Cultural tourism as a driver for sustainable urban development in Hail City, Saudi Arabia

This study explores the potential of cultural tourism as a strategic driver for sustainable urban development in Hail City, Saudi Arabia, emphasizing its alignment with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. Situated at the intersection of heritage preservation, community participation, and environmental sustainability, the research investigates how Hail’s rich cultural assets, ranging from the UNESCO-listed Jubbah Rock Art to its traditional urban fabric and crafts, can be transformed into engines of socio-economic growth. A qualitative-dominant mixed-methods approach was adopted, integrating document analysis, stakeholder interviews, field surveys, and comparative case studies from Fez, Kyoto, and Bath. Findings indicate that despite possessing significant cultural value, Hail’s tourism potential remains underdeveloped due to infrastructural limitations and institutional fragmentation. Nevertheless, strong local identity, community enthusiasm, and ecological endowments provide a promising basis for sustainable transformation. The study proposes a comprehensive cultural tourism strategy structured around three interrelated pillars: infrastructure improvement, heritage preservation and programming, and community empowerment with environmental integration. The research contributes to global discourse on heritage-led urbanism by demonstrating how mid-sized cities in developing contexts can achieve balanced modernization, enhance quality of life, and preserve cultural authenticity through a locally adapted sustainability model. • Cultural tourism fosters sustainable urbanism in Hail City, Saudi Arabia. • Links heritage, infrastructure, community, and environment in one framework. • Merges Heidegger’s dwelling with Lefebvre’s spatial production concepts. • Applies mixed-methods with case studies from Fez, Kyoto, and Bath. • Aligns cultural identity and sustainability with Saudi Vision 2030 goals.