France’s public transport specialists are working on innovative solutions for KSA’s mobility issues – particularly in areas where sustainability is at the heart of all new development.
While cultural links between the two countries are ages old, and France had already been advising on Riyahd’s rapid transport system, it was on 4 December 2021 that President Emmanuel Macron agreed a strategic partnership enabling the design and implementation of an integrated urban transport system for AlUla.
The official agreement between the RATP Group and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), will see the deployment of autonomous shuttle buses, contributing to the reduction of pollution around the historic sites of AlUla, as well as being a clean, durable, and intelligent solution.
These shuttle buses are part of an automated, 100% electric transport system between the southern entrance to the Old Town and the sites’ southern parking lot.
New routes from the Winter Park towards AlJadidah and Hegra are proposed at a later stage.
Following the initial agreement overseen by President Macron, France’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade, Attractiveness, and French Nationals Abroad, Olivier Becht, travelled to AlUla in December 2022.
During his visit, the Royal Commission for AlUla signed a foundational agreement with RATP Dev, a subsidiary of the RATP group, as well as two memoranda of understanding with the French companies Amane Advisors and Idverde concerning long-term strategic partnerships.
Named the “360 Mobility Plan”, the contract signed with RATP Dev aims to develop coherent local mobility solutions for residents and tourists that meet the region’s needs
RATP’s Dev 360 mobility plan is the cornerstone of sustainable mobility in AlUla, aimed at providing efficient and effective public and private mobility services.
To the partnership, RATP Dev will bring all of its expertise, its capacity to innovate, and its internationally recognized experience as public transport planner and operator.
In the spirit of collaborative development, the two partners will work to make AlUla a destination and a pleasant place to live – a place where travel will be fluid, safe, and environmentally friendly.
RATP Dev – the international arm of the French transport system specialists, already has experience in 18 countries on all continents. This ability to collaborate internationally is embodied in particular by the creation of interdisciplinary working groups (environment, design, operation, construction). The RCU and Afalula teams have also been inspired by the urban transport experiences of the cities of Dijon (France) and Casablanca (Morocco).
In an interview on the official site horizon-afalula.com (the French agency for the development of AlUla), Anne Lardoux, Director of the Environment & Infrastructures Division (AFALULA), explains that RATP Dev will implement electric bus technologies and, in a ‘test and learn’ approach, continue to define the urban transport strategy: “This agile method, based on short-term innovation, testing pilot services and accumulating first-use feedback, is a keystone of the partnership. The RCU and Afalula have also jointly launched an active consultation with the population regarding their ambitions for local public services.”
The aim is for AlUla not only to be at the forefront when it comes to cultural experiences, but also to showcase the best regional integrated urban transport experience. Denis Guillois, Chief Executive of RATP Dev Saudi Arabia, says that in AlUla, development issues are immense, and urban transport is no exception: “Both a driving force for regional development and a creator of links between the various projects, the future integrated urban transport system that will be deployed by RATP Dev will be fully integrated into the county urban development masterplans.”
The local population is at the heart of the project and logically, plays an important role in its success by inspiring and guiding those behind it, as it will enable not only a better quality of life (limiting traffic congestion, protecting the environment, improving connections between places) but also will have a direct effect thanks to the creation of numerous jobs.
“This engagement is at the heart of our vision of a sustainable and smart city and is part of the continuation of 120 years of group expertise,” adds Guillois.
The transport solution for AlUla forms part of a wider range of complementary products and services, from trams to micro-mobility, capable of competing with private cars.
“RATP Dev is committed to an ‘end-to-end’ contribution: from the design of the urban transport scheme to its everyday operation and maintenance,” says Lardoux. “That being said, local populations and visitors are already demanding an efficient service that meets their needs.”
French support for the development of AlUla dates back over five years already, as Saudi Arabia and France signed an initial intergovernmental agreement in April 2018 on the sustainable development of the AlUla region and its transformation into a world-class cultural and tourism destination.
BPI France Launches “French Touch Saudi Arabia”
On 19 June, 2023, Bpifrance launched an international mission entitled “French Touch Saudi Arabia” dedicated to the Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) sector, operated in partnership with Business France and the French Agency for the Development of AlUla (AFALULA). For five days, 16 selected companies will prospect the Saudi market to confirm their strategy of setting up in the Middle East. This mission aims to highlight the community of the French Touch, the movement of French creation, supported by Bpifrance, and to promote French culture as well as the art of living.
With an ambition to diversifying its economy and getting out of dependence on hydrocarbons, Saudi Arabia launched the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan in 2016. This programme aims to transform the Kingdom economically and socially, and includes a wide range of initiatives in the fields of archaeology, tourism, culture, education and the arts. Since the signing of a bilateral agreement between Saudi Arabia and France in 2018, AlUla, an emblematic project of Vision 2030, is one of the symbols of Franco-Saudi cooperation. This oasis in the province of Medina is one of the reflections of the national strategy for economic diversification, empowerment of local communities and preservation of heritage.
As part of this international mission, 16 French companies benefit from a rich programme, combining collective and individual time. First, the delegation meets, in Riyadh, some of the biggest contractors in the entertainment and culture sector: Saudi Ministry of Culture, JAX Museum, Qiddiya, etc. The companies will benefit from personalised business meetings, networking moments and privileged discussion times with the institutions in charge of Saudi megaprojects.
The delegation will then travel to AlUla to meet the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and visit the pre-Nabataean site. Individual meetings with the RCU, in charge of the megaproject, will allow them to propose innovative solutions for culture and entertainment, with the aim of building long-term relationships and contributing to the Saudi Vision 2030
(Photos courtesy of https://horizon-afalula.com/)
