Saudi Arabia’s diverse and largely unexplored landscape lends itself to glamping. There are stretches of beautiful coastline, rocky mountains, ancient valleys, lush desert wadis, and iconic burnt-orange dunes. But until now, camping under the stars was primarily a DIY occasion. That’s where Roam steps in, a new travel company to debut in the region, offering upscale nomadic-style glamping in Saudi Arabia and following the seasons across the country.
The company is the brainchild of Saudi Arabia’s Cool Inc, a lifestyle company championing the Kingdom’s modern leisure and tourism renaissance and curating cultural and travel experiences, alongside leading UK-based luxury travel and yachting company Pelorus.
Roam will offer guests the chance to glamp in various regions across the Kingdom, with the nomadic luxury camp changing locations every eight to 12 weeks as it moves with the seasons and travellers’ demands – allowing guests to explore Saudi and discover different regions truly.
Guests stay in stylish bell tents equipped with outdoor Sonos music systems and yoga mats and have access to what Roam describes as off-road adventures, up-in-the-air experiences and exclusive dining moments. Activities at the luxury camps will include quad biking through various terrains, hiking, archery and kite-flying. At the same time, nighttimes will offer tranquil activities like guided stargazing sessions – particularly magical in the desert landscapes untouched by light pollution. Roam will also work with local artisans and residents to provide unique guest experiences to connect travellers with the locale – such as visiting a banana plantation in Al Baha or meeting rose harvesters in Taif.
Roam will launch its upscale campsite in May in the mountainous region of Taif on the eastern slopes of the Sarawat Mountains before moving on to destinations like AlUla, an ancient desert kingdom with Nabatean ruins, beachy Jeddah, the capital Riyadh, Tanomah – famed for its natural waterfalls – and Neom, the site of Saudi’s most ambitious giga-project.
“We are following the seasons. So we will be operating in the north for the winter — October to March on the tourism calendar — from Neom to Al Ahsah Oasis, Riyadh, Jeddah and AlUla. And in the summer months, from May to September, we’ll be travelling and activating the mountain regions of Saudi, Taif, Baha and Abha,” said Stuart McNair, Roam’s managing director.
“We have a huge list of products we’re bringing to the market. We have everything from the small and personal such as Instagrammable walking tours, art tours, private cookery lessons, all the way to big products such as our mobile camps, day camps and coast-to-coast expeditions through the Empty Quarter,” he continued.
Roam also allows travellers to book tours, accommodation and aviation and avail concierge services at the mobile camps, such as unique private dining experiences and using e-buggies to explore.
