BEIRUT: Aurelie from Aurelistory has taken her followers to dream destinations on her Instagram page, and recently the French blogger set her sights on Saudi Arabia.
As soon as she arrived, Aurelie fell in love with Jeddah.
She told Arab News: “Saudia warmly invited me and welcomed me to Jeddah for the Formula One grand prix.
“Recommended by a lot of people, the city was already on my bucket list, so the opportunity came at the right time.”
Dream destination
With more than 514,000 subscribers, Aurelie enthusiastically shared the beauty of the Saudi tourist sites that are now on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.
In 2020 Princess Haifa Al-Mogrin, permanent representative of the Kingdom to UNESCO, said: “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is home to some of the most fascinating and culturally significant heritage sites, of which AlUla is the most iconic and impressive.”
The jewel of Saudi Arabia, AlUla combines heritage, nature, and art.
Aurelie said: “AlUla is a sublime city. The desert is by far my favorite landscape. I think this city has managed to assert its presence in a harmonious way.
“There is a deep serenity, but paradoxically it is also a very lively city where boredom does not exist.”
Charm, beauty and hospitality
Aurelie also told Arab News of a magical Ramadan experience she had enjoyed.
She said: “We have become accustomed in recent years to spending part of the month of Ramadan in a Muslim country to experience the conviviality and brotherhood of a single community.
“But I must admit that Saudi Arabia has set the bar very high, especially since the Saudi people are very welcoming, hospitable and joyful.
“I will never forget Mohammed, one of our local staff, who insisted on hosting us at his home with his family for iftar during Ramadan.
“Given its history, landscape and cultural heritage, Saudi Arabia undeniably stands out, not only from other countries in the Middle East, but also from other countries in the world.
“In Saudi Arabia we really felt the month of Ramadan in the hotels. At the Banyan Tree AlUla we felt a very original development of the Ramadan retreat concept. Special menus were offered for iftar, and also for sahoor. And at every meal we were served bottles of Zamzam water.”
Adventure tourism
Horseback riding and walks in AlUla, helicopter flights, Elephant Rock, Rainbow Rock, Hegra, Al-Balad — all proved to be must-sees for Aurelie during her visit.
She said: “In Jeddah, the F1 was an incredible experience that frankly made me want to come back more often.”
There are photographs and comments from her followers on her Instagram page, and Aurelie said she looks forward to returning to the Kingdom “every time she has the opportunity.”
She added: “You will have understood, my experience in Saudi Arabia was great.”
