Ancient majestic wonders of Saudi Arabia
AlUla county, home to AlUla Old Town, is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage that, until the last few years, was closed to international tourism. Part of a lush oasis valley which has a backdrop of towering sandstone mountains, AlUla Old Town is a stronghold of the natural and cultural heritage of its people dating back thousands of years.
The village of AlUla Old Town is home to more than 900 traditional buildings made from mud brick, 100 of which have already been restored with traditional building methods.
It features a burgeoning Arts district centred around the Old Girls’ School Madrasat Adeera, which has been renovated to become a school for teaching women pottery, jewellery making, and traditional handicrafts to be sold in the Old Town’s tourist shops.
The village is also preserving its intangible cultural heritage including local traditions of dance, music, poetry, storytelling, etc. and showcasing it in popup performances and cultural festivities held in the Old Town.
The village’s ecosystem forms a microclimate inside the farms which allows the growing of many types of crops during the year, enhancing the food security of farmers. It is further facilitated with traditional farming practices and livestock breeding transmitted through generations in the AlJadidah farms.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Made in AlUla
The Royal Commission for AlUla and the AlUla Development Company are implementing a series of initiatives that will facilitate the attraction, growth and sustainability of MSMEs. These included the deferral of rent in year one as well as marketing and promotional support throughout the year. Activation of a “Souq Street” that runs through the Old Town & AlJadidah will link the old and new quarter by means of a special pedestrian pathway which is lined with newly opened shops and restaurants.
Furthermore, the identification of local businesses and products have formed the basis of a “Made in AlUla” retail line, sold in 5 stores across the country – 2 of which are within the village. Over 1,000 of these products were sold in 2021, with 65,000 SAR of the sales returning to the local community.
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Rawi and Hammayah programs
In 2018, the Rawi program was established to employ residents as tourism guides. The “Rawi”, meaning storyteller in Arabic, underwent training and offsite immersion in key tourism sites such as Sedona to learn best practices. Today the Rawi programme employs over 80 residents.
The Hammayah program was established in 2019 and provides part-time employment opportunities for villagers who act as guardians of the heritage and natural assets of the local area, with the remit to discourage and report any vandalism, littering or antisocial behavior. In its second phase the programme successfully employed approximately 2,000 individuals.
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Making farming systems sustainable
AlJadidah farms have a unique traditional irrigation system for water distribution and irrigating crops using the traditional Qanat technique. Within the cultural oasis restoration project, one of the project’s tasks is to reduce the water consumption and losses in irrigation water to preserve the irrigation Qanat and improve crop productivity and quality, enhance the farm’s sustainability, and enhance the aesthetic view of the oasis.
The village has also undertaken an agricultural waste clean-up and a composting project to enhance the aesthetic view and preserve the ecosystem of the AlJadidah farms.
