AlUla Framework Plan and Guidelines

AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in North-West Saudi Arabia, lies at the crossroads of ancient civilisations, in spectacular landscapes, with rich biodiversity and history under threat. Sensitive and meticulous planning is required to achieve the delicate balance of preservation, restoration and growth of AlUla's 22,300 km2 area.

In July 2017, The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established to capitalise upon the region's extraordinary cultural, heritage and natural assets, and to transform the County into one of the world's premier destinations for nature, culture, and heritage, welcoming millions of visitors.

The AlUla Framework Plan and Guidelines provide a clear link between the RCU's Vision and Charter for AlUla and comprise a suite of documents that provide a holistic and integrated blueprint for sustainable development. The Framework Plan and Guidelines will drive the direction of growth to 2035 as well as support its delivery and implementation, while also providing measurable biodiversity net gains and protecting extensive areas of precious landscape, to provide a sustainable framework that supports AlUla's transformation into a global destination.

As the landscape architects on the project, we immediately recognised that bold action is necessary to maintain the wonder of this spectacular landscape and agreed with the client and wider design team that commitment to protecting vast areas for nature conservation is essential. Moreover, enhancing, restoring and connecting habitats, and in some places re-introducing species, will be highly important elements of the strategy.

For millennia AlUla has had a rich environment where diverse habitats seamlessly co-existed alongside human activity. However, over the past century this environment has become increasingly at risk by agricultural processes, including overgrazing of camels, persecution of fauna, and growth of urban areas. Habitat loss and fragmentation have resulted in detrimental consequences for local species interactions and biodiversity. Much of the landscape in AlUla has been modified by damaging human activity, leaving only patches of habitats for indigenous species.

In order to restore, protect, conserve, and continually safeguard AlUla's complex and delicate environmental ecosystems ‚ enabling its landscapes to be preserved, for wildlife to thrive, and for species to be restored for the shared benefit of habitats, communities and visitors - the Framework Plan is underpinned by Policies and Strategies that identify how the RCU will restore and safeguard AlUla's precious ecosystems and wildlife. One of the ten organising Design Principles is focussed on this: 'Restoring and sustaining ecosystems and wildlife: AlUla's ecological assets will be restored and safeguarded.'

The highest globally recognised design and sustainability standards have been referenced for this work, including: UN Agenda for Sustainable Development; UNESCO World Heritage, International Council on Monuments and Sites; and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Framework Plan and Guidelines for AlUla provide a robust and exemplary model for sustainable development. It provides a plan for enhancement and connectivity of biodiversity at a grand scale, having tremendous benefits not only in AlUla, but across Saudi Arabia and globally.