RIYADH: In January, a fantastical scene took place between the valleys of AlUla: French highliners dotted the sky in a suspenseful performance, while Compagnie de Chaillot acrobats and children from the AlUla community down below moved together, building on the idea of transcendence.
This was a performance at Wadi AlFann as part of the programming for AlUla Arts Festival under Villa Hegra, put on by Rachid Ouramdane, Nathan Paulin and Christophe Chassol, the creative minds behind Vertige (Vertigo).
It exemplifies what Franco-Saudi ties look like today: a harmonious dance.
Eight years ago, Saudi Arabia and France agreed to develop AlUla jointly, and this evolved far beyond its archaeological landscape.
Their master plan incorporates historical conservation, contemporary art, design, tourism, education and cultural exchange as the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) works alongside the French Agency for AlUla Development (Afalula).
Since 2019, the close collaboration between the RCU and Afalula, which was established to bring French expertise to the city, has resulted in more than 170 contracts signed to French companies, with a combined value surpassing $200 million.
Villa Hegra, a French-Saudi multidisciplinary institution, was agreed upon in 2021 and formally constituted by royal decree during French President Emmanuel Macron’s 2024 visit to Saudi Arabia.
The space combines explorations into contemporary art, dance, performance, design, cinema and research, offering exhibition and studio spaces, educational workshops and AlUla’s first indoor cinema.
Its opening in 2025 created a significant hub for bringing international expertise to AlUla and exporting local talent to the world.
When the RCU partnered with the Centre Pompidou in France under an intergovernmental agreement, it was expected to lend its experience, creativity, and wisdom as advisers and advocates for the unique contemporary art museum in AlUla, which held its first exhibition, “Arduna,” earlier this year as part of AlUla Arts Festival.
The inaugural show, which gave a glimpse into the upcoming museum space with Afalula’s support, brought more than 80 artworks by local and international artists as they explored transformations in the relationship between humanity and the environment in six thematic chapters.
Laurent Le Bon, president of the Centre Pompidou, said: “This exhibition is a very important step in our partnership with the RCU, as we welcome people to witness the first fruits of Centre Pompidou’s strategic advisory role for AlUla’s forthcoming contemporary art museum. We share the fundamental mission of promoting cultural heritage and fostering lasting intercultural dialogue, and we look forward to welcoming the public, and particularly young visitors, to this unique exhibition showcasing the artistic landscapes of Saudi Arabia, France and well beyond.”
In archaeology and conservation, five years’ worth of discoveries in Dadan by the French-Saudi mission, comprised of researchers from the RCU and the French National Center for Scientific Research, were presented in a permanent exhibition at the site, titled “Illuminating Discoveries: Uncovering the Layers of Dadan’s History,” marking the its reopening in late 2025.
One of the discoveries revealed evidence that bridges a major historical gap between the Nabataean and early Islamic periods in Wadi Al-Qura.
“These findings show that AlUla was part of a thriving network of settlements across northwestern Arabia in the centuries leading up to the rise of Islam,” said Abdulrahman Al-Suhaibani, RCU’s vice president of culture.
RCU and Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University are collaborating on archaeology training and research, including an international master’s program, field schools and plans for a research chair and center linking Paris and AlUla.
AlUla is set to strengthen its global profile in design with the “Life of Forms” exhibition during Paris Design Week 2026 from Sept. 8-13, bringing together works by artists and designers developed through AlUla’s artist residency programs.
As they explore the relationship between art and design, the creatives will also highlight how natural materials and traditional crafts shape contemporary design perspectives and AlUla’s integrated cultural ecosystem rooted in historical and natural heritage.
For Saudi Arabia, France’s decades of institutional expertise is vital for its development and amplification of heritage and cultural diplomacy. For France, AlUla is a key hub in this changing region to platform its cultural institutions, artists, researchers and cultural industries.
