Crossing the Saudi desert between giga-projects and forgotten villages

Saudi Arabia Tourism is undergoing one of the world’s most ambitious transformations, where futuristic giga-projects and ancient desert communities together redefine the travel experience.

For decades, Saudi Arabia remained on the margins of international tourism, perceived mainly as an energy and religious power. Today, however, the country is building a new global image based on experience, the aesthetics of the desert landscape and a sophisticated strategy of economic diversification.

The Vision 2030 plan, promoted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aims to reduce dependence on oil by investing heavily in tourism, culture, entertainment, technology and infrastructure. Tourism thus becomes not only an economic sector, but also a geopolitical and identity-building instrument.

In the Saudi desert, this transformation is evident. The immense expanses of sand, once considered marginal territories, are now becoming settings for luxury, wellness, sustainability and architectural experimentation.

And yet, alongside the futuristic architecture, an ancient Arabia survives, made up of mud villages, traditional markets, Bedouin tents and oases that seem suspended outside time. It is precisely this coexistence between hyper-modernity and memory that makes a journey through Saudi Arabia particularly interesting for contemporary tourism.

Observing Saudi Arabia today means witnessing one of the most rapid and ambitious processes of national transformation of the twenty-first century. It is not simply a matter of new infrastructure or investment in tourism, but of the construction of a new identity narrative. The country is seeking to redefine its international role, moving from an economy based almost exclusively on oil to a global cultural, technological and tourism hub. This transition is visible everywhere: in the deserts where futuristic cities are rising, in archaeological sites restored to tell a broader national history, in the opening up to international tourism, in the growing centrality of hospitality and even in the aesthetic language of new Saudi architecture.

For the traveller, this makes the experience particularly intense. One does not visit a “stable” destination or one crystallised in time, but a country that is experimenting with new forms of modernity while simultaneously seeking to preserve traditions, social rituals and cultural heritage. It is a transformation that inevitably generates contradictions, tensions and questions, but for this very reason it is extremely fascinating from an anthropological and tourism perspective. Travelling through Saudi Arabia today therefore means observing a society as it negotiates its own future, seeking a balance between radical innovation, historical memory and the desire for global openness.

From the trade perspective, the strength of contemporary Saudi Arabia lies precisely in its ability to offer two profoundly different but complementary experiences. Giga-projects such as NEOM, Red Sea Global, AMAALA and Qiddiya are particularly suitable for the luxury, MICE, incentive travel, premium wellness and family entertainment segments. Here, the focus is on spectacular infrastructure, high-end hospitality, technological sustainability and the creation of highly curated immersive experiences. This type of offering mainly attracts high-spending travellers from Europe, the GCC and Asia, as well as corporate tourism and international events.

Historical villages, oases and less urbanised regions such as AlUla, Asir or the ancient areas of Najd, on the other hand, appeal to a different audience: cultural travellers, experiential tourism, slow tourism, photography, adventure travel and luxury authenticity. Here, the value lies not in iconic infrastructure, but in contact with cultural heritage, the desert landscape and the social authenticity of the journey. It is a rapidly growing segment, particularly among experienced European travellers seeking less standardised and more narrative experiences.

From an operational perspective, Saudi Arabia has also significantly simplified international accessibility. The tourist eVisa system now allows citizens of many European countries to obtain entry rapidly online, facilitating both individual leisure travel and organised tourism. In aviation, Riyadh and Jeddah are consolidating their role as regional hubs through investments by Saudia and the new airline Riyadh Air, which is expected to further strengthen connections between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. At the same time, strategic airports such as AlUla and Red Sea International Airport have been designed to directly support premium and international tourism in the Kingdom’s new emerging destinations.

The most radical symbol of the Saudi transformation is undoubtedly NEOM, the enormous urban project being developed in the north-western region of the country. Conceived as a city of the future powered by renewable energy, NEOM’s different areas include The Line, Oxagon, Trojena and Sindalah.

The Line probably represents its most iconic image: a linear city 170 kilometres long, composed of two enormous mirrored walls in the desert, designed without cars or traditional roads. The aim is to create a new idea of urbanism based on sustainable mobility, artificial intelligence and quality of life.

But NEOM is not only spectacular architecture. Above all, it is an attempt to redefine the relationship between desert, technology and tourism. Ultra-luxury resorts, yacht marinas, immersive experiences and wellness retreats are transforming the Saudi Red Sea into one of the world’s new premium destinations.

Sindalah, NEOM’s first operational tourism area, was designed to attract high-end international clients, particularly from Europe and the Persian Gulf.

If NEOM represents the future, AlUla instead embodies the cultural and spiritual face of Saudi Arabia.

Located in the north-west of the country, AlUla is an extraordinary region of canyons, monumental rock formations and archaeological sites dating back thousands of years. Here lies Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO site, an ancient Nabataean city often compared with Petra.

