AlUla strengthens global profile with comprehensive Saudi-French partnership

AlUla is becoming a prominent destination for cultural and knowledge exchange, thanks to broad Saudi-French partnerships in heritage, arts, education, and tourism. This strategic alliance between Saudi Arabia and France has been solidified, focusing on sectors such as archaeology, arts, education, tourism, hospitality, sustainability, and infrastructure.

AlUla's long history as a crossroads of civilizations and a bridge between peoples is evident in its diverse archaeological sites, including Dadan, Jabal Ikmah, the Old Town, and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hegra. The French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) has been established to collaborate with the Royal Commission for AlUla, leveraging French expertise in heritage preservation, tourism, and cultural development.

Since 2018, over 80 French companies have taken part in AlUla projects, demonstrating the depth of cooperation. The partnership has resulted in more than 20 years of archaeological collaboration, involving over 150 experts and launching 14 research projects since 2019. This has led to the creation of a permanent exhibition at the Dadan site, showcasing 100 artifacts that illustrate AlUla's historical periods and daily life, with a notable loan of one statuette to the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Academic and training programs have also been established, with French universities hosting 106 young Alula residents for study and 15 archaeology interns gaining valuable experience. The cultural exchange extends to the arts, with the Our Land exhibition at the AlUla Arts Festival in 2026 featuring over 80 artists from around the world. The Villa Hegra serves as a cultural institution promoting arts, creativity, and exchange.

Moreover, the partnership includes collaborations in hospitality, transport, infrastructure, sustainability, and environmental protection, all aimed at preserving AlUla's identity while boosting local community involvement. This model of knowledge exchange, capacity building, scientific research, and cultural and educational institution development exemplifies the Saudi-French partnership's role as a key driver of cultural and knowledge exchange between nations.