UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum toured the archaeological site Mada’in Saleh in the Saudi governorate of Al Ula, according to Emarat Alyoum.
Mada'in Saleh, also called "Al-Hijr" or "Hegra", is an archaeological site constituting Saudi Arabia’s southernmost and largest settlement after Petra, Jordan.
Accompanied by Dubai Crown Prince Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Shaikh Mohammed visited the site on the sidelines of the endurance race for the King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Cup.
The championship, which was held on Saturday (February 2), is the biggest event of its kind, with prizes worth SAR15 million for the top winners.
Shaikh Mohammed tweeted on his account, expressing admiration of the millennia-old heritage vestiges in the area which saw successive civilizations.
He paid tribute to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who are “building a new civilisation in Saudi Arabia”.
The Dubai ruler also visited the Hejaz Railway, the legendary railway which was constructed in 1900 at the time of the Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid that ran from Damascus to Medina.
The Hejaz Railway, which ferried pilgrims from Damascus in Syria to Amman and then on to Medina, ran through Tabuk, Mada'in Saleh and Al Ula.
Shaikh Mohammed also visited Jabal Al Feel (Elephant Rock), which is located between Al Ula and Mada'in Saleh. This 50-metre-high mountain is called Elephant Rock because it looks like an elephant.