Nestled deep within the vast desert of northwest Arabia, AlUla is known as a cultural oasis and open air living museum with more than 200,000 years of human history. Ashar is one of the project sites selected by the Royal Commission of AlUla (RCU) to develop the county into a world class tourist destination.
The architecture and interior design studio AW² was selected by the RCU in partnership with the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA), to design a luxury tented resort on an untouched site within the Ashar valley. The resort will be located 15km from the Kingdom’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra.
Guided by the Charter Report, Strategic Masterplanning Guidelines for AlUla and the Saudi Vision 2030, AW²’s design integrates and responds to the Kingdom’s future ambitions. The preservation of the natural beauty and rich heritage of the site are at the forefront of the project as well as the understanding of the nation’s longterm touristic, cultural and economic goals for the region.
Accor, under the Banyan Tree brand, will operate the Tented Resort with 47 new high-end tented suites in addition to 35 renovated suites positioned on a neighbouring site, bringing the total number of units up to 82. Designed by AW², the new tented suites will be completed by a luxury spa and several gourmet restaurants. This resort will be an upper-upscale product (high-end 5 star).