Kites of AlUla County and the Ḥarrat ʿUwayriḍ, Saudi Arabia

A comprehensive remote sensing survey of AlUla County in north-west Saudi Arabia has revealed 32 examples the ancient, stone-built animal traps known as ‘kites’. Noting that most (27) are located on Ḥarrat ʿUwayriḍ, a satellite parts lavafield outside was undertaken, identifying further 175 kites. These show commonalities with ‘V-shaped’ kites previously identified mountainous areas along western extents Arabian Shield Sinai Peninsula, Negev Desert and south-west Arabia. study form placement these their ecological geological contexts suggests they representative distinct complex, exhibiting sophisticated morphological adaptations to target specific games over similar terrain.