The Saudi-French cultural institution Villa Hegra, envisioned as “an incubator for artists and creators,” celebrated the first anniversary of its pre-opening program. Over the past year, the institution has hosted a diverse array of cultural activities, concerts, artistic retreats, and research programs in the heart of AlUla. This inaugural pre-opening cycle will continue until the end of the year.
Villa Hegra was officially established on Dec. 4, 2021, through an intergovernmental agreement signed by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah Al-Saud and Jean-Yves Le Drian, then-French Minister of Foreign Affairs and now president of AfAlula. One of its goals is to foster cultural dialogue between Saudi Arabia and France.
Saudi-French Cultural Institution
“It is not a private initiative. It is a state-to-state initiative that represents the willingness of two parties to collaborate at the cultural level,” Fériel Fodil, CEO of Villa Hegra, told Arab News’ French edition. “The villa will be a cluster of three assets: the cultural center, where the artist residencies will be located and will include a school for tourism and hospitality (Firendi Al-Ula); an apartment hotel with 80 rooms; and the villa itself.”
The ultimate aim is to foster dialogue between both international and regional artists, local communities, and the oasis of Al-Ula.
“When I think about architects, I go back to their ethos around working with nature rather than against it. When I think about the villa, I want to build humble yet impactful programs (for it),” Fodil said. “Architects in Alula add, complete, and transform. They build around trees to preserve the oasis.”
Visual Arts Exhibitions
Villa Hegra will feature spaces dedicated to the performing arts, dance, research, a digital studio and visual arts exhibitions. It will also host artist residencies. The cultural center and artist residencies will be completed late 2026, following a year-long pre-opening program. The hotel and Firendi Al-Ula are expected to open in 2027.
Part of Villa Hegra will also be dedicated to a regeneration of the town’s oasis; the 10-hectare site itself will connect two fundamental elements of Al-Ula’s landscape: the urban and the natural.
“We are not (an add-on), we are rooted within the town,” said Fodil. “It is a very dense plot, and then very scattered in the oasis part. That (design) is going back to the heritage of Al-Ula where you have a winter farm and a ‘rihla’ — or journey — between the winter farm and the summer farm.”
Related Topics :
Paris Olympics to Serve Gourmet French Cuisine to Athletes, Visitors
French Diplomats Visit Jeddah Historic District Festival
AlUla Announces Launch of Villa Hegra in Collaboration with Paris National Opera
