The article you mentioned tries to be balanced with point and counterpoint. There are some sweeping assumptions being made in that article as well.

I will say that if Mecca was Petra, many historical events occurring between mecca and medina become impossible. Battle of Badr, Uhud, etc. The tribes involved in the above events also didn't reside in Petra.

It comes across as an outsider's fun little thought experiment. Very orientalist in its approach.