Saudi Arabia's AlUla Desert Oasis Transforms into a Major Art Destination

Saudi Arabia is aggressively pursuing its Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy away from fossil fuels, with a focus on cultural tourism. The ancient oasis of AlUla, home to the UNESCO-listed Nabatean site of Hegra with over 100 monumental rock-cut tombs, is being developed into a major arts hub. The AlUla Arts Festival, now in its second edition in 2023 under the theme 'Living in Colour,' features a Warhol exhibition titled 'Fame' at Maraya, the world's largest mirrored building designed by Italian studios Gio Forma and Black Engineering. The show, curated by Patrick Moore of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, runs until May 16, 2023, and includes the 'Silver Clouds' installation. The festival also includes public art, craft school tours, and artist residencies. A major land art project, Wadi Al Fann (Valley of the Arts), is underway under the direction of former Whitechapel Gallery director Iwona Blazwick, commissioning permanent installations from artists Agnes Denes, James Turrell, Michael Heizer, Manal AlDowayan, and Ahmed Mater, with a visitor center and tours expected by 2024. The region is also seeing luxury resort development and the arrival of international museum brands like the Pompidou, raising concerns about theme-parkification.