DUBAI: Visitors attending the seventh edition of Dubai Design Week (DDW), currently underway in Dubai Design District, are invited on a journey across the Saudi Arabian heritage site of AlUla via an immersive showcase, AlUla Design, coordinated by the Royal Commission of AlUla (RCU).

The design exhibition serves to highlight the diversity of projects that are shaping the site in northwest Saudi Arabia, with Pritzker-prize-winning French architect Jean Nouvel giving a virtual talk as part of the expansive program.

Nouvel was recently tapped to bring to life the extraordinary Sharaan Nature Resort, a postcard-worthy resort and residence that will be carved and sculpted from the rocks of AlUla, Nabataean style, deep in the protected Sharaan Nature Reserve.

The concept was first announced in 2019.

Set to be completed by 2024, the development will include 40 guest suites and three villas. Meanwhile, a retreat summit center nearby will feature 14 private pavilions.

“AlUla is sacred. It holds great significance, filled with unique sites for exploration and discovery, and is therefore deserving of innovation and respectful design to enhance the well-being of the local community and elevate its original authenticity,” said Nouvel in a released statement.

The talk, entitled “Shaaran, AlUla: A Journey Through Time” will take place on Nov. 12, with the award-winning architect in conversation with Samantha Cotterell, the Royal Commission for AlUla’s executive director of design.

Additionally, “AlUla, A Cultural Landscape” is a second panel moderated by artistic programming director of RCU, Sumantro Ghose, that will explore how architecture and art can exist in harmony with the natural landscapes of the desert.

Visitors to DDW can also visit RCU’s specially designed exhibition designed by Gio Forma and Black Engineering inspired by the extraordinary rock formations in AlUla’s desert and mountain landscapes. 

The exhibition features concepts and designs by world-leading architects and designers.