Museum in the sky highlights treasures of AlUla

Saudia has introduced a new in-flight entertainment system (IFE) channel, Discover Saudi Arabia, as part of a relationship with the Royal Commission for AlUia (RCU).

The channel launched with documentary movie, Architects of Ancient Arabia, a 2021 release full-length documentary movie produced by PowderHouse revealing that some of human civilization’s first building blocks were set in place in AlUla, a historic city in the Medina Region in north-western Saudi Arabia.

Khaled Tash, Vice President of Corporate Communication at Saudia Group 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. We have created a dedicated channel in our in-flight entertainment system to do just that and to display this beautifully produced documentary by the Discovery Channel.”

Passengers have also been treated to a unique in-flight experience as Saudia and AlUla highlighted one of the world’s biggest archaeological programme on a special Museum in the Sky flight.

A joint collaboration between Saudia and AlUla, the flight took off from Riyadh to AlUla on the 4 November 2021. Onboard the flying museum, a replica collection of artefacts discovered in AlUla during excavations by archaeologists revealed some of the mysteries of AlUla’s ancient civilizations.

Kerrie McEvoy, Channel Director, Discovery Channel, Europe, Middle East & Africa said: “We are delighted that Architects of Ancient Arabia is displayed onboard Saudi IFE system, we aim to serve our passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. This was a special project for Discovery, and AlUla is a special place with untouched desert and some of the most stunningly well-preserved evidence of ancient civilizations. We hope that all Saudia passengers will enjoy the movie during their flight times.”

Said Phillip Jones, Chief Destination Management and Marketing Officer at RCU added: “Museum in the Sky provided a true connection back to AlUla as a living museum and the significance of the archaeological work we do in AlUla, which we believe is the biggest archaeological program in the world right now. We are honoured to work with Saudia and to welcome these passengers and all those who are planning visits over the next few months to discover more of AlUla’s living history.”