French President Emmanuel Macron paid an official state visit to AlUla which showcased the diverse and deep-rooted bonds that continue to grow and flourish between AlUla and its network of France-based partners.

 

The visit saw the official establishment of Villa Hegra, a non-profit foundation, in AlUla. The first Saudi-French cultural institution in the kingdom will promote cultural diplomacy on a global scale through co-creation and mutual enrichment that empowers communities and stimulates dialogue. 

 

Established to further empower and enable the artistic and cultural bonds between AlUla and France, Villa Hegra Foundation seamlessly taps into north-west Arabia’s legacy as a hub for innovation and creativity. 

 

Focused on local youth

A dedicated Villa Hegra pre-opening programme took place in 2023 and 2024. Focused on local youth and families in AlUla, the initial phase of the programme featured participation from French partners including Le forum des images (cine-concerts and digital workshops) and the Opéra national de Paris, as well as bilateral student exchange and research programmes.

 

Prince Salman bin Sultan, Governor of the Medinah Region, welcomed Macron. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al Saud, Minister of Culture and Governor of RCU, Dr Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, Minister of Commerce; and Abeer AlAkel, Acting CEO of RCU greeted President Macron and the French delegation. 

 

The French delegation included Jean-Noel Barrot, French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs; Sebastien Lecornu, Minister of the Armed Forces, Rachida Dati, French Minister of Culture, and Jean-Yves Le Drian, Executive Chairman of the French Agency for AlUla (AFALULA). As part of the official visit, which took place on December 4th, the French delegation was taken on a tour of AlUla, visiting Saudi Arabia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra, and other cultural landmarks.

 

Among high-level topics addressed during the state visit was RCU’s long-term and evolving relationship with its French partners. A mutual commitment to the responsible and sustainable regeneration of AlUla continues to strengthen bonds between nations while enhancing a maturing ecosystem of shared AlUla-French ambitions that span environmental, heritage, cultural, community, economic and social development.

 

Curated exhibition

President Macron witnessed progress made and milestones since the intergovernmental agreement in 2018, through a curated exhibition in Maraya that drew inspiration from the natural landscape of AlUla. 

 

Updates were shared about the partnership with Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, the archaeological discoveries, and the ongoing construction, of the Sharaan Resort & International Summit Centre, designed by the acclaimed French architect Jean Nouvel.  

 

Officially announced as part of a high-level Saudi-French Ministerial Committee meeting in Paris last year, the Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University agreement established the Jaussen and Savignac Academic Chair focused on archaeological and scientific research, joint education, and capacity building. Linking AlUla with one of France’s – and Europe’s – premier educational institutions, this partnership also provides opportunities for youth from AlUla to study key subjects including tourism and cultural heritage management, archaeology and art history, collections, acquisitions, conservation and museums, and more.

 

The recent discovery of a Bronze Age town in the Khaybar oasis was also highlighted to the visiting delegation as a new and much-celebrated example of the thriving cultural, academic, and scientific bonds between AlUla and France in action on the ground. A major find, the town, known as al-Natah, challenges the long-held belief that life in north-west Arabia was largely nomadic in the Early and Middle Bronze Ages. Research findings imply that oases such as Khaybar were thriving, permanent settlements with resources to support large populations, confirming the development of rural urbanism.

 

Helicopter tour

President Macron and the delegation took a helicopter tour over the location for the Jean Nouvel-designed Sharaan Resort & International Summit Centre. Accompanied by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, they discussed the development of the work and the ground-breaking construction methods being used for the 38-suite resort, which uses state-of-the-art French and Saudi-led construction practices. Incorporating sublime elements of environmental and cultural sensitivity to create a landmark building unlike anything else and painstakingly carved inside a sandstone mountain, Sharaan Resort is a powerful testament to the innovative, diverse, and forward-looking nature of the AlUla-France relationship. 

 

Prince Badr stressed the depth of cultural cooperation between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of France, adding: “The strategic partnership between the two friendly countries in AlUla embodies the ability of international cultural cooperation to open wider spaces for cultural creativity, considering culture as a contribution to promoting sustainable development.

 

“What has been achieved in AlUla as a result of the Saudi-French partnership opens the door to greater achievements. Under the leadership and guidance of His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for AlUla, and through pioneering projects such as the Villa Hegra Foundation, we will work to transform AlUla into a global platform for creativity and cultural dialogue, enhancing the preservation of human heritage and opening new outlets for cultural creativity to the world.” 

 

Abeer AlAkel, Acting CEO, RCU, said: “The Royal Commission for AlUla’s relationship with AFALULA and our French partners continues to be a cornerstone of the comprehensive regeneration of north-west Arabia into the world’s largest living museum. It was an honour and a privilege to welcome President Macron and the French delegation to AlUla, to see firsthand the myriad of projects and programmes that are delivering real, transformative, and sustainable change across AlUla County. President Macron and our French partners shared vision for the future of AlUla is built on a legacy of mutual cooperation, a commitment to our shared ambition, and the creation of a future defined by long-term success.”

 

Jean-Yves Le Drian, Executive Chairman of the French Agency for AlUla, also said: "President Emmanuel Macron's official visit to AlUla marks an important milestone in the strengthening of relations of friendship and cooperation between France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Alongside the signing, in Riyadh, of other Franco-Saudi agreements in the cultural field, it is an opportunity both to acknowledge the achievements and to launch the second phase of this privileged bilateral partnership on AlUla, and therefore the action of the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) created for this purpose in 2018. 

 

Franco-Saudi cultural institution

“The establishment of the Villa Hegra Foundation, the first Franco-Saudi cultural institution on Saudi soil, is a major illustration of this. This initiative is part of a series of ambitious projects supported by French expertise in the strategic fields of research, art, tourism, innovation, training, advanced engineering and sustainable development. 

 

"The second phase of our action will be marked by a significant increase and diversification of our artistic and cultural offering in AlUla, a reinforced priority for sustainable and responsible tourism and development, and large-scale achievements in all fields in support of this Vision 2030 pilot project. Through this cooperation with RCU, France is proud to contribute to building AlUla's future, so that it becomes a reference destination in the world, and a model of sustainable territory at the service of its inhabitants and international visitors."--TradeArabia News Service