French school to train aspiring chefs from Al-Ula

The Royal Commission for Al-Ula (RCU) has announced a partnership with FERRANDI Paris, France’s leading school of culinary arts and hospitality management.
The partnership will see the development of a world-class training program in gastronomy, which will take young and aspiring chefs from Al-Ula to study in the French capital.
During the first phase of the program, 24 chefs from Al-Ula will be chosen to take part in a specially curated four-month course at the school. Senior experts from FERRANDI will visit Al-Ula to interview applicants and select 24 participants.
After their return to Al-Ula, the newly trained chefs will have the chance to work under the supervision of 10 Michelin-starred chefs to craft locally inspired “Taste of Al-Ula” menus to be served to VIP guests attending the second season of Winter at Tantora, held annually in Al-Ula.
RCU’s CEO Amr Al-Madani said the initiative represented another key program in a series that the RCU is offering to Al-Ula citizens, to deliver innovative employment opportunities based in personal and professional development.
“This partnership with FERRANDI Paris will equip a new generation of talented Al-Ula men and women with the tools necessary to become the leading chefs and culinary entrepreneurs,” he said.
FERRANDI Paris CEO Bruno de Monte expressed his pleasure in welcoming the youth of Al-Ula to Paris and the school. “We have built a program especially for them, the future culinary greats of Saudi Arabian gastronomy,” he said.
Gerard Mestrallet, executive president of the French Agency for Al-Ula Development (AFALULA), said: “As a partner of RCU in the development of Al-Ula, AFALULA is very proud of this partnership with FERRANDI. It will allow the new generations of Al-Ula young chefs to capitalize on French excellence in the field of culinary art and hospitality management.”
RCU’s partnership with FERRANDI Paris, developed under the leadership of Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammad bin Farhan Al-Saud, comes under the efforts exerted by RCU to build and develop Al-Ula youths’ potential through global cultural exchanges and dedication to international best practice.

To be considered for the program, candidates must be between 21 and 35 years old, graduates of Al-Ula high schools and have an intermediate knowledge of English.
The application period will be between July 5 and July 9. Candidates can submit applications online at https://www.ferrandi-paris.com/alula-special-program.
The names of 24 successful applicants will be announced on July 26 following interviews by FERRANDI Paris tutors in Al-Ula, and training will begin by the end of August.

The culinary initiative is in line with the objectives of RCU’s charter to help create and inspire new and diverse economic sectors in Al-Ula while involving the local community. The initiative is the latest component of a plan to develop Al-Ula and its natural wonders and ancient cultural sites into one of the world’s leading tourism destinations.
FERRANDI Paris was founded in 1920 by the CCI Paris Ile-de-France, offering an array of programs up to master’s degrees, all of which prepare students for a career in gastronomy or hotel management. FERRANDI Paris is the only school in the hotel and restaurant sector in France whose bachelor diplomas are recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education and Innovation.
FERRANDI teaches 2,500 students and 2,000 professionals and individuals seeking a career change from France and abroad.