The French Agency for AlUla Development welcomes the signing of a partnership between the Royal Commission for AlUla and the French school of culinary arts and hospitality management FERRANDI Paris

In April 2018, Saudi Arabia and France signed an intergovernmental agreement on the sustainable development of the AlUla region and its transformation into a world-class cultural and tourist destination.

Born from this agreement, the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (AFALULA) aims to mobilize all French expertise (experts, operators, companies) and to support, within a co-construction framework, its Saudi partner, the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU).

The Agency brings together some of the world’s best experts in all the key areas of the project: museography, archaeology, architecture and urban planning, agriculture and botany, tourism, education, infrastructure, horses, security, water and environmental management.

The joint desire of Saudi Arabia and France is to implement, through the AlUla project, a new model of economic and touristic development focused on the preservation of the environment, respectful of history, territories and inclusive of the local population. This component of sustainable development is at the heart of the bilateral agreement signed between the two nations.

During the visit of the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Jeddah), on 4 December 2021, a major partnership was signed with the French school FERRANDI Paris for the development of the International College for Tourism & Hospitality (ICTH) in AlUla, a training college for culinary arts, hotel management and tourism professions.

The signing of this partnership with the French school of excellence FERRANDI Paris confirms the entry of the AlUla project into its implementation phase and the progress towards its great ambition: the transformation of this region with its exceptional heritage into a world-class cultural and tourist destination. France, renowned for its art of living and the world’s leading tourist destination, is a key ally in achieving this goal.
Gérard Mestrallet, Executive Chairman of AFALULA

FERRANDI Paris is honoured and proud to support Saudi Arabia in the development of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 programme. This contract will help to promote the excellence of FERRANDI Paris’ training in culinary arts and hospitality management in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.
Jean-Paul Rigal, Chairman of the Board of Directors of FERRANDI Paris

The contract signed with the French school FERRANDI Paris aims to create a training college in culinary arts, hotel management and tourism professions

The Trademark License and Technical Assistance Agreement signed between the Royal Commission for AlUla and the FERRANDI Paris School ensures AlUla the exclusivity for the Kingdom of the brand and the excellence of the training of the prestigious Parisian school.

This agreement makes FERRANDI Paris the academic partner of AlUla’s future International College for Tourism & Hospitality. This college will offer diploma courses in culinary arts, hotel management and tourism professions, to meet the priority needs of local players in the restaurant, tourism and hospitality sectors: about 14,000 new jobs will be available in the coming years in AlUla.

The school will also provide field support aimed at the implementation of the institution’s quality standards and pedagogical excellence, while complying with Saudi educational standards.

A first cohort of 15 hotel management students will be officially launched in January 2022. The selection process of these young women and men from AlUla made it possible to verify the enthusiasm of the local population for this training offer. The local hotel sector will soon be able to welcome these new talents trained on the FERRANDI Paris competency framework.

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