ALULA, 26 August 2025 — National Geographic, in partnership with the Royal Commission for AlUla governorate, is launching a new documentary titled "Lost Treasures of Arabia: The Nabataean Kingdom," premiering on the global channel on 27 August at 9:00 pm Saudi time, and on National Geographic Abu Dhabi on 28 August at 8:00 pm, before becoming available on Disney+ from 29 August. The film is the second production in a three-year collaboration between the two sides, following the success of the first film on the Kingdom of Dadan.

The documentary sheds light on the Nabataean civilization, which flourished in northwest Arabia during the reign of King Aretas IV (first century BC – first century AD), highlighting their skill in turning their geographic location on global trade routes into a thriving economic and cultural center. The film features live re-enactments and testimonies from Saudi and international archaeologists, alongside experts from the Royal Commission for AlUla, who continue uncovering the secrets of this kingdom through excavations in Hegra, the first Saudi site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The film covers the Nabataeans' engineering innovations in water management, from channels, cisterns and advanced pipe networks extending over 7 kilometers, to the dams they built to protect their cities. It also highlights the research project that reconstructed the face of a wealthy Nabataean woman known as "Hinat," based on rock inscriptions and skeletal remains, pointing to the prominent status of women in Nabataean society.

The film closes by discussing theories on the kingdom's decline, including the diminishing importance of the incense route as a result of the development of Roman maritime navigation, as well as the impact of conflicts between the Roman and Persian empires. Dr. Dhaifallah Al-Talhi, professor of archaeology at the University of Ha'il, believes the scarcity of written records left by the Nabataeans has left their fate shrouded in mystery, even as archaeological excavations in AlUla continue to uncover more of this civilization's secrets.