Tourism

AlUla expects record tourism in 2026 after marketing push

May 1, 2025, 7:43 AM

AlUla, Saudi Arabia. The destination, rich in history and nature, saw 286,000 visitors in 2024 and with a renewed international focus is aiming for 1.2 million annual visitors by 2030

International marketing campaign
Hotel and transport infrastructure
Guest yield focus

AlUla, one of Saudi Arabia’s flagship tourism projects, is expecting a record year for visits in 2026, following an international marketing campaign targeting overseas travellers who typically stay longer and generate more yield.

The oasis resort in Medina province received 286,000 visitors last year, up by a fifth on 2023. Of those, 72 percent were Saudi nationals with just 28 percent coming from abroad and other GCC markets.

“That number is growing,” said Fabien Toscano, CEO of AlUla Development Company (ADC). “People are coming from further and further away.”

Since being set up in 2020, ADC, which is owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, now operates four hotels – Cloud7 Residence, Habitas, Caravan, and Banyan Tree – as well as the Maraya Concert Hall, which opened in 2019. By 2030, the Royal Commission for AlUla hopes to see 1.2 million visitors a year across hotels and independent accommodation in the city of AlUla itself.

This year Hyatt Place AlUla Hotel will be completed with 215 keys, while Marriott plans to open a branch from its Autograph collection in 2027. The target for the resort as a whole is 380,000 visitors.

AlUla was a centre of the pre-Islamic Nabataean kingdom which was based in Jordan’s Petra and is home to dramatic rock formations and carvings.

A resort for the super-rich, named Sharaan, including 38 suites “carved into sandstone mountains” is to be chiselled into the face of its rock formations and mountains.

“It’s just a journey to continue to grow the number of offerings, grow the numbers of price points,” said Tosacano. “And we have people coming from everywhere.”

The Royal Commission has overseen the reintroduction of various plants and 1,500 animals native to the region. Ultimately, it hopes to reintroduce the Arabian Leopard; breeding programmes are currently underway in Taif. Visitors to AlUla can also take tours around more than 110 Nabataen tombs.

ADC is pushing to increase occupancy rates during the summer months with a particular focus on foreign guests. Visitors from overseas remain in the minority but the company says it has seen an increase following an international marketing campaign across 10 countries, including the UK, Germany, the US, China, India and Australia, which wrapped up last year.

“What we like about the internationals is they have a longer length of stay and therefore a better yield,” said Melanie de Souza, marketing director for the Royal Commission of AlUla.

Saudi Arabia has made tourism a focus of its Vision 2030 programme. The kingdom has increased its annual tourism target from 100 million to 150 million by 2030, with 70 million coming from overseas.

AlUla itself is investing in air transport links. Following refurbishment, capacity for AlUla Airport will increase from 400,000 a year to 600,000, with a target of 6 million by 2030. It currently runs daily flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, twice-weekly flights to Doha and three flights a week to Dubai.

The airport is working to increase these connections but De Souza said there is a limit of how many guests they will attract while maintaining the ethos of the resort. “We are not about mass tourism,” she said.