Al-Ula, which has become one of the tourist destinations in Saudi Arabia since it opened in 2019, holds many mysteries. Archaeologists conducted excavations at the site to find the forgotten kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Amidst the arid desert and Al Ula mountains in northwestern Saudi Arabia, archaeologists are working to excavate the long-forgotten remains of the ancient kingdoms of Dadan and Lihyan.
This 2,000 year old city is known for the presence of the magnificent tomb of Madain Saleh. A similar city Al-Ula was also built by pre-Islamic Arabs in Petra, Jordan.
As quoted by Reuters, a team of French and Saudi Arabian archaeologists are currently focusing on excavating five nearby sites related to the Dadanite and Lihyanite civilizations, important regional powers that flourished 2,000 years ago.
"This is a project that really tries to unlock the mystery of (this) civilization," said Abdulrahman Al-Sohaibani, who is leading the Dadan archaeological mission.
The kingdom of Dadan is mentioned in the Old Testament, and the Lihyanite kingdom was one of the largest of its time. This kingdom stretched from Medina in the south to Aqaba in the north of Jordan.
Archaeological excavations at the Al Ula site. Photo: Reuters
Around 900 years to 100 AD, these kingdoms controlled important trade routes, but very little is known about them. The team of archaeologists hope to learn more about religious rituals, social life, and the economy of the people at that time.
Jerome Rohmer, a researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research, said previous excavations were limited to areas of the main nature reserve.
"We just wanted to have an overall picture of the chronology of the site, the layout of the site, its material culture and its economy. It's a comprehensive project where we're basically trying to answer all these questions," he said.
In line with the mission of the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman to change the economy and society of Saudi Arabia, Al-Ula has now become famous. The kingdom relies on tourism as it tries to open up to the world and diversify its sources of economic income gradually shifting away from oil exports.
And the construction of Al-Ula, is part of efforts to preserve pre-Islamic heritage sites to attract non-Muslim tourists and strengthen their national identity.
