The AlMuatadil Equestrian Village will spread over a 2.85-sq-km area.

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) has unveiled the designs of its ambitious equestrian village to be set up in AlUla.  It also signed a deal to develop a landmark contemporary art gallery at the Unesco heritage site.

The AlMuatadil Equestrian Village, spread over a 2.85-sq-km area, will  feature key elements related to the sport as well as housing facilities for visitors.  It will boast a main equestrian race track with a 3,000-seat capacity; an endurance race track; a grass court with 600 seats; and a sand polo field with a 400-seat capacity.

The outdoor arena can accommodate 5,000 visitors, while the indoor arena will have 1,400 seats in addition to two specialised warm-up and celebrations courts and two stable complexes that can accommodate more than 740 horses – of which 580 will be in permanent stables while the rest will be in the racing stable.

In addition, the complex will have a training ground with 600 seats, it stated.

The RCU, in its LinkedIn post, said that the project’s design had been inspired by AlUla’s natural and cultural heritage and the equestrian village was set to become a global destination for heritage, culture, arts and sports.

Also, the AlMuatadil Equestrian Village will boast a range of residences and facilities for visitors, equipped with the latest technology and key amenities.

Aecom, a leading infrastructure consulting firm, is developing the masterplan for the AlMuatadil Equestrian Village in co-operation with Saudi Equestrian Federation and RCU.

Meanwhile, RCU has signed the agreement to develop a landmark contemporary art gallery at AlUla  with Centre Pompidou, a leading French cultural institution.

Centre Pompidou will be RCU’s key partner in developing the contemporary art museum as a world centre for regional and global 21st-century art. Designed as an archipelago of pavilions interspersed with a mosaic of artists’ gardens, this architectural landmark will symbolise AlUla’s living legacy as a cross-cultural beacon, which continues to attract global collaborations.

The AlUla contemporary museum will offer a collection of Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian 21st-century art; immersive installations by artists from each continent; a collection of work related to 21st-century land art; a commissioning programme including art in the public realm; specialist curatorial expertise and scholarship in Middle Eastern, North African and South Asian art; and access to global Arabic-speaking audiences.