By Svent Salha

Where dreams and reality merg.

Innovation is one of life’s many spices, but even the innovative need time to unwind and have a laugh or two; this is where AlUla’s many activities and events come to mind.

The AlUla Moments is the banner under which four monumental festivals will be held: Winter at Tantora, AlUla Skies, AlUla Arts, and AlUla’s Wellness Festival.

From Camel trekking in Ashar, concerts in Maraya, gastronomic experiences in the plethora of restaurants, and immersive experiences in Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, AlUla seems to have it all.

But wait… There’s more!

Starting the festivities with a bang is the Tantora Celebrations in the Old Town from December 21-25. This will commence
the start of the Winter season with an enchanting light and sound show.

From December 24-31, at the UNESCO World Heritage of Hegra, an enticing new event, Hegra Candlelit Classics, will set a captivating atmosphere by illuminating the 2000-year-old Nabatean tombs with hundreds of candles. This, coupled with musical performances from adept South African Pianist Stefan Lombard and his international musicians performing classical, contemporary, and Arabic music. This will include violinist David Best, Cellist Dorette Roos, and Oud player Simon Stengel.

Furthermore, the festival will offer a myriad of enthralling experiences at the heritage site. This includes Path of Poets in the Cultural oasis and The Traveller Ibn Battuta in the old town.

Happening on two successive weekends in January, AlUla Citrus Festival will celebrate the master crafts of what AlUla is famous for. It will include market stalls, music, and a chance for local farmers to showcase their produce.

Cinema ElHoush, in the Aljadid district, will include films recently shown at the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals.
The cinema will operate on Tuesday through Saturday, and show two international movies per evening.

The AlUla Desert Polo event will happen on February 11th and 12th.  The Royal Commission for AlUla, supported by the Saudi Polo Federation, is ecstatic to host the event again, the first time being in January of 2020.

From the masters of Milan to the artisans of Paris and now in Hegra for the first time, international high fashion is making its way into Saudi Arabia. Hegra Cavalry Fashion Show, taking place on January 27th, 2022, will show off new haute couture modern-day style amongst ancient ruins.

One of the key features of the AlUla Moments is the concert series with an enticing amalgam of regional Arabic artists, and new international names will grace us with a great music program. Such names like Andrea Bocelli, returning to perform once again. With Improvisational composer and singer Abdulrahman Mohammad. The Egyptian composer and pianist Omar Khairat, the Lebanese soprano, and actress Magida El Roumi. All the concerts will be held at the Maraya

The Winter festival kicks off with a candlelit symphonic concert at Hegra from December 21st till February 12th and many more events onwards. Please visit the experience AlUla website for more information.