Saudi-Italian Heritage Alliance Sets New Standards for Responsible Tourism While Bringing the Rich Histories of AlUla and Pompeii to Life

Published on December 1, 2025

Two of the world’s most celebrated open-air heritage sites, AlUla in north-west Saudi Arabia and Pompeii in southern Italy, have launched a forward-looking partnership aimed at transforming cultural tourism. By combining expertise in heritage preservation, immersive storytelling, and sustainable visitor management, the alliance sets a new standard for responsible and engaging travel experiences.

The collaboration stems from the broader Saudi-Italian Cultural Cooperation Framework, reflecting a shared commitment to international heritage dialogue. Recent workshops and visits between the two sites focused on exchanging knowledge, exploring innovative strategies for conservation, and enhancing visitor experiences, signaling a new model for global cultural tourism.

AlUla: A Living Chronicle of Human Civilization

AlUla is often described as a “living museum of human history,” showcasing a remarkable timeline of human activity spanning more than 200,000 years. Its most renowned landmark, Hegra, was Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, featuring monumental Nabataean tombs carved over two millennia ago. Surrounding areas, including the ancient kingdoms of Dadan, the inscriptions of Jabal Ikmah, and the mudbrick Old Town, offer a layered historical narrative reflecting resilience, continuity, and the evolution of civilization over centuries.

Pompeii, in contrast, captures a single, dramatic historical moment. Buried under volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago, it provides a vivid glimpse into Roman urban life preserved in near-perfect detail. While Pompeii offers a frozen-in-time experience, AlUla tells a story of enduring human habitation and cultural survival. The combination of these two perspectives creates a complementary partnership, where each destination’s approach can inspire innovation and deeper engagement for the other.

Sharing Knowledge and Innovation

During the exchanges, specialists from both AlUla and Pompeii explored modern approaches to heritage management. Discussions included sustainable tourism strategies, visitor flow optimization, immersive interpretation, and the integration of technology into storytelling. The collaboration aims to develop methods that ensure visitor engagement without compromising the integrity and authenticity of these historic sites.

The partnership also emphasizes the use of digital tools, including augmented reality, virtual reconstructions, and interactive exhibitions, to bring history to life. By combining cutting-edge technology with traditional conservation practices, both sites seek to make historical narratives more engaging and accessible for a global audience, ensuring travelers leave with a deeper appreciation for heritage.

Bridging Cultures Through Heritage

Beyond technical cooperation, the partnership highlights heritage’s role as a bridge between cultures. The collaboration demonstrates that cultural tourism can be a platform for learning, dialogue, and mutual understanding. Through shared initiatives, AlUla and Pompeii aim to foster cultural awareness while promoting sustainable visitation practices, creating a global example for heritage sites seeking to balance preservation with tourism.

Expanding Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration

The alliance extends beyond archaeology, encompassing design, craftsmanship, education, and cultural programming. Planned initiatives include international conferences on sustainable heritage management and exhibitions showcasing creative exchanges between Saudi Arabia and Italy. These initiatives are expected to generate innovative tourism products, from multi-destination itineraries to educational and thematic travel experiences that connect Arabian and Mediterranean cultural heritage.

For tourism professionals, the partnership provides a framework for creating enriched travel experiences. By integrating insights from conservation, digital engagement, and sustainable visitor management, tour operators can design innovative packages that appeal to travelers seeking immersive and meaningful cultural experiences.

Elevating the Visitor Experience

For travelers, the collaboration promises a more vivid and dynamic experience of history. Visitors will be able to explore the streets of Pompeii or the tombs of Hegra with enhanced interpretation, storytelling, and immersive tools, offering a deeper understanding of the context, culture, and human narratives embedded in each site.

For the tourism industry, the AlUla-Pompeii partnership serves as a model for cross-border heritage collaboration, demonstrating how innovation, sustainability, and cultural dialogue can coexist to enhance visitor experiences. This alliance signals a new era in cultural tourism, where historical preservation meets modern engagement and international collaboration, creating journeys that inspire, educate, and connect travelers to the story of human civilization.

Through this partnership, both destinations reaffirm that heritage is more than a record of the past—it is a living resource for education, inspiration, and global connection, setting the stage for a future where cultural tourism is both responsible and transformative.