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Young Saudis, AlUla locals embrace change as town continues its rapid transformation
Young Saudis in AlUla are embracing rapid change as their town continues to become one of the Kingdom’s prime tourist destinations under the Crown Prince’s Vision 2030.
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What was once a sleepy settlement in the northern part of the country is well on its way to becoming a hotspot for luxury hotels, restaurants, and museums showing off the rich cultural heritage of the area with its stunning natural landscape and the 2000-year-old tombs of Hegra.
Local Salem Alenzi who spoke to Al Arabiya English detailed the rise of the area, describing his excitement about the future of a town that was neglected by the outside world for years.
Alenzi, a 21-year-old AlUla resident, works as a seasonal tour guide and had never met a foreigner before the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was set up in July 2017.
The Taibah University English student remembers the moment when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the plan to make AlUla an international tourist destination.
“We were all flabbergasted, because we knew AlUla is famous for heritage and it has a lot of history, but nobody gave attention to it. Nobody cared about it.”
“It was painful for us, to be honest with you, because when we look at the mountains, when you look at the beautiful things in AlUla, we always said that it’s going to be a famous city, but nobody cared about it.
“In the past it was like a small town, nothing at all. Just a supermarket. There was nothing to have fun, there was nothing, no events at all… Just work, and study, and sleep.”
But several years on, and the remote region now boasts its own airport as well as around 700 hotel rooms, and a number of luxury restaurants as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plans to boost industries such as tourism, to stop the country being reliant on oil income.
The calendar is packed with offerings such as AlUla Moments – a collection of music, culture, and wellness festivals — and regular sporting events including the equestrian Endurance Cup and Camel Cup, polo, trail running, and cycling.
A walk through the old town during the cooler months will see the single-lane main road jammed with cars, both domestic travelers who have come from within the Kingdom, and others who have rented vehicles to explore the stunning terrain.
“It’s changed dramatically… We’ve gone from 25,000 visitors in 2019, to 185,000 visitors in 2022, so we've come a long way, even during the COVID situation, we always had visitors,” Phillip Jones, the RCU’s Chief Tourism Officer, told Al Arabiya English.
A significant factor in the area’s development was the scholarship program offered to local residents to ensure that they benefit from the new opportunities in hospitality, dining, and events.
Alenzi was not able to join the program, but he recognized the impact that the returning students had on the town.
“They changed AlUla, actually… they came with intelligent minds, I can tell, because they studied abroad, so they studied for four years or five years.
“When they came, they came like intelligent people, and they helped the Royal Commission to develop AlUla.”
Jones also recognized how enthusiastic many locals were to have their town recognized as a tourist destination.
“Most of the locals, particularly young Saudis, are excited,” he said. “They’re embracing the change. They're part of the change.
“They’re getting jobs in the industry that, you know, five years ago they either had to be a farmer, a teacher, a nurse, or very limited options. But now they have the opportunity to work in hotels, in restaurants, in shops, in venues across the destination, and so we're seeing a lot of enthusiasm from the local community, particularly the young Saudi men and women.”
For Alenzi, interacting with tourists is a way of broadening his understanding of the world by being exposed to new cultures for the very first time.
“It’s so nice…” he explained. “You’re going to see a lot of people from a lot of nations, a lot of cultures, a lot of experience.”
“And when you talk with them, you’re going to get experience from them. You're going to maybe meet someone who has a lot of wisdom so you can learn from them and so on.”
If the RCU’s plan is realized, development will continue in AlUla, although Jones is keen to stress that it will not become a mass tourism hub but rather a “boutique cultural heritage destination.”
Nonetheless, he stresses that “we’re not even halfway there yet.”
For Alenzi, it is not only the prospect of exciting job opportunities, but local pride that excites him, as the town that was ignored by the world for so long is finally starting to get the recognition he feels it deserves.
“AlUla is going to be it's going to be one of the famous cities across the world… It’s going to be amazing, the future, it’s going to be amazing.”
Read more:
Traveling to Saudi Arabia: Your guide to visiting the stunning ancient city of AlUla
First hotel in ancient city of Hegra in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla to open Q4 2023