World’s First ‘Museum in Sky’ by Saudia Airlines puts passengers on ‘cloud -nine’

Saudia has inaugurated the world’s first ‘flying museum’ – an actual museum floating above the clouds. Passengers on a flight from Riyadh to AlUla became the first to experience this wonder in the sky on November 4th. The first-of-its-kind museum was introduced by Royal Commission for AlUla in partnership with Saudia, as reported by Arab News.

In addition, the national flag carrier launched a new channel on its In-Flight Entertainment System (IFE), Discover Saudi Arabia. ‘Architects of Ancient Arabia’ was available on the channel. It reveals startling discoveries about how AlUla may have been a turning point in the history of human civilization. Professor Rebecca Foote, Director of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Research at RCU, introduced the documentary and discussed the museum’s collection in more detail.

In an interview with TOI, SAUDI Group Vice President of Corporate Communication Khaled Tash said, ‘As the national flag carrier and Wings of Vision 2030, it is a privilege to showcase heritage sites and hidden gems of the Kingdom’. Saudi Arabia has signed various agreements to upgrade the infrastructure and promote AlUla as a tourist destination. Since March 2021, the Prince Abdul Majeed bin Abdulaziz International Airport, built in 2011 under the development strategy of the Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU), has been approved to receive international flights following expansion, putting this Arabian gem on the world map.

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Saudia operates 32 weekly roundtrip flights from AlUla to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam with a capacity of over 4.4 thousand seats, according to a statement released by the airline. The museum exhibits replicas of artifacts excavated by archaeologists in AlUla. Al Ula is a historical, vibrant city located in the Media region of north-western Saudi Arabia. Hegra, as well as Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, is located here. Anciently, AlUla was the capital of the Lihyanites (Dedanites). It was part of the famous incense route that connected Arabia, Egypt, and India on which spices, silk, and luxury items were traded. The Heritage City of Ula consists of mud-brick and stone houses with a rich cultural heritage.