Hegra (Mada'in Salih)
An ancient Nabataean city and Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, with over a hundred tombs carved into sandstone outcrops in the desert. Guided tours are the main way to visit.
AlUla
Hegra's Nabataean tombs, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO site, lie in this desert valley, along with distinctive rock formations.
Attractive locations
Qasr al-Farid
A lone tomb carved into a huge, isolated sandstone block in Hegra, left unfinished by the Nabataeans. Its name means the Lonely Castle, and it stands out against the open desert.
Elephant Rock (Jabal AlFil)
A giant sandstone formation whose shape recalls an elephant with a raised trunk. It is a popular stop at sunset, with picnic areas and good views.
AlUla Old Town
A maze of mud-brick houses and narrow lanes on a hillside, occupied for centuries and now partly restored. Cafes and shops have appeared among the historic walls.
Jabal Ikmah
A rock-walled canyon covered in ancient inscriptions in several languages and scripts, often described as an open-air library. Guided visits explain what the writing reveals about early trade routes.
Lion Tombs of Dadan
Rock-cut tombs high in a sandstone cliff near the ancient city of Dadan, with carved lion figures beside the entrances. Dadan was a major trading kingdom in northwest Arabia.
Airports
Al-Ula International Airport ULH
It is about 24 km in a straight line from AlUla.
Red Sea International Airport RSI
It is about 137 km in a straight line from AlUla.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Saudi Arabia page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan13.0 °C6 mm
- Feb15.6 °C1 mm
- Mar19.6 °C3 mm
- Apr24.0 °C2 mm
- May28.7 °C1 mm
- Jun31.9 °C0 mm
- Jul33.1 °C0 mm
- Aug33.9 °C0 mm
- Sep31.6 °C0 mm
- Oct27.0 °C1 mm
- Nov20.0 °C5 mm
- Dec15.1 °C4 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep. Wettest months: Jan, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 47% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
culture
AlUla winter season (Winter at Tantora)
Concerts and festivals take place, and the weather is at its best for visiting Hegra.
culture
AlUla winter season (Winter at Tantora)
Concerts and festivals take place, and the weather is at its best for visiting Hegra.
Who can help
Emergency and help
911 is the unified emergency number in most regions. Police 999. Ambulance 997. Civil defence / fire 998.
local government
Ministry of Health Call Center 937
Helps with: The health ministry's call center, listed for medical consultations and receiving reports from inside the Kingdom, 24/7. A separate number is listed for calls from outside the Kingdom.
Who qualifies: Callers inside Saudi Arabia needing medical consultation; the page does not say which languages are offered.
Phone: 937
Email: 937@moh.gov.sa
local government
Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Guests Care
Helps with: The ministry that serves pilgrims and visitors for Hajj and Umrah. Its contact page lists phone lines marked 24/7, an email address and several Guests Care Centers in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah.
Who qualifies: Pilgrims and visitors served by the ministry; the page sets no further conditions.
Phone: +966 920002814
Email: Care@haj.gov.sa
local government
Emergency number 911 (police, ambulance and fire)
Helps with: Reaches police, ambulance and fire services. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 911
local government
Emergency number 112 for phones without a Saudi SIM
Helps with: Emergency number for callers without a Saudi SIM card. UK government travel advice says to call 112 in that case.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 112
ngo
Saudi Red Crescent Authority
Helps with: The contact page lists 997 as the ambulance number and a beneficiary services call centre. It also offers first aid training through its Ambassador of Life programme.
Who qualifies: The page does not say who can use it. It gives a public contact form and the phone numbers listed.
Phone: 00966112805555
Email: info@srca.org.sa
Address: PO Box 11129, Riyadh