Returning for its fourth edition, Desert X AlUla 2026 once again transforms one of the world’s most extraordinary landscapes into an open-air museum. Staged under the theme Space Without Measure, the exhibition draws inspiration from Kahlil Gibran’s reflections on possibility, perception, and the boundless nature of the human spirit, inviting visitors to experience contemporary art in direct dialogue with AlUla’s valleys, canyons, and ancient routes.
Set within Wadi AlFann, AlUla’s Valley of the Arts, large-scale, site-specific installations by Saudi and international artists respond to the land’s dramatic geology and layered history. AlUla is not a blank canvas but a living archive, shaped by centuries of movement, trade and settlement. Desert X AlUla unfolds within this context, placing contemporary works alongside traces of earlier civilisations at this UNESCO World Heritage site, encouraging new ways of seeing and listening to the land.
The 2026 edition is curated by Wejdan Reda, founder of Sahaba and Associate Director at Diriyah Biennale Foundation, alongside London-based curator Zoé Whitley OBE, bringing together regional insight and global perspective. While the full artist line-up will be revealed soon, the exhibition promises a dynamic mix of emerging and established voices exploring themes of culture, nature and transformation through works created specifically for AlUla.
All commissions were produced in Saudi Arabia, emphasising material knowledge, local craft and collaboration. Artists worked closely with artisans, musicians, botanists and fabricators through initiatives including Madrasat Addeera and the Native Plant Nursery, embedding community knowledge directly into the works.
Visitors can experience Desert X AlUla in multiple ways, from self-guided walks and public or private tours to viewing the installations from an open-top car. Together, the exhibition and its accompanying programme of talks and events continue to strengthen AlUla’s growing legacy as a global destination for art in the landscape, where creativity, history and environment remain inseparable.
