PARIS: French and Saudi officials gathered in Paris on Friday at the French foreign ministry for discussions about advancing the AlUla development initiative.
The AlUla Committee, a joint initiative established under an intergovernmental agreement signed in April 2018, is the coordinating body for a range of ambitious projects being carried out by the Kingdom and France.
The projects focus on cultural preservation, tourism enhancement, economic growth, and environmental sustainability in Saudi Arabia’s AlUla region. The committee’s mandate includes overseeing the implementation and monitoring of the comprehensive 2018 accord, aimed at fostering broad-based progress in the area.
The French delegation at the meeting included senior figures from the ministries of European affairs and foreign relations, economy, and culture.
On the Saudi side, high-ranking officials from the culture, foreign, and investment ministries participated, along with representatives such as the president of the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) and the chairperson of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU).
French ministers Jean-Noel Barrot and Rachida Dati met with Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, Saudi Arabia’s culture minister, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Khaled Al-Faleh, investment minister.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, executive president of AFALULA, and Abeer Al-Akel, acting CEO of the RCU, also took part in the meeting.
The focus of the discussions was on assessing the state of the Franco-Saudi partnership and defining the future direction for AlUla’s development.
Participants reviewed collaborative projects that draw on French expertise, particularly in archaeological research — highlighted by the involvement of 120 French archaeologists and researchers in the region. Other focal points included cultural initiatives such as the Villa Hegra project, as well as advances in hospitality, transport and infrastructure.
Additionally, the meeting addressed the French Heritage Endowment Fund, which was established as part of the 2018 agreement, and reinforced its continued commitment to supporting heritage conservation and cultural initiatives tied to AlUla’s unique historical significance.
