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French Agency for
ALULA development

Governance

Jean-Yves Le Drian
Jean-Yves Le Drian
Chairman of the French Agency for AlUla Development

This year, the AlUla project celebrates 5 years of particulary fruitful Franco-Saudi cooperation, guided by a demanding ambition in terms of sustainable development. A series of decisive milestones have been achieved in all the fields covered by the project, with the aim of making this region with its exceptional heritage one of the Kingdom’s cultural capitals and a world-class tourist destination.

Afalula

The French Agency’s mission is to support its Saudi partner, the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), in the transformation of the AlUla region into a worldwide cultural and touristic destination.

News

Vue reconstituée d’un réseau de remparts dans la partie nord de l'oasis fortifiée de Khaybar vers 2000 avant notre ère, © Projet archéologique Khaybar Longue Durée, M. Bussy & G. Charloux.

The discovery of a long rampart protecting the Khaybar oasis revolutionizes the history of the Arabian Peninsula

January 10, 2024

The French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) are delighted to announce a breakthrough in scientific research on the Arabian Peninsula, thanks to the team from the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) as part of the Khaybar Longue Durée archaeological project led by AFALULA in collaboration with…

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The French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) welcomes the signing of a major partnership between the Centre Pompidou and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) for the development of a Contemporary Art Museum in AlUla

November 28, 2023

Saudi Arabia and France signed an intergovernmental agreement in April 2018 on the sustainable development of the AlUla region and its transformation into a world-class cultural and tourism destination. As a result of this agreement, the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) was created to mobilize all French know-how (experts, operators, companies) and to support…

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During the 7th edition of the FII Forum, the Royal Commission for AlUla signs a multi-million SAR strategic security integration project to protect heritage sites and historic landmarks with French group Thales

October 25, 2023

During the 7th edition of the FII Forum, a partnership valued at 159 million SAR was concluded between the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the French group Thales. This contract aims to implement advanced protection of key areas, historical sites, and buildings in AlUla, utilizing continuous surveillance integrated into the RCU’s digital platforms. Part of an agreement between Saudi Arabia and France, this partnership demonstrates the ambition to make AlUla a leading cultural and touristic destination on an international scale. With Thales, state-of-the-art security systems will be deployed to ensure optimal protection of AlUla’s cultural and historical treasures. This new agreement thus reinforces AlUla’s positioning on the global cultural and touristic scene.

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