The grand season of AlUla Moments festivals, which lasted from December 2021 to March 2022, has come to an end. During this period, a total of 4 festivals took place, united by the slogan “Enjoy every moment with AlUla Moments”. Winter at Tantora returned to Al Ula a year later, and the ancient city was able to surprise guests with a varied program that included AlUla Arts, AlUla Skies and AlUla Wellness festivals. These festivals certainly made the experience of visiting the ancient city even more vivid, thanks to a rich calendar of events, workshops and new activities. They also helped increase the number of tourists visiting the region.
A total of 109,000 tickets were sold during the festival season, and The renowned Maraya Concert Hall hosted 11 performances by world-class stars including Alicia Keys and Lionel Richie.
Representatives of Al-Ula International Airport also note an increase in the number of passengers. This is due both to the increase in the number of flights to Al-Ula from Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh, as well as the launch of international flights from Paris and Dubai.
The organizers of the festival held events that are truly unique in their expressiveness and intent, including Hegra Candlelit Classics, Symphony Under the Stars, the Ikmah Fashion Cavalry show with Dolce & Gabbana, and the Music of Ancient Eras. On the one hand, they gave the audience the opportunity to enjoy the works of art, on the other hand, to fully experience the unique beauty of the region.
Sports fans also did not go unnoticed. As part of the festival season, Al-Ula hosted international competitions. Among them are the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Endurance Cup 2022 and the Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo 2022.
If the previous two events are not the first time held in Al-Ula and have already found their fans, then The Saudi Tour 2022 cycling race and The EcoTrail AlUla 2022 race were held in Al-Ula for the first time, and the routes were laid in such a way that the participants and the fans were able to see the beauty of Al-Ula landscapes.
The AlUla Skies festival, which was held for the first time, amazed the whole world with its colossal and spectacular balloon show. This show even got into the Guinness Book of Records. Many tourists have come to Al-Ula just for this show, to fly in a hot air balloon over the breathtaking landscapes of Al-Ula, as well as admire the hot air balloons hovering over the region. In addition, an immersive drone show was held in Al-Ula – with the help of 2000 devices, the organizers reproduced stories related to the constellations in the night sky.
AlUla Wellness Festival was held for the first time in Al-Ula. The Five Senses Sanctuary, located on the orange trail, became the central venue of the festival. Here, visitors could get acquainted with the culture of the region, take part in wellness master classes led by leading experts from around the world, go shopping, and attend lectures on physical and spiritual well-being.
The highlight of the AlUla Arts Festival was the Desert X AlUla 2022 exhibition. Set in a desert valley, the stunning exhibition included works of art in which artists interpreted the notion of “Sarab”. The palm groves of Mabiti AlUla became the site of an exhibition of works of art made as part of the first AlUla Artist Residency. Reflections on the relationship between man and nature, the local community and outside visitors, were presented at Barzan Living Gardens. The art of narrative photography was showcased at Cortona on the Move AlUla. Finally, What Lies Within delighted art historians and visitors to Maraya with an emotional selection of art from the collection of Saudi art collector Basma Al-Sulaiman.
In addition, new restaurants have appeared in Al-Ula, which could not fail to please gourmets . Among them are the Greek eatery OKTO, Tama at Habitas AlUla, Le Maschou, the vegan Moon Shell, the Italian Circolo and the world famous SALT and SOMEWHERE.
AlUla Moments organizers are not going to stop there. Next year, new events and new experiences await visitors, closely related to the cultural heritage of the region and its unique nature.