AlUla, Saudi Arabia, Announces Plans for Otherworldly Development

Saudi Arabia has been on a roll developing new and exciting ways to take center stage in the tourism world. The country’s Vision 2030 plan is an ambitious project to set Saudi Arabia up as a global tourist hot spot, and includes state-of-the-art projects around the country, like Sindalah Island (a luxury Red Sea getaway), Trojena (the first outdoor ski destination in the Middle East) and Qiddiya City (an entertainment capital with music, theme parks and Formula 1 Racing). But, one landmark in the works, AlUla Manara, will set up Saudi Arabia to tip the scales in astrotourism.

© Heatherwick Studio

This landmark attraction is set to be one of the most creatively designed buildings in the world. Artist renderings of the structure were recently unveiled, showing plans for a building made from many different-sized conical sections. It was designed by Heatherwick Studio with the intention of creating a space inspired by the geometric spirals of galaxies and the rings of distant planets, all while paying homage to the natural sandstone landscape for which the Saudi desert is known.

AlUla Manara will house exhibition galleries, an interactive planetarium, research facilities, an observation deck and a restaurant with panoramic views. By blending science and discovery with modern technology, otherworldly design and the opportunity to observe the night sky from within the world’s third-largest dark sky park, AlUla Manara will offer families the chance to experience the unobstructed vastness of the night sky in one of the world’s darkest places.