Everything You Need To Know About Desert X AlUla 2026

Bringing back people, art, landscape and community, Desert X AlUla will launch its fourth edition from January 16th to February 28th, 2026, in the otherworldly landscapes of northwest Saudi Arabia. This year, the open-air exhibition – which is the highlight of the annual AlUla Arts Festival  invites visitors to experience contemporary art woven seamlessly into the valleys, canyons and oases of AlUla. 

This year’s edition is guided by artistic directors Neville Wakefield and Raneem Farsi, with curation by Wejdan Reda and Zoé Whitley, who introduce the poetic theme ‘Space Without Measure’, which is inspired by the writings of Lebanese-American writer and poet, Kahlil Gibran. Reflecting on dreams without limits and the vastness of the human imagination, the theme feels deeply connected to AlUla’s never-ending horizons and layered history. “Desert X AlUla is such an expansive context for artists’ ideas to be realised,” says Whitley. “True to Gibran’s observation that dreams are ‘time limitless’ and offer ‘space without measure’, vast history meets the contemporary moment here.” 

Featuring works by 11 artists from Saudi Arabia to Mexico, the exhibition brings bold, site-responsive installations into direct dialogue with the land, encompassing both audio and visual art. For curator Wejdan Reda, the setting is inseparable from the experience. “AlUla’s landscape is a living archive of stories, traditions and encounters that span centuries,” she explains, noting that the works honour the terrain while opening space for new ways of seeing and imagining. 

Among them, Saudi artist Mohammad Alfaraj draws on memories of his childhood in Al Ahsa with What Was the Question Again? – a living labyrinth centred around a palm tree formed from grafted trunks, reflecting renewal and the intimate relationship between people and place. Meanwhile, Lebanese-born artist and electro-acoustic composer Tarek Atoui presents The Water Song, a continuation of Bayt Al Hams (The Whispering House) , first shown at the AlUla Arts Festival 2025, treating the landscape as an archaeological site where half-excavated instruments emerge from the earth. 

Besides the various artworks in their different mediums, Desert X AlUla unfolds as a fully immersive experience. Visitors can join interesting artist-led workshops, guided art hikes, stargazing sessions, and curated tours, alongside performances, wellness experiences and family-friendly programming that animate the desert through sound, movement and storytelling. A specially curated live music programme at the Visitor Pavilion, developed with AlUla Music Hub, is another captivating addition to the week – bringing people together at the intersection of art, landscape and community. 

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