AlJadidah: AlUla's new pedestrian-only arts, culture and dining hot spot

The town's first performing arts festival is running until February 22

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  Saudi artist and sand painter Alaa Yehya puts on a performance telling the story of AlUla’s history at Moments Performing Arts Festival taking place until February 22 in AlJadidah. All photos: Experience AlUla

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  Workers preparing a market square with floor painting in AlJadidah.

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  AlJadidah's first performing arts festival is taking place from 5pm to 11pm every day, until February 22.

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  AlJadidah will be a year-round space for art festivities.

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  AlJadidah is the 'new town' in AlUla with five squares, one of them is Muayada Square.

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  Cinema ElHoush, AlUla's first arthouse theatre, is located in the Art Square.

AlJadidah is the recently opened "new" town in Saudi Arabia's AlUla heritage area as a pedestrian-only arts, culture and dining destination near the Old Town.

The walkable area will host a year-round calendar of art attractions, galleries and events, including the ongoing 10-day AlUla Performing Arts Festival.

See photos of the festival in the gallery above.

The festival is on until February 22, with a programme that includes a dance show led by the Italian Dance Company Sanpapie, plus theatre shows, poetry demonstrations, music concerts and acrobatic performances from 5pm to 11pm, every day.

Buskers are performing daily at AlUla Moments Performing Arts Festival until February 22. Photo: Experience AlUla

"It's lovely to see the combination of locals and tourists enjoy the performance," Saudi artist Shaker Kashgari, who is hosting a live calligraphy show throughout the festival, tells The National. "I'm doing a live show which combines different Arabic words or letters with lines and shapes, using colours such as red, blue and green."

Another participating artist is Deya Rambo, who has taken graffiti culture to AlUla, and Saudi artist and sand painter Alaa Yehya, who is putting on a performance that will tell the story of the ancient city's history.

The first Italian documentary photography festival Cortona on the Move is also taking place in the area, with exhibition Past Forward ― Time, Life and Longing, curated by Saudi visual artist Kholood Al-Bakr, featuring the work of 19 artists from around the world, including Saudi photographers.

See photos of AlUla's Old Town:

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  Al Ula's Old Town is open to visitors. All photos: RCU

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  It reopened to the public in March 2021 for the first time in more than three years.

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  Visitors can take a self-guided tour of Old Town or book a storytelling tour inclusive of a 'rawi' tour guide.

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  Three years of restoration works took place in Old Town.

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  The reopening of Old Town attracted tourists from across the kingdom.

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  Old Town boasts a handicraft pavilion.

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  Market and craft stalls are open in Al Ula's Old Town.

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  Open-air eateries in Al Ula's Old Town.

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  Entry to Old Town is free of charge.

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  Arts and crafts along the Incense Road.

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  Visitors can stroll the Incense Road, adjacent to Old Town.

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  An ariel view of the ancient site.

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  Al Ula Old Town in Saudi Arabia.

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  Old Town was an important settlement in the pilgrimage from Damascus to Makkah.

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  Ancient mud-brick houses line the streets of Al Ula's Old Town.

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  The Old Town in Al Ula.

The pedestrian-friendly area is also home to the world’s largest hand-painted carpet lines and adorned with murals. It sits on the edge of AlUla Oasis overlooking AlUla's Old Town.

AlJadidah is centred around five town squares. Muayada Square is the area to find food, as a range of dining experiences, including a local vegan restaurant called Moon Shell, are located there. In the evening, the walkway here comes alive with street food stalls.

Art Square is a hub for art and design galleries, as well as the newly launched Cinema ElHoush, AlUla's first arthouse cinema where film enthusiasts can view a curated selection of independent films from Cannes and Venice film festivals, as well as Saudi and Arabic films.

Qanat Square is where the international and local fashion brands are, while Oasis Square is the intersection between the old and new village, ofering a nail art spa, a barber shop for men, live entertainment with a stage for musicians to perform daily and Italian restaurants such as Circolo and La Pisa Cafe.

The precinct is also filled with art treasures, including an installation by local artist Saeed Gamhawi called My Mother's Rug, which uses projections of rugs on sand "as a symbol of hospitality".

More information is at experiencealula.com