Courtesy Amr AlMadani

Millennia ago, the AlUla region in northwestern Saudi Arabia was a thriving commercial and cultural center, a stop on the trade routes that connected the spices, silks, and other luxuries of Arabia and the East to the customers of the Mediterranean. Evidence of AlUla’s importance is still etched into the sandstone that surrounds this long, narrow strip of lush oasis.

“AlUla has 200,000 years of history—and it’s nearly untouched,” says Amr AlMadani (PLDA 18, 2014).As CEO of the government-funded Royal Commission of AlUla, it is AlMadani’s responsibility to chart a future for the historic region, a plan that will include archeological exploration, ecological conservation, and economic development—all with a commitment to inclusivity. The old city of AlUla may be abandoned, but more than 40,000 people live in the region. “They have to be a part of this project from day one,” AlMadani says.

The key to funding all of those things is tourism, AlMadani says. By 2035, the region hopes to attract 2 million high-spend visitors annually.

Since the project launched in 2017, AlMadani has been focused on building the organization—now 500 people—and building a master plan that will balance the demands of a rapidly growing tourism industry with a commitment to environmental sustainability and inclusive growth. That means both a commitment to preserving the region’s environment and to supporting the local community, through education and job opportunities. “This is a cultural landscape,” AlMadani says. “We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves in development and ruin all this heritage.”

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