- Saudi Arabia partners with France to host Villa Hegra at AlUla 

- Cultural complex to mark arrival of the 'French villa' model in the Middle 
East 

- Agreements with Ferrandi Paris, Dassault Systèmes and RATP DeV Saudi Arabia 
to develop AlUla into a global smart city for residents and visitors  

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) today announced the signing of four 
strategic agreements – including one for Villa Hegra, introducing the iconic 
'French villa' model in the Middle East.

The signings coincided with Saturday's official visit to Jeddah by the French 
President Emmanuel Macron and his meeting with His Royal Highness Prince 
Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Chairman of the 
Board of Directors of the Royal Commission for AlUla County.

The partnerships come as part of RCU's integrated development programme to 
transform AlUla into a global cultural and natural heritage destination and a 
gateway city offering an outstanding quality of life for residents and visitors.

Villa Hegra at AlUla will be a unique place where artists, writers and painters 
come together, representing a continuity of AlUla's legacy as a hub of 
commercial and cultural exchange. It will be respectful of the environment and 
history, and inclusive of local populations. Currently there are 11 iterations 
of the "Villa" worldwide, with seven in France and four overseas from Mexico to 
Rome, each showcasing the best of French and global culture. 

The 15,100 sq m Villa Hegra will be a cluster of entities including the 
exclusive AlUla International College of Tourism & Hospitality, a 6,600 sq m 
lifestyle apartment-hotel, cultural centre, arts residence quarters and social 
club.

Signing the agreements for Villa Hegra were H.H. Prince Badr bin Farhan Al 
Saud, Governor of the Royal commission for AlUla and H.E. Jean-Yves Le Drian, 
Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

"The relationship between France and Saudi Arabia is built upon mutual 
recognition of the important of cultural exchange and development. Since the 
signing of our first agreements in 2018, we have worked together to create a 
new template for cultural diplomacy – one that puts the sharing of knowledge, 
expertise and resources at the fore and opens up new opportunities for the 
local community. The arrival of Villa Hegra at AlUla adds another layer to 
AlUla's legacy as a place for the world to come together," said Amr AlMadani, 
Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Commission for AlUla.

RCU also signed an exclusive agreement with the Ferrandi Paris Culinary Arts 
and Hospitality Institute to jointly create a Ferrandi-branded AlUla 
International College of Tourism & Hospitality to accelerate the long-term 
vision of establishing AlUla as the regional home of hospitality, tourism and 
the culinary arts. 

Signed by Amr AlMadani, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Commission for 
AlUla, and Bruno de Monte, CEO of Ferrandi, the exclusive partnership will 
contribute to AlUla's strategy to become the primary knowledge and training hub 
for tourism, hospitality and culinary arts in the Kingdom. By partnering with 
world-class institutions, it aims to attract and upskill international and 
local talent into industry professionals to lead the sectors growth in AlUla.

In addition to Villa Hegra and the Ferrandi Paris Culinary Arts and Hospitality 
Institute, RCU also signed agreements with Dassault Systèmes and RATP DeV Saudi 
Arabia, focused on delivering a city fit for the future – providing citizens, 
residents and tourists with an outstanding quality of life by streamlining and 
digitizing processes and delivering public transport and mobility operations. 

With Dassault Systèmes, RCU has partnered on the creation of a digital twin – a 
digital copy of AlUla that will function as an important tool for planning, 
development, municipal operations, community and investor citizens and 
investors. The agreement builds on the efforts of RCU to develop an integrated 
geo-spatial database.

Similarly, the partnership with RATP DeV Saudi Arabia leverages the 
organisation's 120 years of transport operation in the development of a world 
class public transportation system in AlUla. The partnership will see RCU 
access the latest in mobility innovation and best practices in mobility 
operations and solutions, including autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles and 
hybrid vehicles that meet the needs of locals and tourists alike.

"AlUla is an experimental lab for the future of tourism. By partnering with 
industry leading entities such as the Ferrandi Paris Culinary Arts and 
Hospitality Institute, Dassault Systèmes and RATP DeV Saudi Arabia, we can 
access their vast store of knowledge, industry know-how as well as research and 
innovation to build a destination that is not only a cultural and artistic 
haven and a benchmark for sustainable development but an economic engine for 
the industry," added Amr AlMadani, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal 
Commission for AlUla.

The agreements are an extension of the strong co-operation between the two 
nations across diverse sectors in AlUla following the signing of an 
intergovernmental agreement to develop new cultural, education and arts assets 
at AlUla on April 10, 2018. The agreement has led to a strong French role in 
AlUla, in areas from archaeology to smart-city infrastructure to hospitality, 
with the architect Jean Nouvel planning to build a luxury resort that will be 
carved into the sandstone rocks of AlUla, thereby reviving the traditional 
stonework of the area's ancient Nabataean masons. 

On the side lines of the Presidential visit, RCU also took part in a 
Saudi-French investment forum at Jeddah to explore further opportunities of 
mutual benefit.

For signing imagery, please click here.

For media enquiries please contact the RCU Public Relations team at 
publicrelations@rcu.gov.sa 

Note to editors: 

It is always AlUla / not Al-Ula

About the Royal Commission for AlUla

The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 
2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and 
cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU's long-term plan outlines 
a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic 
development, that preserves the area's natural and historic heritage, while 
establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This 
encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture, 
education, and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic 
diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation 
priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme.

Source: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)