Nestled within the Wadi AlQura (or Valley of Villages) is the heart of the region — the Oasis of AlUla. This lush haven in the midst of the windswept Saudi Arabian desert has provided life to AlUla’s residents, weary travellers, flora and fauna for thousands of years. The oasis has made the region a cultural crossroads, the site of ancient kingdoms and a modern-day agricultural epicentre for flavourful fruits, aromatic herbs and perfumed oils. Civilisations have built their kingdoms around the oasis of AlUla for thousands of years — from the ancient city of Dadan, capital of the Dadan and Lihyan kingdoms in first millennium BCE, to Hegra, the southern capital of the Nabataean kingdom dating to the first century BCE, to modern times. All along, the oasis has provided a welcoming place for merchants, pilgrims and other travellers to rest — and a source of agricultural wealth for local communities. Under a canopy of date palm trees, crops flourished in the rich soil, yielding ample harvests of barley, wheat, oat, figs, olives, citrus, herbs and, of course, dates. The date palms not only bore nourishing fruits, they offered materials for shelter, fuel, art and building, a source of both cooling and creative inspiration. For millennia, the AlUla Valley has been adorned with an abundance of plants thanks to the life-giving waters of the oases natural springs and the nourishing shade of the date palms.