French technology group Thales has signed a $42 million deal with Saudi Arabia to secure the heritage site and landmarks of the ancient oasis city of AlUla, the French Development Agency said Wednesday.
“This cooperation is a reminder of the excellence of our French companies in cutting-edge technologies designed to facilitate the sustainable management” of sites, said France’s former foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, now president of Afalula, the French agency overseeing AlUla development.
The agency said the partnership will “furnish 24/7 surveillance and control of public sites as well as buildings housing important archaeological finds.”
The French Agency was created in 2018 to galvanise cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia with a view to aiding sustainable development while making AlUla, situated in Medina province, a global tourist destination as Riyadh diversifies and moves away from an oil-based economy.
The ancient city is just 25 kilometres (13 miles) south of Al-Hijr — also known as Hegra and Mada’in Salih, one of six of Saudi Arabia’s UNESCO world heritage sites.
The Thales partnership comes hot on the heels of a partnership struck earlier this week with another French firm, transport multinational Alstom, which won a contract to provide rolling stock and systems for a tram at AlUla linking the city’s airport to five historical regions from 2027.
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