The 2nd Saudi-French Ministerial Committee for AlUla was held in Paris

The ministerial committee responsible for overseeing and monitoring the intergovernmental agreement signed on 10 April 2018, on cultural, environmental, tourism, human and economic development, and the enhancement of the heritage of AlUla County in Saudi Arabia, met for the second time in Paris, France.

Chaired by Prince Badr bin Abdullah bim Farhan Al Saud, the Saudi Minister of Culture and Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla and France’s Jean-Noel Barrot, the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, the committee meeting brought together His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Investment, Eng. Khalid Al-Falih, in addition to Abeer AlAkel, Acting CEO of the Royal Commission for AlUla.

The committee meeting was also attended by France’s Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, the French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty HE Antoine Armand, and Jean-Yves Le Drian, Chairman of the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (AfAlUla).

During this second meeting of the joint committee, members praised the establishment of Villa Hegra as a non-profit Saudi Foundation, results of its 2023-24 pre-opening programming. The Villa Hegra cultural centre at AlUla was enshrined in an agreement signed during the visit of President Emmanuel Macron to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 4 December 2021.

The Saudi-French Committee also welcomed the partnership between RCU and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne announced earlier this year, which opened a new chapter in the long-standing and mutually beneficial collaborations with leading French institutions.

As well as establishing new integrated systems of research, training, information sharing and documentation, which will contribute to the documentation of AlUla’s 200,000 years of human history and north-west Arabia’s history in one of the world’s largest archaeological reference libraries, the agreement will also open fresh avenues of development in areas related to scientific study, tourism, archaeology, history, and art to support AlUla’s regeneration into a global hub for collaboration, learning, culture, art, and community.

This includes the establishment of the Jaussen & Savignac Archaeological Research Centre with twin locations in AlUla, Saudi Arabia, and Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France, serving as a hub for the unique comprehensive research, publication, and dissemination of scholarly work related to north-west Saudi Arabia, as well as an endowed Jaussen & Savignac Chair which will be established to promote academic excellence and archaeological research in the Kingdom’s north-west.

The agreement also spans a Jaussen & Savignac Chair Master Programme in the fields of Archaeology and Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, as well as annual training workshops and archaeological field schools situated in AlUla.

Saudi Arabia and France recently celebrated more than 20 years of archaeological cooperation, dating to 2002 at Hegra, and French experts continue to be part of AlUla’s archaeological journey. In 2019, an exhibition titled “AlUla: Wonder of Arabia” was held at the Arab World Institute in the French capital, Paris, showcasing the diversity and beauty of AlUla’s natural and cultural heritage, while in 2023, the Lihyanite King statue, the ‘Monumental Statue’, was loaned to the Louvre Museum highlighting the active cultural bridges between AlUla, Saudi Arabia and France.

Most recently, the Khaybar Longue Durée Archaeological Project, led by Dr. Guillaume Charloux, researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, and Dr. Munirah AlMushawh, archaeological survey manager at RCU, unveiled new archaeological research, revealing an exceptional Bronze Age town in the Khaybar oasis.

The discovery confirmed a major transition from mobile, nomadic life to settled, town life in the second half of the third millennium BCE, challenging previous notions surrounding northwestern Arabia urban life during the early and middle Bronze Age.

The committee also reaffirmed the importance of broader cross-sector cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France, pointing to ongoing efforts in AlUla across a number of sectors. AlUla has welcomed partnerships with over 80 French companies across construction, infrastructure, public services, and more including specialists from Alstom for the experiential tram design, FERRANDI Paris for co-creation of knowledge exchange and upskilling to unlock opportunities for the community, and the Accor group for its hospitality projects.

Construction is also underway on the Sharaan Resort and International Summit Centre, designed by world renowned French architect Jean Nouvel. Built directly into the mountains of Sharaan Nature Reserve, construction is being managed by French engineering group Bouygues Construction through a joint venture with Almabani, a leading Saudi engineering firm.

In line with AlUla’s transition into a new phase of its regeneration and development, the committee encouraged the participation of additional French institutions, as it seeks to expand mutual learning and growth, and define AlUla’s future as a center for culture, innovation, and shared global heritage.