AlUla

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 its Saudi partner, the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), in a spirit of collaborative development.

On the occasion of International Francophonie Day and as part of the friendship between France and Saudi Arabia, Sous les étoiles d’AlUla, dedicated to French songs and co-presented by French TV presenter Laury Thilleman and Saudi comedian and writer Fatima Al-Banawi, will be broadcast on TV5MONDE on March 24th at 9 pm.

AlUla, Saudi Arabia, 21 February 2023: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the French Agency for AlUla Development (Afalula) present Palimpsest of Time: Explorations in Creative Practice from 17 February to 18 March 2023. Palimpsest of Time presents a survey of the AlUla Artist Residencies alongside an exhibition and open studio featuring artists who have participated in the current and previous editions of the programme. Set across two venues the programme is on show in Madrasat Addeera and Mabiti, AlUla.

Villa Hegra arts and culture project appoints CEO and architect to welcome the new stage of development for the institution and landmark destination dedicated to promoting and nurturing art and culture.

The French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) announces the appointment of Sophie Makariou as Scientific Director in charge of the Culture and Heritage division (Archaeology, Contemporary Art and Museums). Sophie Makariou was previously President of the Musée des Arts asiatiques – Guimet. She succeeds Jean-François Charnier, who left his post in September 2022. Gérard Mestrallet…

During the visit to AlUla of the Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness, and French Nationals Abroad, the Royal Commission for AlUla signed a foundational agreement with RATP Dev, a subsidiary of the RATP group, as well as two memoranda of understanding with the French companies Amane Advisors and Idverde concerning long-term strategic partnerships.

From December 4th, SAUDIA will resume its direct flights between Paris and AlUla in Saudi Arabia with one flight per week.

AlUla Saudi Arabia, 18 October 2022: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) is launching its latest Artist Residency programme in partnership with the French Agency for AlUla Development (Afalula).

A magnificent 2.3-meter-high statue carved from sandstone and presumably depicting an ancient Lihyanite king is on five-year loan from the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) to the Musée du Louvre. The Monumental Statue dates from the 5th to 3rd centuries BCE and was discovered by archaeologists working in Dadan in AlUla North- West of Saudi…

AlUla, Monday 27 June 2022 – The Royal Commission for AlUla reveals plans for Wadi AlFann, meaning ‘Valley of the Arts’, an awe-inspiring new global cultural destination for contemporary art, where era-defining works by some of the most compelling artists from around the world will be permanently placed in the monumental landscape of AlUla, the extraordinary desert region of north-west Saudi Arabia steeped in thousands of years of natural, historical and cultural heritage.