Exciting new balloon flight from the Royal Commission for AlUla offers a bird's-eye view of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hegra in the Metaverse

Alula, Saudi Arabia (OTS/PRNewswire) – The recent metaverse debut of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) invited visitors to discover and explore a full-scale and fully immersive 3D model of the Tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza – the first UNESCO World Heritage site in the exciting and globally accessible digital world.

The innovative digital recreation of Lihyan’s Tomb in Hegra allows online travelers to explore AlUla’s most iconic structure, inside and out, from anywhere in the world
An interactive ballooning experience, accessible through Decentraland, lets visitors soar over Hegra for incredible and lifelike views of the iconic landmark

The RCU has gone one step further and harnessed the incredible adaptability of the metaverse to engage with virtual tourists in exciting new dimensions: they have created an interactive ballooning experience. The next exciting phase of the RCU’s Metaverse journey is the launch of the experience alongside the latest edition of the annual AlUla Ballooning Festival in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Hot Air Balloon Association.

The balloon flight offers online visitors an unparalleled and highly realistic 360-degree view of Hegra’s most famous landmark. It combines the thrill of soaring above the digital desert with unique experiences that increase gameplay and excitement. In addition, the RCU allows a limited number of balloonists to obtain an NFT wearable that unlocks future experiences in the metaverse.

The experience combines the fun of an uninhibited video adventure with the awe-inspiring spectacle of a real balloon flight over Hegra. It is the ideal complement to the RCU’s comprehensive and innovative entry into the Metaverse, enabling the company to appeal to a wide range of online visitors of all ages.

Developed within Decentraland’s vast and fast-growing digital landscape in collaboration with renowned global creative consultancy frog, the virtual Hegra offers digital tourists enhanced access, enabling them to explore the city’s unique features from anywhere in the world.

As part of the Capgemini Group, frog was tasked with developing, delivering, and facilitating Hegra’s debut metaverse. At the same time, frog supports the RCU’s intelligent strategy of driving innovation and leveraging the latest technological advances through the comprehensive renewal of AlUla.

A journey to Hegra in the Metaverse is awe-inspiring, inspiring, and fascinating. Visitors can take a 360-degree tour of AlUla’s most famous and imposing tomb, set amidst a realistically rendered desert landscape.

Decentraland tourists can immerse themselves in the history of Hegra by entering the tomb’s imposing gate for an experience not possible in the real world.

Hegra in the Metaverse is a key step in the RCU’s journey of innovation – a sprint into the future of experiential tourism, ensuring AlUla is ready to welcome visitors in a rapidly evolving digital future.

As the RCU’s presence in the Metaverse continues to evolve, Hegra will host a diverse calendar of events that will digitally bring the wonders of AlUla to the world and bring the rich culture, heritage, and traditions of Northwest Arabia to more people than ever before.

Information portals will introduce visitors to various aspects of AlUla’s heritage and increase awareness of 200,000 years of shared human history. At the same time, the rich tradition of knowledge sharing for the 21st century and beyond is being radically reimagined as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program to foster technological change and innovation.

Ahmed H. Daoud, RCU’s Executive Director of Innovation, stated, “The RCU’s debut in the Metaverse was the first step in a journey of discovery that will ultimately open up new and exciting worlds to explore the connection between AlUla and a new generation of tech-savvy viewers expand and improve worldwide.”

“Hegra’s presence in the Metaverse enhances the tremendous thrill visitors experience when visiting the physical location in AlUla through interactive experiences that push the boundaries of what is imaginable through digital encounters. With the new balloon experience, Metaversum tourists can experience Hegra in new dimensions. Digital explorers gain access to one of the world’s most treasured attractions in a way that expands the possibilities of real life.”

The balloon ride follows last month’s activation of the Saudi Tour in the Metaverse, allowing digital visitors to watch live broadcasts from Hegra.

Hegra was named Saudi Arabia’s first World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008. The site is 20 km north of the town of AlUla. Spread over 52 hectares, it houses 110 tombs amidst breathtaking rock formations, the largest of which is the tomb of Lihyan, son of Kuza, at 22 meters high. Nicknamed the “Lonely Castle” because of its distance from other monuments, it is the largest surviving site of the ancient Nabataean civilization south of Petra in Jordan.

Visitors to the Metaverse can explore Hegra here:

For media inquiries please contact: publicrelations@rcu.gov.sa

Editorial notes:

It is always called AlUla / not Al-Ula

About the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by Royal Decree in July 2017 to conserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural importance in northwestern Saudi Arabia. RCU’s long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable and sensitive approach to urban and economic development that preserves the natural and historical heritage of the region while making AlUla a desirable place to live, work and visit. This encompasses a wide range of initiatives in archaeology, tourism, culture, education and the arts and reflects a commitment to addressing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program priorities in terms of economic diversification, local community empowerment and the cultural heritage preservation.