Think ‘Mad Max’, with suspension on each wheel designed to keep us safe as we hurtle across the undulating dunes, clinging on for dear life and ever grateful for our helmets and seatbelts.Ĭuriously, at the furthest, most remote point, our experienced leader leads us on foot, like a willing lost tribe, along trails carved between the rocks, showing us dramatic Instagram-worthy views whilst delivering a memorable history lesson. Wearing strong walking shoes, we are transported deep into the desert, where we team up with other thrill-seekers for an extreme dune buggy experience. These days the ruins of the ancient town and the old Lihyanite settlement lie within the boundaries of the modern Al Ula. These people, whose better known capital Petra is a mere 400 miles north in Jordan, built Madain Saleh, or ‘Hegra’, which became Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It became the capital of the ancient North Arabian Lihyanites before they were subdued about 2,000 years ago by the Nabataeans. Many remains, including bones and shrouds, have been recovered from these graves.Īl-Ula’s origins go back to the 6th century BC, when it was described as a fertile oasis village, situated along the ancient incense, spices and silk routes that linked Arabia, Egypt and India. They are covered in strange symbols, some portraying religious scenes or ancient debating forums, and others showing the hunting of animals like ibex, camels and horses. This is where important people were buried, in tombs carved out of the desert rocks and inscribed with the owners’ identities. It is quite simply the star of the country’s emerging tourism industry - but more about that later.Īt the Hegra site I feel as if I’m sleep walking around the ancient burial sites, such is the ethereal quality of these exquisitely carved archaeological wonders. With its otherworldly landscapes and ancient buildings, Al Ula merges history and nature in an intoxicating way.
‘Al Ula’ is also an ancient village of the same name. I have arrived at Al Ula, an area that covers a region the size of Belgium and is Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is bitter cold in the desert but my group is offered the warmest of welcomes. Mountainous rock formations tower all around us and the complex is illuminated by floodlights. It’s late in the evening and, as our small convoy of huge 4WDs glides effortlessly into the Shaden Resort, it feels like I am on a sci-fi film set.
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