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).
