Saudi-French Joint Ministerial Committee on AlUla Underlines Commitment to Deepen Partnership

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman held discussions with French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu at the historic Les Invalides complex in Paris. The meeting, held in the Cour d'Honneur of the complex, underscores the deepening partnership between Saudi Arabia and France, with a specific focus on the development of AlUla.

Les Invalides, officially known as the Hôtel National des Invalides, is a landmark with over three and a half centuries of history. Constructed in the 1670s by King Louis XIV to house elderly and wounded soldiers, it now contains the Army Museum and the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. Its iconic gilded dome, which was once the tallest structure in Paris, is covered in approximately 550,000 sheets of gold leaf.

The Cour d'Honneur, the largest courtyard within the complex, serves as a venue for military and national ceremonies. It features a collection of 60 bronze cannons and a statue of Napoleon. The complex also holds historical significance for the French Revolution, as revolutionaries seized weapons from Les Invalides in 1789 to use in the storming of the Bastille.

The joint ministerial committee meeting signifies a commitment to enhance cooperation between the two nations. The choice of Les Invalides as the venue highlights the historical and cultural ties that underpin the strategic relationship between Saudi Arabia and France.