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Saudi Arabia’s AlUla, one of the oldest cities in the Arabian Peninsula and home to UNESCO world Heritage site Hegra, is set to witness a series of events this weekend under the event umbrella “AlUla Moments.”

“AlUla Moments is the festival that we have in AlUla for this season, it started with Winter at Tantora which ends this weekend, we have the performance by Alicia Keys, and then Desert Polo and the opening of the Desert X art exhibit in the desert and the market exhibit in Maraya called ‘What Lies Within,’” Chief Destination Management and marketing Officer of the Royal Commission of AlUla Phillip Jones said in an interview with Al Arabiya English.

The inaugural festival dedicated to arts, AlUla Arts, will take place on February 11, the official Saudi Press agency reported on Wednesday, with the public opening of Desert X AlUla 2022 and ‘What Lies Within’ as well as a special one-night performance by international superstar Alicia Keys.

Four new distinct festivals will be introduced this year, including Winter at Tantora, offering an exciting mix of music, cultural and equestrian events and the second edition of the Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo, set to take place on February 11 and 12.

“It’s the first of our four festivals taking place this season. There was Winter at Tantora, AlUla Arts, AlUla Skies and AlUla Wellness [which will take place] at the end of March so it’s a big season with major productions and lots of major activations and some global artists who will be performing at Maraya, the largest mirrored building in the world,” Jones added.

Desert X AlUla Taking place from Feb 11 to March 31, this year’s Desert X AlUla is set to feature contemporary artworks by 15 Saudi and international artists against the backdrop of AlUla’s extraordinary desert landscape.

“This year we have 15 pieces of work that will be showcased under the theme of ‘Mirage.’ These will include a desert waterfall and amazing artefacts that will be recreated from an artistic perspective,” Jones explained.

“Desert X AlUla is a partnership with Desert X in Palm Springs [in the US], they rotate each year by holding the event at AlUla one year and one year in Palm Springs,” Jones explained.

The exhibition explores ideas of mirage and oasis, both intrinsic to desert culture and history.

The artists who have been invited to showcase their work at the exhibit addressed dreams, fiction, illusion and myth in their artwork.

“It’s truly going to be a stunning exhibit and one that I highly recommend people visit,” Jones added.

Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo

A weekend-long Polo Tournament in the desert, Richard Mille AlUla Desert Polo, will feature four teams, welcoming Adolfo Cambiaso and La Dolfina Saudi Polo Team.

The unique event, set to take place on February 11 and 12, has already been sold out.

‘What Lies within’

An art exhibition that will be displayed at the award-winning Maraya venue from February 11 to March 20, will bring together artwork by Saudi artists based in Saudi Arabia and abroad from the past 20 years.

Saudi patron and art collector Basma al-Sulaiman will share her artwork collection by 17 different artists, curated by artist Lulwah al-Homoud.

The artwork will showcase Saudi cultural heritage, reflecting the Kingdom’s public response to art and will feature pieces on paper, paintings, photography, sculptures and art installations.

Eco-trail AlUla 2022 The weekend-long event will take place on March 18 and 19 and will include international athletes, running enthusiasts and children.