Modern tourism has split in half. This fracture is more visible today than ever before. On one side, we have hermetic all-inclusive resorts, where the buzz of pool bars is meant to drown out the outside world, and local culture is admitted only for an evening dance show—safe and domesticated. On the other side stand destinations that have made cultural austerity or abstinence their shield, offering authenticity without anesthesia.

Somewhere in between, in this uncomfortable yet fascinating crevice, a new type of traveler is being born. They no longer want to just consume views. They want to understand. Meet the Conscious Explorer.

In the world of giga-projects, it is easy to get hypnotized by zeros. Sixty-three billion dollars—that is the scale of ambition for Diriyah Gate. It is a budget that can build anything, but it cannot buy the soul of a place.

Saudi Arabia is racing against time, trying to stitch ultramodernity with archaic heritage. A question arises that torments investors and conservators alike: how to make these silent, raw walls of mud speak to a generation that views the world through a smartphone filter?

How not to turn the sanctity of history into a garish theme park, while simultaneously not boring the guest with a dusty museum display? Standing at dusk in At-Turaif, the historic heart of Diriyah, tasting the dust and cooling clay, I realized that the answer does not lie in concrete, but in something far more fleeting.

The Sand Remembers Everything Can a place truly haunt you? In the heart of Saudi Arabia, amidst the rising luxury of Diriyah Gate, an ancient silence speaks louder than the bustle of modern Riyadh. It whispers of a forbidden love that defied empires. Discover the legend of Antara and Abla, and find out why the desert is the world’s safest vault for your secrets.

When TIME magazine selected the "AI Architects" as Person of the Year 2025, the dominant narrative was one of technological awe mixed with deep economic fear about the future of work. Yet, if we look past the immediate anxiety of job displacement, we see a profound shift on the horizon for another massive global industry: tourism. The true disruption of AI might not just be in how we work, but in the unprecedented freedom it offers us to explore.

A new "Silk Road in the clouds" is emerging, connecting Saudi Arabia to the world. In a game-changing alliance spanning aviation history and modern ambition, Turkish Airlines will act as the global network manager for the newly formed Riyadh Air. By utilizing Istanbul as a central hub, this partnership grants the Saudi carrier immediate access to a vast global network starting day one in 2025.