Land of Stories
We explore the ancient landscapes of The Red Sea destination in our latest episode with Warner Bros. Discovery, uncovering stories carved into stone and carried through generations.
Through the work of archaeologists and environmental specialists, we see how Red Sea Global (RSG) is preserving Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage, protecting archaeological sites while thoughtfully integrating them into meaningful guest experiences.
Archaeological discoveries at The Red Sea have revealed hundreds of sites.
Archaeological discoveries at The Red Sea have revealed hundreds of sites.
Ruba Farkh uses surveying equipment to study the terrain, and record her observations.
Ruba Farkh uses surveying equipment to study the terrain, and record her observations.
Faisal Alhomoud surveys the pathway from a higher vantage point overlooking the valley.
Faisal Alhomoud surveys the pathway from a higher vantage point overlooking the valley.
The Red Sea region is a land shaped by centuries of human passage. Long before modern borders, this part of Saudi Arabia served as a gateway, linking cultures through trade routes that ran along the coast and deep into the interior.
“In the past, people believed there was nothing in Arabia,” says Dr. Ali Alghabban, Archaeologist and Shura Council Member. “Only desert. But today, the story is very different.”
Across The Red Sea destination, archaeological discoveries are steadily reshaping that narrative. Surveys have revealed hundreds of sites, including stone structures and settlements dating back thousands of years. Together, they point to a region once alive with communities that played an important role in coastal and maritime trade.
“This region was an international trade route,” Dr. Alghabban explains. “There were many people living here, especially along the coast, where ports and sea routes were very important.”
At the Coastal Pilgrimage Road, an ancient route dating back to the early Islamic period, the work of uncovering these stories is both careful and precise. Ruba Farkh, Senior Director – Environmental Assessment at RSG, sets up surveying equipment along the pathway, positioning a tripod‑mounted viewfinder to align with the surrounding landscape. She looks through the lens, studies the terrain, and records her observations, gradually mapping the site in detail.
Nearby, Faisal Alhomoud, Manager – Environment & Sustainability, surveys the pathway from a higher vantage point overlooking the valley. From here, the route’s significance becomes clear. This valley once guided traders, travelers, and pilgrims through the region, shaping movement across generations. Faisal traces the line of the pathway through the land, reading the terrain as a record of past lives.
“When you arrive at a culturally significant site, you start with context,” he explains. “You try to understand the place. Then you look at what remains. From there, you can begin to tell the story of the people who lived here.”
That story continues at Al-‘Ayn Village, a settlement dating back around 300 years, where fragments of pottery lie scattered across the ground. Faisal examines the pieces closely, small remnants that offer insight into daily life in a community that once thrived in this landscape. Each fragment adds another layer to a more recent chapter of the region’s long human history.
Preserving these traces is central to RSG’s work. “We want to map every single archaeological site within our flagship destinations,” Ruba says. “Because we want these places to continue to exist.”
This work is carried out in close collaboration with the Heritage Commission and leading Saudi experts, including Dr. Alghabban, ensuring that each site is studied, protected, and interpreted with academic rigor and cultural sensitivity. Together, these partnerships bring deep historical knowledge and national stewardship to the process, aligning development with long‑term preservation.
The team’s work leads them to the ruins of Al-Far'a Castle, a site shaped by both the Nabataean and Islamic periods. Ruba and Faisal move carefully among the remaining stone walls, studying the structure’s form and position and considering how it once functioned within the wider network of routes and settlements that defined the region across centuries.
For Ruba, this responsibility goes beyond documentation. “This land is rich with stories that have contributed to human history,” she says. “If we thoughtfully activate these areas as part of the experiences we offer guests, those stories travel with them.”
RSG’s role, she adds, is not only to develop destinations but to preserve the stories of the place and pass them on to future generations. “If this is your land,” she says, “show me your stories.”
Through careful research and long‑term stewardship, carried out in partnership with national institutions and leading experts, The Red Sea destination is becoming a place where cultural preservation supports economic diversification, local capability building, and the ambition shaping the next chapter of Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry.
Al-‘Ayn Village is a settlement dating back around 300 years.
Al-‘Ayn Village is a settlement dating back around 300 years.
Faisal and Ruba’s work leads them to the ruins of Al-Far'a Castle, a site shaped by both the Nabataean and Islamic periods.
Faisal and Ruba’s work leads them to the ruins of Al-Far'a Castle, a site shaped by both the Nabataean and Islamic periods.
Red Sea Global's role is not only to develop destinations but to preserve the stories of the place and pass them on to future generations.
Red Sea Global's role is not only to develop destinations but to preserve the stories of the place and pass them on to future generations.
"Our role is beyond being a developer. It’s about preserving the stories of the place and passing them on to future generations."
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