RCU partners with French School of Culinary and Hospitality to open tourism, arts and hospitality campus in AlUla

Royal Commission of AlUla has partnered with Ferrandi Paris, French School of Culinary and Hospitality to open tourism, arts and hospitality campus. A pioneering new educational and vocational training college will provide members of the AlUla community and students from further afield with the skills, knowledge, and know-how they need to forge exciting new careers in AlUla and across the Kingdom’s rapidly developing jobs ecosystem. Announced during the 8th edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, the upcoming FERRANDI Paris Campus AlUla is the result of an expansive, multi-year partnership between the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) and the historic French School of Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management , FERRANDI Paris. The college will provide extensive training in exciting fields to serve AlUla and Saudi Arabia’s growth as a global destination for tourism, investment, and discovery. The college is set to welcome its first intake of 100 students in 2025. The FERRANDI Paris Campus AlUla will offer diploma degree in culinary arts, hospitality, and tourism – specialist subjects that will cater to RCU’s comprehensive regeneration goals and equip residents with key skills. Programs include a preparatory year, followed by two years focused on specialization. This initiative reflects RCU’s broader commitment to investing in education at all levels, upskilling Saudi men and women in sectors including tourism, film, archaeology, and hospitality.
Culinary arts students can expect to learn the traditions, processes, and techniques of preparing and serving classic French cuisine and pastry. Hospitality and Tourism classes will cover the full range of roles and services required to meet the needs of growing numbers of visitors to AlUla and destinations around Saudi Arabia.
FERRANDI Paris Campus AlUla is aligned with the goals of Vision 2030 and RCU’s successful community upskilling projects such as the Hammayah Programme, which has engaged thousands of people from AlUla in cultural, heritage, and tourism initiatives. Meanwhile, initiatives like the AlUla Scholarship Programme continue to enrol Saudi students at leading international universities.
Establishing the new FERRANDI Paris Campus AlUla supports the deep-rooted relationship between Saudi and French entities, supported by AFALULA’s mission to drive forward with the development of AlUla as an international hub for the sharing of new skills and knowledge exchange. As well as local partners such as Colleges of Excellence Company to operate FERRANDI Paris Campus AlUla.
FERRANDI Paris boasts more than a century of experience providing the highest levels of training to hospitality professionals, which means the new FERRANDI Paris Campus AlUla will be a dynamic addition to AlUla’s education ecosystem and RCU’s network of global partners.
AlUla’s comprehensive regeneration is fuelling transformative growth, establishing it as a thriving, year-round international destination. This development is delivering a wealth of opportunities for an expanding ecosystem of industries, businesses, partners, and investors.