Saudi Arabia

AlUla extends through a valley enclosed by sandstone mountains, eroded formations and bands of vegetation revealing the presence of water. The contrast between rock, sand and palms explains why this territory was occupied for thousands of years. The oasis supported cultivation, supplied caravans and sustained communities connecting southern Arabia with the Mediterranean, Mesopotamia and the Red Sea.

Jeddah extends along the Red Sea as a port city shaped by arrivals, departures and routes of exchange. For centuries it served as Mecca’s principal maritime gateway, drawing pilgrims, merchants, sailors and families from Africa, Asia and other parts of the Islamic world. The contemporary city has expanded through broad roads, residential districts, shopping centres and new coastal projects, but its historic identity remains concentrated in Al-Balad, where coral and timber architecture preserves the memory of a cosmopolitan port.

Mecca occupies a valley enclosed by dry mountains in western Saudi Arabia. Its urban landscape is dominated by the Grand Mosque, the Kaaba and a system of roads, tunnels, hotels, towers and ritual spaces developed to receive millions of pilgrims. The contemporary city has a monumental scale, yet its meaning grows from a much older religious tradition that organises the direction of prayer, the Hajj calendar and the shared memory of Muslim communities around the world.

Medina occupies an oasis surrounded by mountains and volcanic fields in western Saudi Arabia. Its importance begins with the Hijra, the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca and the formation of the first Muslim community. Since then, the city has become a place of memory, prayer, study and welcome for generations of pilgrims.

Riyadh spreads across the Najd plateau through vast distances, broad avenues, recent neighbourhoods and a skyline in constant transformation. The Saudi capital grew at extraordinary speed during the twentieth century, yet beneath its contemporary scale remains the history of a settlement tied to wells, palms, inland routes and mud-brick architecture.