If you’ve come across arts, cultural, and entertainment news coming out of Saudi Arabia, you’ve come across news on AlUla’s various offerings over the past three years. From Winter in Tantora, a highly-anticipated series of musical, sporting, and agricultural events, to Formula E, to the hot air balloon festival, to the music, art, and culinary Azimuth Festival, AlUla is a place where one-of-a-kind events reign. This week, the region has announced that it will be adding yet another unique festival to its roster: AlUla Dates Festival!
We thank all farmers in #AlUla who registered to be part of the #AlUlaDateFestival launching on 2 October. Registration is still open, please contact our call centre on 920025852 or through the link below:https://t.co/kK2UVyD1d9#SaudiVision2030 pic.twitter.com/B07hj9AyFH
— الهيئة الملكية لمحافظة العلا (@RCU_SA) September 10, 2020
Starting on the 2nd of October and running every weekend until the 17th, the AlUla Dates Festival will bring date farmers, buyers, and investors from all corners of the region and beyond to gather in one of the most historic places in Saudi Arabia. According to an official statement by the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), the region is drawing on 2,000 years of growing dates to launch the first in a new series of date festivals. The event has been envisioned as “a continuation of AlUla’s millennia-long status as a cosmopolitan oasis of culture, heritage and food,” and will offer a souk and auction.
The festival will be situated in AlFursan, which is located near the popular landmark, Jebel El Fil (Elephant rock). Those who are interested in participating in the event can register to sell their wares at the market through the RCU website. The commercial auction is set to run in the mornings from 6 am to 9 am, and the souk, which is open to the public, will open every Friday and Saturday from 5 PM until 9 PM. The market will be curated in such a way to allow visitors to experience AlUla’s culture and heritage first-hand, as 10 local families and artisans offer modern and traditional arts, crafts, and food.
