Arabia's Petra — Nabataean tombs carved into rose-red desert cliffs
Al-Ula is Saudi Arabia's most spectacular heritage destination — a vast oasis valley in the Hejaz Mountains where Nabataean rock-cut tombs at Hegra (Madain Saleh), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rival Petra in scale and are far less visited. Elephant Rock, the eroded sandstone monolith, and the Maraya concert hall (the world's largest mirrored building) add contemporary spectacle to a landscape that has been inhabited for over 200,000 years.
Al-Ula was the ancient capital of the Dadanite and Lihyanite kingdoms (9th–2nd century BC) before the Nabataeans established Hegra as their second city after Petra. The 111 monumental tombs at Hegra, carved directly into sandstone outcrops with elaborate Nabataean facades, date to the 1st century BC–1st century AD. Saudi Arabia opened Al-Ula to international tourism only in 2018, making it one of the world's newest major heritage destinations.