Transforming a living landscape through story, strategy and collaboration

Since 2019, Barker Langham has partnered with the Royal Commission for AlUla across a remarkable range of projects – from national strategy to local storytelling. AlUla is unlike anywhere else: a landscape of extraordinary natural beauty, layered histories, and living culture. Our work spans scales and disciplines, helping shape AlUla’s cultural future through strategy, interpretation, consultation and creative activation.

We’ve worked in close collaboration with communities, creatives and international experts to define what makes AlUla distinct – and how best to share that with the world. Whether advising on the creative industries roadmap, curating an immersive drone show under desert skies, or designing visitor journeys through the old town, each project has helped to deepen, amplify and expand AlUla’s cultural offer.

From the outset, AlUla’s cultural vision has been about more than heritage – it’s about becoming a place where new work is made, not just shown. We helped shape that ambition, working with the Royal Commission for AlUla to articulate a bold identity as a centre of creative production. Through deep consultation with local and international stakeholders, we clarified what sets AlUla apart and how it could support creativity that draws strength from its context, speaks to its people, and connects globally.

To realise AlUla’s vision as a centre of creative production, we developed a practical roadmap to support the growth of its creative industries. Through detailed asset mapping, data analysis and wide-reaching consultation, we identified the needs of local practitioners and defined a series of implementable initiatives. The roadmap sets out pathways for skills development, infrastructure, policy and investment, designed to make AlUla a place where creative talent can thrive.

AlUla’s plan to establish a new desert art destination – Wadi AlFann – sparked global curiosity. We supported the project team by refining its core proposition and communication strategy, helping articulate a compelling vision grounded in AlUla’s landscape and legacy. Our work included defining the project’s values and curatorial narratives, conducting market and stakeholder research, and developing detailed visitor profiles. The result was a strategic framework to guide storytelling, audience engagement and long-term positioning as Wadi AlFann takes shape.

We developed a new conservation framework for AlUla’s Old Town and surrounding Summer Farms, an approach embedded in dynamic conservation where heritage is treated as a living system rather than a static monument. Informed by international charters including UNESCO guidance, this framework shaped a masterplan that considered not just tourism, but business, learning, and community life. Drawing on global standards and local realities, we synthesised strategy, story, and emotion into a cohesive direction for the site’s evolution. The resulting approach imagined a living heritage destination – vibrant, human-scale, and inclusive – where cultural activity and daily life are woven into the wider landscape of AlUla.

Across AlUla, Barker Langham helped shape a vibrant calendar of events and experiences that animated the landscape and celebrated its heritage. These ranged from contemporary performance and site-specific installations to narrative-led experiences rooted in place. In Constellations, international and local artists responded to AlUla’s night skies through light, sound and movement. In Tayma and Khaybar, we developed temporary exhibitions and interpretation to foreground the histories of these important oases. Behind each moment was a careful strategy, connecting audiences to the stories of the region in ways that were engaging, respectful and alive.

From shaping long-term strategy to delivering one-of-a-kind experiences, our work in AlUla has left a meaningful and lasting imprint. Across every project, we’ve aligned cultural ambition with practical delivery, grounding bold ideas in deep research, operational viability, and a close connection to place.

The influence of this work is visible today in AlUla’s evolving identity as a cultural destination: a place that honours its deep histories, supports its creative communities, and welcomes the world with confidence and care. It has been a privilege to contribute to this transformation, helping to set a course for a cultural future that is distinctive, sustainable, and shaped in close dialogue with its communities.