Half a world from the office, and nothing like it.
AlUla sits in the desert of northwest Saudi Arabia: towering sandstone, palm oases and Hegra, the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, with more than 110 carved tombs. A team that eats lunch on a rug in the sand among those rocks is not thinking about the quarterly review. That distance is what lets a leadership team look at how it actually works.
This is a place, not the product. AlUla suits teams for whom the scale and strangeness of the setting will do real work, including leadership teams based in the Gulf. If somewhere closer serves the outcome, we will tell you.
An ancient, silent landscape puts a team’s problems in proportion.
Each leader commits to specific behaviors, tracked for 30 days. Champion Iron’s team rose 209%.
Luxury desert resorts make the hard days end somewhere comfortable enough to keep talking.
The practical details.
When to go
October to March, when mornings are cool. Summer is very hot and not suited to a retreat.
Getting there
AlUla airport (ULH) has direct flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai and Dammam. Teams from the US usually connect through one of those.
How long
Four days at least: an arrival day, two days in the desert and a morning to decide.
Where you stay
One of AlUla’s luxury desert resorts, such as Banyan Tree AlUla or Habitas AlUla, chosen for privacy and meeting space.
A sample four-day shape
A starting point. Every retreat is built around your one outcome.
Day 1
Arrive
Fly into AlUla through Riyadh, Jeddah or Dubai, settle in, and the framing conversation over dinner.
Day 2
Into the desert
A guided day among the sandstone and the tombs of Hegra, with a long meal on the sand.
Day 3
The work
Sessions built around the one outcome, ending with one behavior per leader to track for 30 days.
Day 4
Decide
A morning to turn the week into commitments, then fly out.
What it costs
Every retreat here follows our three tiers: Focused $35,000–$50,000, Signature $45,000–$150,000 and Bespoke $75,000 and up, turnkey for a team of roughly 5 to 12 and exclusive of air travel. AlUla retreats usually sit in the Bespoke range, because international logistics, desert resorts and private guiding carry the cost. See what an executive retreat costs and the three tiers.
Straight answers
Can you run an executive retreat in AlUla?
Yes. We ran an executive retreat for Champion Iron in AlUla. Each leader chose the behaviors they wanted to change, we tracked them for 30 days, and the team’s mindset score rose 209% a month after the retreat.
How do we get to AlUla?
Fly into AlUla airport (ULH), which has direct flights from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai and Dammam. Teams from the US usually connect through one of those cities.
When is the best time for a retreat in AlUla?
October to March, when mornings are cool. Summer heat makes the desert unsuitable for a retreat.
Do executives need a visa for Saudi Arabia?
Many nationalities, including US citizens, can apply for a Saudi tourist e-visa online. We confirm the requirements for every traveler as part of the planning.
Where do teams stay in AlUla?
At one of the luxury desert resorts, such as Banyan Tree AlUla or Habitas AlUla, chosen for privacy, meeting space and access to the desert.
What is included in an AlUla retreat?
Design, facilitation by James Carter, lodging, meals, guided desert days, on-site coordination and in-country transfers, plus a 30-day challenge with a written day-30 report. International airfare is the usual exclusion. Focused and Signature retreats come with a written proposal within 72 hours.
Who an AlUla retreat is for
Private retreats for CEOs and leadership teams of roughly 5 to 12, built around one outcome. We are strongest with teams that need to work as one: teams in conflict, split into camps, or newly merged. Every retreat is turnkey, and Focused and Signature retreats come with a written proposal within 72 hours.
Formats that run here
Other far-from-the-office options
Or see every destination, including Costa Rica, Alaska and AlUla.