In December 2021, the RCU signed a strategic agreement with FERRANDI Paris, renowned French school for culinary arts and hotel management.
Its aim is to set up an International College for Tourism and Hospitality (ICTH) in AlUla. AlUla will thus be able to benefit from the exceptional expertise of this world-renowned institution, while attracting and training local and international students, so that they in turn become professionals ready to develop these sectors locally.
The first courses will take place in a temporary building in 2024, before the College opens its doors in the final buildings, designed by the architects Lacaton & Vassal, along with the Villa Hegra as well as an apartment hotel. These three buildings will form a centre of excellence right in the heart of the city, and a shining reflection of the Saudi-French partnership as it is developed here in AlUla.