AlUla in Saudi Arabia: Here's where UAE rulers spent their weekend

His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai witnesses the crowning of his son Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai as the winner of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia.

Al Ula is a county in the North-West of Saudi Arabia. It is a place of awe-inspiring beauty, a landscape of cliffs and canyons featuring ancient petroglyphs and rock art.

It feels like another planet. There’s no light pollution, so you can see pretty much every single star in the sky. There is no traffic, so the air is fresh, there are no skyscrapers, so your views are totally unobstructed. The mushroom and elephant shaped rock formations also add to that out worldly notion

Al Ula is now at the center of a project to raise awareness of the country’s ancient history, inspire national pride, and fuel tourism, all objectives within the purview of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s road map to a different future.

In this remote corner of the kingdom, you will surprisingly find a lot to do.

If there was one thing I had to say about my recent trip to Al Ula in Saudi Arabia, is that it’s a place of extraordinary natural beauty, cultural heritage and kind hearted people.

When you land in the Al Ula airport, you will notice a fleet of vintage aircrafts. You have the option to experience one of four vintage aircrafts to see a different view of Al Ula. You can fly over the heritage sites or out to the black and white volcano.

This is the Maraya Theatre. It is a concert hall in Al Ula and is used as part of the Winter at Tantora festival. ‘Maraya’, which in Arabic means reflection or mirror, is built close to Hegra Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO world heritage site.

Maraya is an architectural extension of the environment that surrounds it at its site in Ashar. Not to mention it is a very popular Instagram location, since the mirror building looks fantastic in photographs

The 500-seat capacity venue was home to some of the world’s leading performers who range from Omar Khairat to Andrea Bocelli throughout the Winter at Tantora festival. The festival’s opening artist was legendary singer Aziza Jalal. The festival will end with a bang hosting Lionel Richie and Craig David.

Located in the heart of the desert in Al Ula, 320 Kilometers north of Medina is the first Saudi site to earn UNESCO recognition Mada’in Saleh, and it is also the most spectacular of the bunch. Mada’in Saleh, also known as the ancient city of Al Hijr. Visiting this area, you won’t just walk through the site, you will get a live action play of how Mada’in Saleh came to be, with young Saudi actors and actresses partaking in the educational performance.

Al Ula is home to an amazing RV camp called Canyon Camp. Stay in an Airstream travel trailer, which features a bathroom, shower, convertible dinette, and twin beds at the front of the trailer with a centered nightstand. Sleeping in the RV was a great way to be one with nature, but also still have indoor plumbing. Did I mention that you get to see the stars? I think I’ve mentioned it once or twice. No high buildings, no light pollution, skies bright with stars and a bonfire every night to allow guests to mingle.

Experience the sounds of silence from the skies of Al Ula during a hot air balloon ride through the county’s landscape. On two days during the festival, 100 balloons took gave passengers a chance to witness the sunrise with the sunrise free flight. Coasting over kilometer high, you will see UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra from above

Discover the breathtaking landscape and history of Hegra, Dadan and Jabal Ikmah. Saudi Arabia's first ever UNESCO UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Elephant Rock is one of Al Ula’s most popular attractions. This season of Winter at Tantora, the site has transformed into a festive, cultural, and artistic hub where visitors will enjoy a cool experience that includes seeing the picturesque rock, as well as a seating area around the rock, with live entertainment and a variety of restaurants and cafes.

There are plenty of ways to get around in Al Ula, one of them is Uber. When in that area, you will have the option to tap on “Vintage Uber” and you will get an amazing classic baby blue jeep car. Definitely worth it.

Another of the most visited sites in Al Ula is Jabal Ikmah. This mountain was a sacred place for locals and visitors to carve their stories and experiences on the walls of the mountain. These inscriptions give insight to the way people lived thousands of years ago. This language is called Dadanic.

Al Ula is full of interesting things to do. Whether it’s going on an adventure, fine dining or even a trip to Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site with millennia of archaeological treasures and records of timeless traditions that continue to this day.