TIME, the global media organisation based in the USA, officially announced today the winners of its 2024 ‘World’s Greatest Places’ awards, highlighting two of AlUla’s destination offerings as remarkable places to be explored! Vetted by TIME’s editors and correspondents around the world, this exclusive list features 100 extraordinary destinations to explore, stay and visit.
AlUla’s awarded places include:
- Dar Tantora The House Hotel – Just opened in May 2024, Dar Tantora The House Hotel is the first property to be established in the historic AlUla Old Town – the ancient mud-brick houses city dating back to more than 800 years old, which was recognised as one of the Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by UNWTO. Nestled within AlUla’s desert oasis, Dar Tantora stands as an emblem of sustainable luxury. With 30 guest rooms thoughtfully restored from historical mud-brick buildings, this eco-lodge offers guests an immersive blend of traditional Bedouin living and upscale comfort.
- Sharaan Nature Reserve – Covering almost 600 square miles (1500 Square Kilometers), the beautiful Sharaan Nature Reserve is a treasure trove of natural wonders. Central to it is the restoration of AlUla’s sensitive ecosystem, which in turn allows the reintroduction, preservation and protection of endangered animals such as Arabian wolves, gazelles and large-eared red foxes, along with indigenous flora and fauna. Created with the goal for restoring the natural land and wildlife, Sharaan will serve as a safe rewilding hub for critically endangered Arabian Leopards, currently located at an offsite breeding facility.
To compile the ‘World’s Greatest Places’ list, TIME solicited nominations of places –including hotels, cruises, restaurants, attractions, museums, parks, and more– from its international network of correspondents and contributors, with an eye toward those offering new and exciting experiences. The TIME brand is recognised and respected around the world, and this prestigious accolade remains the ultimate symbol and acknowledgment of excellence within the travel sector. The full list of winners can be found here.
“We are elated by the recognitions awarded to our destination’s offerings by TIME in their renowned World’s Greatest Places,” says Rami AlMoallim, Vice President of Destination Management and Marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla, “the exceptional sentiments reflect the excellence and dedication of AlUla’s efforts to preserve and promote its unique cultural heritage through comprehensive and sustainable development initiatives rooted in the community.”
Located in the northwest of Saudi Arabia, AlUla is an oasis city renowned for its diverse natural landscape including mountains, desert and unique geological rock formations, along with significant heritage sites. A beacon for sustainable tourism, AlUla’s commitment to purpose-driven revitalisation, is showcased in their newly launched global brand campaign, “Forever Revitalising,” has transformed the destination into a vibrant hub not only for ancient heritage, culture, art and adventure, but also for responsible tourism.
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About AlUla:
Located 1,100 km from Riyadh, in North-West Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km², includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years to when the Lihyan and Nabataean kingdoms reigned.
The most well-known and recognized site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of 111 well-preserved tombs, many with elaborate facades cut out of the sandstone outcrops surrounding the walled urban settlement.
Current research also suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Roman Empire after the Roman’s conquered the Nabataeans in 106 CE.
In addition to Hegra, AlUla is also home to ancient Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms and considered to be one of the most developed 1st millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula, and Jabal Ikmah, an open-air library of hundreds of inscriptions and writings in many different languages, which has been recently listed on the UNESCO’s memory of the World Register. Also, AlUla Old Town Village, a labyrinth of more than 900 mudbrick homes developed from at least the 12th century, which has been selected as one of the World’s Best Tourism Villages in 2022 by the UNWTO. Additionally, the Old Railway and Hegra Fort, which are key sites in the story and conquests of Lawrence of Arabia.
For more information, please visit: experiencealula.com
