The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, has on Thursday arrived in Paris, France, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
During his visit to the French capital, Prince Faisal will take part in the second meeting of the Saudi-French ministerial committee in charge of AlUla Development Project. The Saudi Foreign Minister will also have a lunch meeting with France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot.
Separately, the Saudi Minister of Culture, Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, met with his French counterpart, Rachida Dati, in Paris on Wednesday. During their meeting, both ministers discussed ways to deepen cultural cooperation.
They also explored cultural exchanges between the two countries and cooperation in fields related to museums, libraries, theatre, arts, heritage and film production. Both Saudi Arabia and France look forward to providing training programs for the workers in the cultural sector and exchanging expertise in order to bolster partnerships and foster talent.
One of the flagship joint Saudi-French initiatives is the AlUla Project, which is part of Vision 2030 plans to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy and establish the Kingdom’s position on the global stage.
In 2018, France signed a landmark intergovernmental agreement with Saudi Arabia to jointly lead the sustainable development of AlUla. The agreement aims to transform AlUla into a premier tourist destination while preserving its rich cultural heritage and historical legacy.
To this end, France established the French Agency for AlUla Development (AFALULA) to cooperate with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) in developing the ancient oasis city. AlUla Project involves developing an archaeological, cultural and touristic complex to serve as an open-air living museum to showcase the region’s spectacular archeological sites and fascinating landscapes.
