The bill is estimated at 262 million euros for the State. But it does not take into account the increase in operating costs during this period. According to the estimates of the Court of Auditors, the project, including all costs, “should mobilize an envelope of around 358 million euros, entirely financed from the State budget. Added to this is an ambitious museum project from the Center Pompidou for post-2030, estimated at “180 million euros” from its own funds, with the help of “patronage”, “the circulation of works” and “the possible association of another country”, announced in February the president of the museum, Laurent Le Bon.
The kingdom, host of the 2030 Universal Exhibition, wishes to develop its cultural offering and increase its tourist attractiveness.
To reduce its bill, France has decided to count on Saudi Arabia by offering it an agreement that is surprising to say the least, focused on culture. This key ingredient in the vast societal transformation operation undertaken by Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman to diversify his economy also aims to restore his disastrous image in terms of human rights. “Saudi Arabia is trying to create an expatriate community through economic and social reforms.Vincent Juvyns, Global Market Strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, already told us several weeks ago. The latter highlighted the importance for the country to improve its cultural space for the purposes of societal transformation and international attractiveness.
France will therefore sign nine framework cooperation agreements to provide its expertise to Saudi Arabia. The kingdom, host of the 2030 Universal Exhibition, wishes to develop its cultural offering and increase its tourist attractiveness. These agreements concern areas such as preventive archaeology, heritage, museums, cinema, libraries, cultural engineering or the training of Saudi personnel.
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France had already signed a cultural cooperation agreement in 2018 which concerned the Al-Ula site, rich in archaeological remains. It oversees, among other things, the expertise that the Center Pompidou brings to a project to create a modern art museum in this region. The signed agreements thus extend this cultural cooperation with France to the entire Saudi territory.
