Qedarite civilisations. A Saudi-French development agreement signed in 2018 and a 2019 royal vision plan are reshaping it into an international heritage destination, and in 2024 it became the first site in the Middle East accredited by Destinations International.

  • Population32,413
  • Nearest water from center8.6 km
  • Nearest mountain from center7.5 km
  • UNESCO within 50 km1