Saudi Arabia launches 2026-27 archaeology season in AlUla, Khaybar

By Lina Altawell

ISTANBUL (AA) - Saudi Arabia has launched its 2026-27 Archaeology Season across AlUla and Khaybar, focusing on research, excavation and conservation in one of the most significant archaeological landscapes in the country’s northwest.

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) said in a statement on Monday that the season builds on previous years of archaeological research, excavation, documentation and conservation and is aimed at advancing knowledge of the region’s history while developing Saudi expertise in archaeology and cultural heritage.

According to the state news agency SPA, the program combines fieldwork, specialized studies, digital documentation, conservation, community engagement and capacity building.

The commission said this year’s research will focus on early human presence, ancient Arabian kingdoms and oasis communities, travel and pilgrimage routes, environmental history and water management, inscriptions and written heritage, material culture and ways of life.

At Hegra in AlUla, researchers will study the ancient settlement center, including plant and animal remains and archaeological finds, to provide greater insight into life at the site across different historical periods.

In Dadan, the second phase of the Dadan Archaeological Project will build on a previous five-year project, focusing on funerary and residential areas to better understand the development of one of AlUla’s major ancient centers, according to the commission.

Research in Khaybar will examine the relationship between people and the oasis across different periods, including the Neolithic era and Islamic periods, as well as sedimentary records, ancient environments and natural resources that influenced human settlement and cultural change, it added.

The commission also said that studies in southern AlUla will examine historic pilgrimage and trade routes, including forts, railway stations and other archaeological remains linked to travel networks that connected the area with surrounding regions.

Written heritage is another major component of the program. More than 25,000 inscriptions have been documented in AlUla, providing an important record of northwestern Saudi Arabia’s history, languages and cultural interactions, it said.

Specialized studies will also examine animal remains, ceramics, water systems, oasis water management and material culture to shed light on everyday life in past societies.

Saudi university students will take part in fieldwork, laboratory analysis, specialized studies and digital documentation under the supervision of Saudi and international experts.

The program also includes community activities linking archaeological research with local knowledge through museum and laboratory experiences and visits to archaeological sites.

The commission said the initiative forms part of its broader efforts to preserve AlUla’s cultural heritage and strengthen AlUla and Khaybar as centers for archaeological research, cultural exchange and heritage-led development, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.