Flynas to launch direct route between Cairo and AlUla

Saudi Arabia's low-cost airline will begin operating twice weekly flights to and from the historic cities from October

An image of the Unesco Heritage site Hegra at night by Gilles Bensimon. The fashion photographer has captured AlUla in a new book titled 'A Dream of AlUla'. All photos: Gilles Bensimon

The 215-page book celebrates the history of AlUla.

Bensimon gives readers a glimpse into the little-known geological wonder through his photography.

Red sandstone natural formations and Jabal Alfil (Elephant Rock).

The book shows the magnificence of AlUla's landscape from lush green oasis, vast expanses and drifting sand to basalt uplands.

Bensimon is the former international creative director of Elle Magazine.

The photographer has worked with models and celebrities including Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Madonna and Elle Macpherson.

Published by Rizzoli New York, the book features a foreword by French art historian Diana Picasso.

'A Dream of AlUla' is on sale now.

The people of AlUla also feature in the book.

AlUla is home to the Unesco world heritage site, Hegra, where exceptionally preserved tombs of the Nabataean age show elaborate facades cut out of sandstone outcrops.

Located on the ancient Incense Route, AlUla has been described as a living museum with a history that features Lihyanite, Dadanite, Nabataean, and Pre-Islamic times.

Millennia-old inscriptions at AlUla.

Some photos are captured in black in white while others are in colour.

Saudi Arabia's flynas will launch a new direct route between Cairo and the ancient city of AlUla from October 6.

The flights will be operated by the low-cost airline twice weekly, on Saturdays and Thursdays.

AlUla in north-west Saudi Arabia has been undergoing large-scale developments over the past few years. It is home to, among other things, the ancient city Hegra, which was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2008.

The archaeological site is a necropolis containing more than 100 well-preserved tombs cut into the rocks dating back to the first century BC, during the rule of the Nabatean Kingdom.

It also houses a number of other relics dating back to the Dadanite, Roman and old Islamic civilisations.

AlUla is known for its stunning natural spaces, housing an oasis that has been used by nomadic tribes in the area for the past 800 years.

The city was once an important point on the incense trading route, an ancient network that connected Mediterranean ports with cities in the east and south through Egypt and the Levant.

AlUla has been establishing itself not only as a historical destination in recent years, but also a cultural one, with a host of international artists performing as part of festivals such as Winter at Tantora and at the majestic mirrored Maraya Concert Hall, where Andrea Bocelli and Alicia Keys recently performed sold-out gigs.

The building is also home to Michelin-lauded chef Jason Atherton's newest restaurant, Maraya Social. On the rooftop of the futuristic structure, it is open for dinner from Wednesday to Saturday. Its menu takes inspiration from AlUla with produce sourced from local farms, “all served up in Atherton's signature style”.

The city’s airport, which opened in 2011, was approved to receive international flights in March in last year. Flynas launched its first direct international flights to AlUla from Dubai and Kuwait, and added domestic routes from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah.

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