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Villa Hegra Launches in AlUla as First Saudi-French Cultural Hub

The opening ceremony drew a high-profile delegation, including French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot. SPA
The opening ceremony drew a high-profile delegation, including French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot. SPA
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Villa Hegra Launches in AlUla as First Saudi-French Cultural Hub

The opening ceremony drew a high-profile delegation, including French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot. SPA
The opening ceremony drew a high-profile delegation, including French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot. SPA

Villa Hegra, the first joint Saudi-French cultural foundation, officially launched its programs in AlUla Governorate with a significant cultural and artistic evening.

The opening ceremony drew a high-profile delegation, including French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati, French Agency for AlUla Development Chairman Jean-Yves Le Drian, Royal Commission for AlUla CEO Abeer AlAkel, and Villa Hegra CEO Fériel Fodil.

Fodil said that the launch represents a major step in the cultural cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France. She stressed that Villa Hegra will function as an international platform for dialogue and creativity, hosting artists from various fields to exchange experiences and develop joint projects.

She added that the foundation will use its diverse programs to invigorate the artistic and cultural movement in AlUla, working to establish the region as a global destination for the arts. Fodil also noted that the foundation's inclusion in the international ¡Viva Villa! network reflects growing confidence in its role as a major hub for regional and global cultural exchange.

Villa Hegra is a direct outcome of the cultural cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France, established under the patronage of the Royal Commission for AlUla and the French Agency for AlUla Development. It is set to be a pioneering center that hosts exhibitions, events, and cultural dialogues, thereby significantly enhancing AlUla's presence on the international cultural scene.

The new headquarters is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including an indoor cinema, dedicated artist studios, and extensive art exhibition halls, fostering an integrated environment for creativity in all its forms.

This inauguration is expected to play a vital role in solidifying AlUla's status as a global cultural landmark that successfully fuses authenticity and heritage with modern innovation and artistic creativity, aligning with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 in the culture and arts sector.

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Culture

Jazan Crafts Market Heritage Pavilion Revives Traditional Life and Culture

The Crafts Market offers an interactive cultural experience that blends storytelling and education - SPA
The Crafts Market offers an interactive cultural experience that blends storytelling and education - SPA
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Jazan Crafts Market Heritage Pavilion Revives Traditional Life and Culture

The Crafts Market offers an interactive cultural experience that blends storytelling and education - SPA
The Crafts Market offers an interactive cultural experience that blends storytelling and education - SPA

The Crafts Market in Jazan features an interactive heritage pavilion that narrates aspects of traditional life in the region, allowing visitors to experience folk customs, old games, women's traditional adornments, and cuisine that have preserved the community's identity across generations, according to SPA.

The Crafts Market, organized by the Alrowad Youth Association in Jazan and the Cultural House as part of the Year of Handicrafts 2025, offers an interactive cultural experience that blends storytelling and education.

It aims to connect new generations to the memory of place and time through dialogue and direct participation, attracting a large number of visitors who immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the village and old houses.

The experience fosters a space of joy, learning, and human connection.

Culture

King Saud University to Host Event on Saudi-Chinese Cultural Communication

King Saud University to Host Event on Saudi-Chinese Cultural Communication
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King Saud University to Host Event on Saudi-Chinese Cultural Communication

King Saud University to Host Event on Saudi-Chinese Cultural Communication

The King Saud University's Media Department is organizing a scholarly and cultural event on Tuesday focused on the future perspective of cultural communication between the Kingdom and China, SPA reported.

The event will address key areas, including the importance of cultural communication in the contemporary world, the established frameworks and experiences of the Saudi-Chinese cultural relationship, and future areas of integration and cooperation between the two countries.

Culture

Riyadh Hosts Final Session of Film Criticism Conference

The conference's three-day cultural program includes dialogue sessions, presentations, masterclasses, and film screenings - SPA
The conference's three-day cultural program includes dialogue sessions, presentations, masterclasses, and film screenings - SPA
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Riyadh Hosts Final Session of Film Criticism Conference

The conference's three-day cultural program includes dialogue sessions, presentations, masterclasses, and film screenings - SPA
The conference's three-day cultural program includes dialogue sessions, presentations, masterclasses, and film screenings - SPA

The final session of the Film Criticism Conference, organized by the Film Commission, kicked off Friday evening in Riyadh, bringing together a distinguished group of critics, academics, and filmmakers from the Kingdom and abroad to continue enriching the critical landscape and fostering cinematic dialogue in Saudi Arabia.

This Riyadh event is the third in a series organized across the Kingdom, following successful gatherings in Aseer and Al-Qatif.

The third edition focuses on the vital relationship between cinema and place, recognizing location as an essential element of visual storytelling and cultural identity, SPA reported.

The conference's three-day cultural program includes dialogue sessions, presentations, masterclasses, and film screenings.

It features more than 30 speakers and film experts from around the world, who will explore the presence of place in cinema as a visual and cultural space reflecting identity, memory, and social transformations.