Sandstone canyons and Nabataean tombs
AlUla lies in a desert valley of dramatic sandstone outcrops in north-western Saudi Arabia. Its centrepiece is Hegra, the kingdom's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the Nabataeans, builders of Petra, carved more than a hundred monumental tombs into free-standing rocks. The abandoned mud-brick Old Town, the rock inscriptions of Dadan and Jabal Ikmah, and Elephant Rock are other highlights. The desert here is best explored by 4x4, on foot or by hot-air balloon.