High above the clouds of southern Saudi Arabia, where mist drifts across forested ridges and time seems suspended, the mountains of Soudah have quietly been guarding a remarkable secret.

This week, the Saudi Heritage Commission, in collaboration with Soudah Development, a Public Investment Fund company chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, announced the discovery of 20 exceptional rock art sites nestled within the Soudah Peaks project area.

Spread across more than 636.5 square kilometres, encompassing Soudah and parts of Rijal Almaa, these newly identified sites are now recognised among the oldest cultural landmarks in the region.
Carved into stone between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago, the engravings offer a rare and intimate dialogue with the communities who once lived, hunted, celebrated and believed in these mountains.

The rock faces tell stories without words, yet they speak clearly. Thamudic inscriptions appear alongside finely etched figures of ibex, hyenas and ostriches, animals deeply connected to the ancient environment. Other carvings reveal scenes of hunters in motion, ritual dancers, palm trees and weapons, capturing fragments of daily life, spiritual expression and social organisation in a landscape that was once both harsh and generous.

This discovery is the result of a multi-phase scientific survey, carried out under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Heritage Commission and Soudah Development. Conducted in four carefully sequenced stages, from initial data collection and site analysis to detailed documentation and classification, the project lays the groundwork for long-term conservation while informing future development.

Beyond the archaeological significance, the announcement reflects a broader vision. Soudah Development continues to position the Soudah Peaks not merely as a destination, but as a living cultural landscape, where heritage, nature and contemporary luxury coexist with respect and meaning.

In revealing these ancient engravings, the mountains of Soudah remind us that luxury today is no longer defined only by altitude or exclusivity, but by depth, memory and authenticity.

Here, the past is not preserved behind glass. It remains etched in stone, waiting to be read by those who know how to listen.