June 2025
The Main Objectives of the trip were:
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Build relationships with key cultural and heritage organisations in AlUla, including RCU, the British Council, heritage professionals, and local architects.
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Gain insight into current conservation projects and identify opportunities for future collaboration, conservation, or adaptive reuse.
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Explore UK–Saudi collaboration to support AlUla’s long-term, sustainable heritage vision through expertise, research, and community-led design.
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Foster knowledge exchange and professional networks by sharing UK conservation approaches and learning from Saudi practices.
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Support capacity building through mentorship, skills development, and greater inclusion—particularly for emerging and female heritage professionals.
The visit included a stop over in Jeddah en route which formed part of a broader continuum of professional relationships established during an earlier visit undertaken in Deniz Beck’s capacity as a RIBA representative. These existing connections provided relevant contextual insight into heritage-led regeneration, contemporary cultural practice and artist-led initiatives operating within historic urban environments in Saudi Arabia, particularly within the Al Balad district.
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Al Balad was visited with discussions focusing on parallels between layered historic urban fabrics in Jeddah and AlUla, including adaptive reuse and community presence. Professional dialogue was strengthened alongside a meeting with ICOMOS-Saudi.
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In AlUla, the team participated in site visits, technical briefings and discussions with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) educators and preservation teams. ​ Key activities included accessing architectural datasets, touring Madrasat Addeera and exploring AlUla Old Town to examine its spatial and material character. ​
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The visit highlighted the potential of AlUla Old Town as a unique setting for community-led cultural engagement, emphasising the importance of shopfronts, alleyways and domestic-commercial spaces as carriers of memory and social history. ​ The team identified opportunities for participatory heritage activities that align conservation objectives with contemporary cultural use. ​
Post-visit follow-ups included proposals for a pilot project, workshop planning and coordination with RCU and Madrasat Addeera. ​
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The visit laid the foundation for a structured pilot phase, with plans for small-scale, site-sensitive interventions to test co-creation, oral history and temporary installations. These efforts aim to inform a long-term program embedded within AlUla’s cultural calendar.
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This first visit established key relationships, provided valuable insights into AlUla Old Town and set the stage for future collaborative initiatives.