Saudi Arabia’s desert oasis
Located 1,100km from Riyadh in north-west Saudi Arabia, AlUla was once a vital crossroads along the famous incense-trading routes running from southern Arabia, north into Egypt, and beyond. AlUla was also capital of the ancient kingdoms of Dadan and Lihyan, which controlled the caravan trade. Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the principal southern city of the Nabataean kingdom, famed for its spectacular monumental tombs. Today, Old Town AlUla is an abandoned labyrinth of streets tightly packed to create a defensive wall, and built over an ancient settlement. I was recently there to cover the AlUla Skies Festival for the Vancouver Sun and Postmedia Network.
