The AlUla Arts Festival is entirely embedded within the region’s famous sites, using its ancient heritage and natural rock formations as the canvas and backdrop for some of the world’s most innovative contemporary art.

While the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra and the rock-cut tombs offer a journey into the ancient Nabataean past, the installations of Desert X AlUla force a dialogue between deep history and the present.

The fifth edition of the AlUla Arts Festival, running from January 16 to February 14, is set to be its most diverse and immersive programme offering a genuine confluence of art, design, music and profound cultural exchange.

The undisputed highlight is the return of Desert X AlUla, the spectacular site-specific land art exhibition that encourages visitors to journey through the terrain to discover bold, large-scale installations by a curated selection of Saudi and international artists.

Beyond the expansive desert installations, the festival’s urban hub — the vibrant AlJadidah Arts District — is where local artisans offer hands-on workshops and demonstrations, reinterpreting traditional crafts like pottery and jewellery-making through a modern design lens.

Design enthusiasts can flock to the Design Space for the AlUla Design Exhibition, a compelling showcase of innovation featuring works from the AlUla Artists Residency and Design Award finalists, all inspired by the region’s heritage and natural resources. Cultural connoisseurs can also look forward to Arduna, an exhibition co-curated with the Centre Pompidou, acting as a pre-opening programme for the destination’s forthcoming Contemporary Art Museum. This exhibition promises over 80 artworks exploring the perennial relationship between humanity and nature.

Completing this month-long cultural odyssey is a dynamic public programme spanning film, music and performance, from art-focused screenings at Cinema AlJadidah to the music hub hosting a medley of Arabic, jazz and fusion performances.