The sleek elegance of our resort contrasted sharply with the sand and grit of the ruins surrounding Al Ula. We spent two more days in the area, visiting not only the Al Ula ruins, but those of Madain Saleh and Wadi al Disah.
We drove through picturesque Old Town, with its shops, and into the areas with ruins.
One highlight of the day's explorations was Elephant Rock.
We had interesting Arab drivers and local guides.
This was jeep country, as we drove along pot-holed roads and through long grasses to archeological treasures.
Along the way, there were some picturesque stops, such as with this herd of camels.
Saudi Arabia has adopted a grad 2030 plan, by which it hopes to develop a strong tourist industry and be self-sufficient in various areas, including feeding its people. We visited a goat and vegetable farm, which was attempting to reach that latter goal. The farmer explained how he was using new drip irrigation techniques funded by the government. His fields were neatly segmented by type of vegetable, into areas for leeks, eggplant, tomatoes, corn and others It was a beautiful, lush farm. Our local guide told us that Al Ula has riches of water, which makes it a great place for farming It sends vegetables throughout Saudi Arabia.
The goats on the farm were adorable. They poked their heads through their fences and gobbled the vegetable greens we fed them.
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