The ancient city of AlUla in northwest Saudi Arabia has been honoured for its sustainable expo stand at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai.

‘AlUla Green Initiative 2024’, the stand of the luxury boutique heritage destination, won the Sustainability Stand Award, out of 2,844 other competing stand designs at the event.

The stand was built with eco-friendly materials such as recycled wood and metal sourced from local suppliers, energy-efficient lighting, and advanced waste management systems – an approach leveraged to significantly minimise the environmental impact while adhering to stringent sustainability standards.

Additionally, the reusable stand can be packed into a single pallet for low-carbon transportation.

The stand also uses digital content instead of paper collateral, and incorporates reusable elements like furniture and structural components, including steel frameworks and flooring.

Environmentally-friendly measures also included the use of ecological paints and medium-density fibreboard (MDF) that contains no added formaldehyde.

“The response to our sustainable stand at ATM 2024 has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Rami Almoallim, Vice President of Destination Management and Marketing at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU).

"Our dedication to sustainability extends beyond mere participation. With initiatives such as the Sharaan Planting Initiative and our comprehensive carbon offset program launched on-site, we aim to inspire every individual to contribute to environmental conservation.

“This award arrives just after the launch of our first global brand campaign, 'Forever Revitalising’, which encapsulates and amplifies AlUla's core sustainability ethos.”

To further educate visitors about sustainability, LED screens at the stand displayed the eco-friendly features of the design and detailed the carbon offsets achieved by these measures.

Additionally, as part of a broader digital engagement strategy, attendees were invited to register for complimentary tree planting at Sharaan Nature Reserve. This initiative offers each participant geolocations for their tree, along with regular updates and photos, fostering greater transparency and engagement.

In a proactive measure to minimise its environmental impact, AlUla has pledged to offset all emissions associated with ATM 2024, including those from stand construction, staff air travel to Dubai, and on-site activities.

These offsets, secured through collaboration with ClimeCo, were implemented before the exhibition began.

Arabian Travel Market 2024, centred on the theme ‘Empowering Innovation – Transforming Travel through Entrepreneurship’, concludes on 9 May. – TradeArabia News Service