RIYADH, 5 November: French President Emmanuel Macron visited the historic AlUla Valley on Wednesday as part of his state visit to Saudi Arabia.
Accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Macron began his tour at Hegra, the ancient Nabataean city known for its spectacular stone-carved landmarks, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Hegra, also known as Mada’in Salih, was Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Macron was guided through the most prominent monuments and archaeological sites in the area.
The tour included a visit to Qasr Al-Farid (Lonely Castle), which is the largest Nabataean mausoleum in the area, carved into a massive standalone rock formation.
Macron also visited the spectacular Qasr Al-Bint, home to 31 tombs dated from the year nought to A.D. 58 and carved with monsters, eagles, animals and human faces.
The party then viewed Al-Diwan, a site that resembles an open-air theater set amid Hegra’s natural landscape and surrounded by columns and stonewalls adorned with intricate designs.
The French president was joined on the tour by Prince Salman bin Sultan, the Madinah governor, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the minister of culture and governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), and Majid Al-Qasabi, the minister of commerce.
On Tuesday, Macron visited the historic At-Turaif district in Diriyah, northwest of Riyadh, where he attended a horse show and toured the Diriyah Museum.
