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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

Saudi Visual Arts Commission Signs MoU with Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris to Strengthen Collaboration in Visual Arts

Saudi Visual Arts Commission Signs MoU with Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris to Strengthen Collaboration in Visual Arts
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Saudi Visual Arts Commission Signs MoU with Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris to Strengthen Collaboration in Visual Arts

Saudi Visual Arts Commission Signs MoU with Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris to Strengthen Collaboration in Visual Arts

The Saudi Visual Arts Commission has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cité Internationale des arts in Paris to strengthen collaboration, exchange expertise in the visual arts, and explore areas of cooperation that support artists and practitioners and broaden their access to artistic, cultural, and professional exchange.

Areas of collaboration include developing visual arts-related initiatives and residency programs, exploring opportunities to involve local and international artists and talent in programs organized by both parties, and supporting Saudi artists and expanding their opportunities to connect with the global art scene, SPA reported.

The two parties will also collaborate on organizing joint initiatives and exhibitions, exchanging expertise and knowledge, and engaging experts and professionals in mentorship, professional guidance, and talent development initiatives.

The MoU forms part of the commission’s efforts to support the visual arts ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, strengthen international cultural exchange and collaboration, and expand opportunities for artists and cultural practitioners to engage and develop professionally, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to support the growth of the cultural sector, empower practitioners, and enhance the Kingdom’s cultural presence internationally.

Culture

Pompeii’s Grandest House Gets a $1.6 Million Restoration Funded by Private Sponsor

In this undated handout photo provided on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, by the Pompeii Archaeological Park, restorers work inside the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus in Pompeii, near Naples, Italy. (Silvia Vacca/ Pompeii Archaeological Park via AP)
In this undated handout photo provided on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, by the Pompeii Archaeological Park, restorers work inside the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus in Pompeii, near Naples, Italy. (Silvia Vacca/ Pompeii Archaeological Park via AP)
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Pompeii’s Grandest House Gets a $1.6 Million Restoration Funded by Private Sponsor

In this undated handout photo provided on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, by the Pompeii Archaeological Park, restorers work inside the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus in Pompeii, near Naples, Italy. (Silvia Vacca/ Pompeii Archaeological Park via AP)
In this undated handout photo provided on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, by the Pompeii Archaeological Park, restorers work inside the House of Marcus Fabius Rufus in Pompeii, near Naples, Italy. (Silvia Vacca/ Pompeii Archaeological Park via AP)

An ancient residence believed to be the grandest in the Pompeii archaeological site is being restored with the entire 1.4 million euros ($1.6 million) cost being covered by a private sponsor, officials announced Tuesday.

The house of Marcus Fabius Rufus, modeled after Rome’s imperial palaces and buried in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvio that destroyed the ancient city in 79 A.D., has been inaccessible to the public since 1980. Originally built on Pompeii’s city walls, it features four floors connected by a maze of corridors and staircases.

Part of it is expected to open to guided groups by Christmas, officials for the Archeological Park of Pompeii said.

The renovation is being paid for by a German entrepreneur, Frank Hoefer, who contacted the archaeological park after reading superintendent Gabriel Zuchtriegel’s 2023 book: “Pompeii: The Enchanted City.”

“Restoring the spectacular residence of Marcus Fabius Rufus ... is a project I find exciting,” Hoefer said in a release. “I also have the impression that Pompeii is very open to innovative approaches to preservation and public access.”

Zuchtriegel said the goal is to expand such sponsorships.

“This does not mean that from tomorrow on if we had 50 such sponsors we would be able to abolish the entrance ticket, putting it at just a symbolic one-euro price, but it is a perspective towards which we have to work to develop the site,” Zuchtriegel said in a video statement.

Structural work was carried out on the house from 2021-2023, and current renovations are focused on the frescoes, including the famous Venus of Pompeii located in a chapel within the residence. The owner was believed to be a magistrate or a freedman of the imperial household.

Zuchtriegel said work was also being done to make the complex more accessible, and digital technology was being developed to help people grasp the “incredible labyrinth” that makes up the house.

“At times, you feel like you are in a 19th-century palace in Naples, yet this is a Roman house from 2,000 years ago,” Zuchtriegel said.

Culture

Saudi Arabia Named Guest of Honor at Algiers International Book Fair 2026

Saudi Arabia Named Guest of Honor at Algiers International Book Fair 2026
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Saudi Arabia Named Guest of Honor at Algiers International Book Fair 2026

Saudi Arabia Named Guest of Honor at Algiers International Book Fair 2026

Saudi Arabia will be the guest of honor at the Algiers International Book Fair 2026, taking place from October 28 to November 7 at the Palais des Expositions in Pins Maritimes. The Kingdom's participation aims to strengthen cultural exchange with Algeria.

Saudi Arabia's selection as guest of honor reflects the strong fraternal relations between the two countries and the rapid development of the Kingdom's cultural sector, supported by the Saudi leadership. These efforts have helped strengthen the global presence of Saudi culture and raise awareness of the Kingdom's cultural heritage.

The Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission will lead the Kingdom's participation in the fair, organizing a cultural program featuring seminars, panel discussions, and poetry evenings. The events will bring together a distinguished group of intellectuals, writers, and specialists. The program will also highlight Saudi Arabia's literary scene and the creative momentum across various cultural fields.

The Saudi pavilion will feature sections dedicated to handicrafts, traditional Saudi attire, and musical instruments, alongside an exhibition of manuscripts and archaeological replicas.

It will host performances of Saudi performing arts that reflect the depth of the Kingdom's cultural heritage, as well as screenings of Saudi films.

Several government entities, authorities, and cultural organizations will participate, presenting a comprehensive picture of cultural activity across various sectors in Saudi Arabia.

The pavilion is expected to offer an integrated cultural experience that reflects the richness and diversity of Saudi identity. It will showcase cultural achievements made under Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to establish culture as a component of quality of life and a means of fostering cultural exchange among peoples.