(MENAFN- bursonglobal) AlUla, Saudi Arabia – 29 September 2025: Until 5th January 2026, the Shang Dynasty Capital Site Museum in Henan, China, will hos‘ ‘Glimpses of the Ancient North Arabian King’oms’.
This landmark exhibition, jointly curated by Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and Shang Dynasty Capital Site Museum (SDM) brings the rich heritage of AlUla to a province regarded as one of the cradles of Chinese civilisation, inviting exploration and learning.
Both AlUla and Henan are home to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, share a legacy as capitals of ancient empires and are important centres of archaeological discovery, with histories spanning from around 6000 BCE.
The exhibition pays tribute to the kingdoms of Dadan, Lihyan and Nabataea, which once controlled vital caravan routes linking Arabia with Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean. Centred in the lush oasis of AlUla, these civilisations left behind temples, tombs, inscriptions and artworks - traces of societies that were uniquely local to the Saudi destination and globally connected to the wider ancient world.
Presented as part of the Saudi Ministry of C’lture’s designation of 2025 as the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year, the exhibition celebrates diverse ancient civilisations whose histories, though separated by distance, reveal striking parallels in trade, innovation and cultural expression.

Spotlight on the North Arabian kingdoms
The first of the North Arabian kingdoms was Dadan, which emerged in the fertile AlUla Valley around 4,500 years ago and flourished in the first millennium BCE as a powerful city controlling key points along the Incense Route.
Centuries later, the Kingdom of Lihyan rose to prominence, extending its influence across northwest Arabia and leaving behind tombs, inscriptions, and sculptures that reflected its authority and cultural reach.
The Nabataeans, famed for their mastery of long-distance trade in frankincense, myrrh, and spices, built a wealthy kingdom from their capital at Petra, Jordan, that extended deep into the Arabian Peninsula. Hegra, north of modern-day AlUla, became their most important southern city, a thriving hub of commerce and culture along the Incense Route, that in 2008 became Saud’ Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Exhibition highlights
The ‘Glimpses of the Ancient North Arab’an Kingdoms’ exhibit features 30 ob’ects from RCU’s collection, 15 of which are being displayed publicly for the first time.
The exhibition is divided into five main sections: Zone 1: The Ancient Kingdoms of North Arabia; Zone 2: The Early Kingdoms; Zone 3: The Nabataean Kingdom; Zone 4: Connectivity and Currency; and Zone 5: Writing in the Rock.
The collection features a colossal sandstone statue of a Lihyanite ruler from Dadan, dating to the 5th–3rd century BCE. Visitors will also encounter votive human figurine fragments left by pilgrims at Umm Daraj and Jabal Dadan and a rare piece of silk fabric, more than 2,000 years old, from a Nabataean monumental tomb - its fibres possibly originating from northern India or even China.
An exceptionally well-preserved silve‘ ‘’ela’ (type of coin), struck in Petra and found in a Hegra residence, showcases Nabataean King Aretas IV and his first wife, Queen –uldu – one of multiple coins on display. Dadanitic and Aramaic inscriptions carved into sandstone blocks describe rituals of northwes’ Arabia’s people during the first millennium BCE, offering a rare glimpse into their everyday lives.
Ten Chinese objects will be displayed alongside the AlUla pieces, illustrating shared values and artistic traditions. These include camel figurines from ancient Dadan, Hegra and China; incense burners from both regions; cosmetic items from Hegra and China; and multiple inscribed objects.

Historic ties
Beyond its fascinating artefacts, the exhibition illuminates the historic connections between China and Arabia.
While direct contact between the North Arabian kingdoms and Chinese dynasties remains unproven, both regions developed writing, long-distance trade and state economies during the first millennium BCE, demonstrating how ideas and innovations can resonate across continents. Although geographically distant, the Nabataeans in AlUla and the Qin and Han dynasties in China played vital roles in the early phases of Eurasian connectivity, eventually contributing to the foundations of the Silk Road.
Other similarities exists in the area of art and appreciation of beauty in objects, both in daily life such as the Chinese cosmetic boxes and finely sculpted Nabataean ceramics and in funerary practices. Incense burning was also common to both the Lihyanite and Han cultures, however their burners reveal different worldviews. The Lihyanite sandstone vessel discovered at Dadan is simple and functional, focused on the sacred act itself. The Chinese Boshan burner, with its mountain-shaped lid, transformed incense smoke into a vision of a mythic, otherworldly realm.
This legacy of connection still exists today. China is one of Saudi Arabia’and AlUla’s most important tourism markets. Trade between the two countries has grown by leaps and bounds since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1990.
The‘arrival of ‘Glimpses of the Ancient North Ar’bian Kingdoms’ is expected to draw significant audiences, offering a rare opportunity to experience the heritage of AlUla without leav’ng China. Henan’s Shang Dynasty Capital Site Museum is’among the country’s most visited heritage destinations, welcoming 610,000 visitors last year, including nearly 148,000 during the eight-day Spring Festival alone.
The breadth of Chinese interest in AlUla was demonstrated‘last year when the ‘A’Ula: Wonder of Arabia’ exhibition at the Palace Museum in Beijing attracted more than 200,000 visitors and was extended by an extra week to satisfy public demand.
AlUla is now even more accessible to Chinese visitors with a Mandarin speaking Rawi, signage around key sites, Mandarin multimedia guides available a key heritage sites including Hegra, Dadan and Jabal Ikmah and a free copy of AlUla, A Rich History guide translated into Mandarin.

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