The fifth AlUla Arts Festival has opened in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, running until February 14. The festival features land art, workshops, dance, and musical performances set against the ancient oasis landscape. Highlights include the return of Desert X AlUla with 11 site-specific installations by local and international artists, curated under the theme 'Space Without Measure' inspired by Kahlil Gibran. The exhibition 'Arduna' marks the pre-opening of the upcoming Contemporary Art Museum of AlUla, a collaboration with Centre Pompidou. The AlJadidah Arts District also hosts numerous initiatives, including photography exhibitions at Villa Hegra and concerts by the AlUla Music Hub.
The festival matters because it reflects Saudi Arabia's ambitious cultural development strategy, blending local community engagement with global artistic reach. With visitor numbers growing from 19,000 in 2022 to over 70,000 in 2025, AlUla is positioning itself as a major international arts destination. The development of three key cultural assets—AlJadidah Arts District, Wadi AlFann, and the Contemporary Art Museum of AlUla—signals a long-term investment in art infrastructure that aims to reshape the region's cultural landscape and foster dialogue between local traditions and contemporary art.