Other new hotels will be announced over the coming months and, by the end of 2023, there will be a total of 1,000 keys. Other hotels scheduled to open include three Aman Resorts, one a luxury tented camp, another a desert ranch-style hotel and the third one of the hotel's group's new 'conscious mindset' Janu hotels. Jones says the resort, which offers luxury tented villas, will be 'five-star-plus with resort style pools, and some spas and some amazing restaurants'. 'Our focus right now is the Ashar Valley where we have two hotels opening in August,' says Jones.Īlso opening this year is a 77-key Banyan Tree resort, the first of the Accor brand to open in Saudi Arabia. Several more hotels are set to open as part of the Journey Through Time master plan with properties spread throughout the five districts. It has 80 secluded tent-style suites, an indoor pool and a garden area. The Shaden Resort is open for visitors and offers 121 rooms and villas, all of which have a private terrace or balcony looking out to the surrounding rock formations. Sahary Al ula Resort is also accepting guests. Right now, there's a little less to choose from. Positioning itself as a luxury destination, Al Ula is set to have 5,000 hotel rooms by 2030. Shaden Desert Resort in Al Ula. Reem Mohammed / The National Travellers can also fly into Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah, from where it's about a five-hour drive to Al Ula. The airport has the capacity to handle 400,000 passengers a year and it's less than a 30-minute drive from the airport to Al Ula Old Town. Travellers who want to experience the Journey Through Time can fly directly to Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz airport in Al Ula, which has been expanded to receive international flights. How do I get there?Ī view above Al Ula the region is the same size as Belgium. When completed, the project hopes to attract two million visitors every year to the historic region. The plan is designed to showcase a place of harmonious co-existence between nature and humans, preserving the cultural legacy of Al Ula and providing development opportunities and sustainable economic growth. The plan follows the framework of Saudi Vision 2030 and was developed under the leadership of the Crown Prince and the guidance of Prince Badr, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Culture and governor of the RCU. The fifth and final point of the journey is Hegra, the southern capital of the Nabataean civilisation and Saudi Arabia's first Unesco World Heritage Site.

Starting at Al Ula's Old Town in the south, it winds on towards Dadan and up to Jabal Ikmah, before taking in the Nabataean Horizon. Courtesy RCUĮssentially, the Journey Through Time is a route that spans five districts across the Al Ula region.

What is the Journey Through Time?Īl Ula's Journey Through Time spans five districts across the historical area in Saudi Arabia. If you're thinking a visit to one of the world's most historical sites might be in your travel future, here's a guide to what you need to know before setting off on Saudi Arabia's Journey Through Time. When borders do open to international travellers, the new master plan will ensure Al Ula 'becomes a top heritage site that will rival any other in the world', says Jones. Capitalising on that demand, the destination is set to play host to the first performance at Unesco World Heritage Site Hegra on Thursday, April 8, with Italian opera tenor Andrea Bocelli as the star.

Al ula resort