Unlike the more futuristic giga-projects, AlUla focuses on contemplative and cultural luxury. Boutique hotels in the desert, astronomical experiences, concerts among the rocks and archaeological itineraries create a tourism model based on slowness and emotional experience.

The desert surrounding AlUla also offers a sense of silence that is increasingly rare in contemporary tourism. It is therefore not surprising that the Kingdom is investing heavily in the destination as an international centre for astronomy and dark-sky tourism.

Here, visitors clearly perceive Saudi Arabia’s attempt to construct a different narrative: not only extreme modernity, but also the recovery of historical memory and the enhancement of cultural heritage.

Far from the spectacular renderings of the mega-projects, however, there is another Saudi Arabia that is much less frequently described.

In the mountainous south of Asir, close to the Yemeni border, small stone and mud villages still preserve a profoundly traditional identity. The decorated houses of Rijal Almaa, a national cultural heritage site, display an architecture completely different from the desert imagery associated with the country.

In central Najd, ancient Bedouin settlements survive where time seems to move more slowly. The oases scattered along the old trade routes restore the historical sense of the Arabian Peninsula as a crossroads of commerce and pilgrimage.

It is precisely here that the most powerful contrast of the new Saudi Arabia emerges: on the one hand, hyper-technological cities worth billions of dollars; on the other, communities still connected to ancestral rhythms.

For many international travellers, this duality now represents the country’s true appeal. They are not merely visiting an emerging destination, but observing in real time a cultural and social transformation of enormous significance.

Vision 2030 arose from a very precise economic need: to reduce dependence on oil and build new sources of national profitability.

Tourism occupies a central role in this strategy. The Saudi government aims to attract more than 150 million visitors by 2030 through unprecedented investment in infrastructure, hospitality, aviation and entertainment.

The strategy develops along several fundamental guidelines:

1. Global Premium Positioning

Saudi Arabia is strongly focused on luxury and ultra-luxury. Exclusive resorts on the Red Sea, wellness retreats, yacht tourism and experiential hospitality are designed to compete with the Maldives, the Emirates and the Seychelles.

2. Cultural Recovery and Heritage Tourism

Destinations such as Diriyah and AlUla enhance Saudi history and traditional Najdi architecture. Diriyah, the historical birthplace of the Saudi dynasty, represents one of the country’s most important cultural projects.

3. Entertainment and Family Tourism

Projects such as Qiddiya focus instead on entertainment, theme parks, sporting events and family tourism.

4. Sustainable and Regenerative Tourism

The Red Sea Project and AMAALA promote a tourism model defined as “regenerative”, with attention to marine biodiversity, renewable energy and environmental protection.

Saudi Arabia is building an extremely diversified offering, but some segments are currently particularly strategic.

Luxury and Ultra-Luxury

This is probably the most developed sector. The Saudi Red Sea is home to exclusive resorts, immersive spas, desert retreats and hospitality of the highest level. The country is clearly aiming to attract international luxury travellers seeking new destinations that are still relatively unexplored.

Leisure and Experiential Tourism

Leisure tourism connected with cultural experiences, concerts, festivals, desert safaris, glamping and wellness is also growing rapidly. The possibility of experiencing the desert in an immersive way represents one of the country’s strongest assets.

Family Tourism

With Qiddiya and the new urban infrastructure, Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in family tourism and multigenerational entertainment.

Adventure Tourism

Hiking, climbing, diving in the Red Sea, desert astronomy and outdoor tourism are becoming increasingly significant segments.

Evolved Religious Tourism

Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina remains fundamental, but the Kingdom is progressively expanding the religious experience towards broader cultural tourism.

The Saudi transformation, however, remains complex and full of contradictions.

On the one hand, there is the ambition to build the most advanced tourism system on the planet; on the other, there is the need to preserve local identities, traditions and fragile landscapes.

Many international observers are questioning the economic and social sustainability of some giga-projects, particularly because of their extraordinary scale and cost. Some projects have already undergone revisions, delays or reductions in scale.

And yet, it is precisely this tension that makes Saudi Arabia one of the most interesting destinations to observe today.

Travelling through the Saudi desert means witnessing a historical transformation that is still under way. The dunes become narrative infrastructure, the silence of the desert enters into dialogue with hyper-technology, while forgotten villages coexist with cities designed for the future.

Ultimately, the true Saudi journey is not only about places. It is about the possibility of observing a country as it rewrites itself.

Saudi Vision 2030 – Diriyah

Saudi Vision 2030 – Red Sea Global

House of Saud – Saudi Giga Projects Explained

Business Insider – NEOM megacity plans

Reuters – Saudi Arabia suspends work on Mukaab megaproject

Riyadh2030.ai – Giga Project Scorecard

Times of India – AMAALA Triple Bay

ArXiv – AlUla astronomical site assessment

By Daniele Di Stefano