In a first, Saudia Airlines has launched a ‘flying museum.’ Yes, an actual museum up in the sky, floating amid the clouds. On November 4th, passengers on a flight from Riyadh to AlUla became the first lucky bunch of travellers to experience this wonder in the sky. As per an Arab News report, the first-of-its-kind museum was introduced by Royal Commission for AlUla in partnership with Saudia. The museum showcases a collection of replica artifacts excavated by archaeologists in AlUla. If you’re wondering where AlUla is, it is a historically vibrant city located in the Media region of north-western Saudi Arabia. Hegra, Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, is also located here. AlUla used to be the capital city of Lihyanites (Dedanites) in ancient times. Founded in the 6th century BC, it featured on the famous incense route which was a network for the trading of spices, silk, and luxury items via Arabia, Egypt, and India. The culturally rich heritage city with mud-brick and stone houses comes under the Governorate of Ula.

The national flag carrier also launched an In-Flight Entertainment System (IFE) channel, Discover Saudi Arabia. Passengers could watch ’Architects of Ancient Arabia’ on the channel, a documentary which reveals startling discoveries of how AlUla may have been a turning point in the history of human civilization. Archaeologist Dr. Rebecca Foote, Director of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Research, RCU, introduced the documentary and gave more insights on the museum collection.

According to TOI, Khaled Tash, Vice President of Corporate Communication, SAUDIA Group, said “As the national flag carrier and Wings of Vision 2030, it is a privilege to showcase heritage sites and hidden gems of the Kingdom.” Saudi Arabia has entered into various agreements to enhance the infrastructure and project AlUla as an archaeological destination to globetrotters. Since March 2021, the Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz International Airport, constructed in 2011 under the development strategy of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU), has been approved to receive international flights following expansion, which puts this hidden Arabian gem on the global map.

The airline operates 32 weekly roundtrip flights from AlUla to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam which can accommodate over 4.4 thousand seats, as per a statement released by Saudia.

Passengers on Cloud Nine After Visiting World's First 'Museum in Sky' by Saudia Airlines

The world's first flying museum has been launched by Saudi Arabia's national carrier Saudia Airlines.