Desert X AlUla 2026: Launch of the fourth edition of the Natural Art Exhibition
The Desert X AlUla 2026 event officially opened its doors to visitors today, marking the launch of its fourth edition and further cementing AlUla's position as a global destination for art and natural heritage. The opening saw an influx of art enthusiasts and tourists from around the world eager to discover an exceptional collection of monumental artworks designed to reflect the natural landscape. These included ground art installations, sculptures, and creative installations that harmonized beautifully with AlUla's unique rock formations and golden sands.
An artistic experience in the heart of the desert
This edition of the exhibition, organized by AlUla Arts in collaboration with Desert X International, features the work of 11 pioneering artists from various artistic disciplines. The exhibited works are distinguished by their inspiration drawn from the profound and complex relationship between humanity and AlUla's unique natural environment, creating a visual and intellectual dialogue between the region's geological heritage and contemporary artistic visions.
The list of participating artists in this edition includes such illustrious names as: Sarah Abdo, Mohammed Al-Faraj, Mohammed Al-Saleem, Tarek Atoui, Bahreini Dench, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pones, Agnes Denis, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Basma Flemban, Viba Galhotra, and Hector Zamora. Each of them presents a unique vision that interacts with the valley's topography and rich history.
Al-Ula: A living museum and a meeting point of civilizations
The Desert X AlUla exhibition is more than just a fleeting artistic event; it is rooted in a profound historical and geographical context. AlUla, home to Hegra (the first Saudi site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List), has long been a crossroads of ancient trade routes and a cradle of successive civilizations, including the Nabataeans and Lihyanites. These contemporary art events revive this historical role, blending the essence of history with the spirit of modernity, thus reinforcing the concept of an open-air “living museum” championed by the Royal Commission for AlUla.
Strategic dimensions and future vision
The exhibition is a highlight of the fifth edition of the AlUla Arts Festival 2026 and holds strategic importance as part of the preparatory program for the highly anticipated “Art Valley” project. Art Valley is envisioned as a permanent, world-class cultural destination dedicated to monumental artworks that interact with nature, reflecting Saudi Arabia’s commitment, under Vision 2030, to diversifying the economy, boosting cultural tourism, and establishing AlUla as a global hub for creativity and cultural exchange.
Visit details and technical supervision
The X Desert AlUla 2026 events will continue from January 16 to February 28, 2026, and are under the joint curatorial supervision of Wajdan Reza and Zoe Wheatley, who worked on formulating the artistic vision for the exhibition, with the return of Nevil Wakefield and Raneem Farsi as artistic directors for this edition, to ensure an experience worthy of global aspirations.
