The Unesco World Heritage site and ancient Nabataean city of Hegra has turned a sea of pink with a group of young schoolgirls, all between the ages of 10 and 14, running up and down the sand mount opposite its most famous landmark, Qasr al-Farid. Their bright pink pinafores and white shirts are a welcome burst of colour amid a landscape of sandstone mountains and wheat-hued tombs in the vast desert.
What is your name; where are you from; do you like AlUla? Within minutes, the confident and curious bunch start throwing questions at us. Our chance encounter is probably their first time interacting with foreigners eager to experience the rich history of Saudi Arabia, a country closed to tourism until 2019.
