Al Ula from a new perspective: Saudia launches Museum in the Sky flight

Passengers can enjoy replica artefacts, a new documentary and a talk by the site's director of archaeology

Saudia and Al Ula have teamed up to offer a special flight celebrating the historic site. Photos: Al Ula

Saudia Airlines is offering passengers the opportunity to see Al Ula from a new perspective with its Museum in the Sky flight.

Highlighting Al Ula’s significance as a living museum, with only a fraction of Saudi Arabia's archaeological sites having been uncovered, the flight offers an in-depth look at the remarkable location.

The flight will travel from Riyadh to Al Ula on November 4. Onboard will be a replica collection of artefacts discovered in Al Ula during excavations. The airline will also use the opportunity to launch its new in-flight entertainment system, Discover Saudi, which features a full-length Discovery Channel documentary called Architects of Ancient Arabia. Produced by PowderHouse, the film illustrates how some of human civilisation’s first building blocks were set in place in Al Ula.

An introduction to the documentary will be provided by Rebecca Foote, director of archaeology and cultural heritage research at The Royal Commission for Al Ula (RCU), who also appears in the film. She will provide in-person insight into the artefacts on show onboard the plane and passengers will be able to answer questions.

“There is an extraordinary volume of work ongoing in Al Ula by both local and international archaeological teams, and yet we are only just beginning to understand the complexity of Al Ula’s past,” says Foote. “Al Ula is a true hidden gem in the Arabian Peninsula, and we are slowly revealing its secrets. I am looking forward to sharing more about our work to the passengers onboard Saudia’s Museum in the Sky.”

Guests on the flight will also be able to book some of the first tickets for the new Hegra After Dark experience. This new evening event in the World Heritage Site encourages visitors to enjoy the silence and splendour of the area after dark, with light refreshments served in a candlelit setting, a theatre performance of Queen Shuqailath and a spot of stargazing.

“Museum in the Sky is providing a true connection back to Al Ula as a living museum and the significance of the archaeological work we do in Al Ula, which we believe is the biggest archaeological programme in the world right now,” says Phillip Jones, chief destination management and marketing officer at RCU.

“We are honoured to work with Saudia and to welcome these passengers and all those who are planning visits over the next few months to discover more of Al Ula’s living history.”