The Service for Cooperation and Culture (SCAC)
The SCAC of the Consulate General of France in Jeddah is part of the SCAC of the French Embassy in Riyadh.
The SCAC missions are divided into five main poles:
- Universities, Scientific and Technical Cooperation;
- Promotion and teaching of French language;
- Promotion of studies in France for Saudi and third countries’ students;
- Cultural diffusion and art exchanges;
- Government supervision of the French International School of Jeddah.
1) Universities, Scientific and Technical Cooperation
The SCAC is in charge of Universities, Scientific and Technical Cooperation between France and Saudi Arabia. It proposes bilateral cooperation projects between French and Saudi organisations; it supports other projects led by third parties as well as the process leading to the signature of bilateral agreements and their implementation.
Around 20 agreements are currently in force or are being discussed with 8 public and private institutions of Jeddah and its region. In that framework, the SCAC also promotes academic partnerships (joint programmes) with French universities and/or public and private research organisations. Several times per year, it supports missions of Saudi experts/researchers in France, or missions of French experts/researchers in Saudi Arabia, for long or short stays. Finally, it proposes and organises the visits of French officials in Jeddah or Saudi officials in France, in the view of developing bilateral cooperation projects.
The SCAC missions also cover the sector of heritage protection and archaeology in all the Western Provinces of the Kingdom. This includes for example projects regarding the old town of Jeddah, or prestigious sites like Madaen-Saleh and Kilwa where French archaeologists have collaborated with Saudi teams for 10 years.
Contacts cooperation: lisbeth.choquet@diplomatie.gouv.fr/ kamel.ben-njima@diplomatie.gouv.fr
2) Promotion and teaching of French language
A new centre of Alliance Française d’Arabie Saoudite has opened in Jeddah in January 2013. The SCAC of Jeddah ensures the direction of this centre, by delegation of the Steering Board of the Alliance Française d’Arabie Saoudite in Riyadh. The Alliance Française is a network of centres notably aiming at developing the teaching of French language since 1883. There are now more than 1000 Alliances Françaises in 135 countries. Two other centres of Alliance française d’Arabie Saoudite started their activities in 2012 in Riyadh and al-Khobar.
The centre Alliance Française of Djeddah, which comes after the Centre Franco-Saoudien (CFS), is located at the 2nd floor of the Jamjoom Commercial Centre, next to the new Corniche and Palestine street, which has just been renovated.
The Alliance Française centre of Djeddah is dedicated to the teaching of French language for adults (a Female Section and a Male Section), for children (club every Thursdays morning and summer trainings and activities) and for companies (trainings, professional French lessons, etc.). The centre is certified by the French Ministry of Education (CIEP) and the Paris Chamber of Commerce (CCIP) for the organisation of exams in the view of getting a language diploma, delivered by those institutions. It is equipped with a library for students and teachers of French language for whom it will be managed as a resource centre.
The Alliance Française centre of Jeddah is a non-profit organisation under the authority of the Consulate General of France, partly self-funded with the receipts of the lessons, as well as sponsorships.
In parallel to the activities of the Alliance Française centre, the SCAC of Jeddah manages other projects of cooperation for the promotion of French language, together with other public and private institutions of Jeddah (French School of Jeddah, universities, international schools, private institutes, etc.).
ALLIANCE FRANCAISE Address: Al-Andalous District - Palestine Street - JAMJOOM Commercial Centre, Gates 5 or 6 (2nd floor) Tel: 012 66 12 280 - 05 92 10 52 50 Email: info.jeddah@af-ksa.com
3) Promotion of studies in France for Saudi and third countries’ students
The SCAC of Jeddah hosts since January 2011 one of the 141 « Espaces Campus France », distributed in 110 countries, whose mission is:
to promote the French Higher Education system and Professional training for foreign students;
to welcome and to develop the international mobility of students and researchers, including the support for visa procedures.
The Campus France agency, located in Paris, is under the supervision of the foreign Affairs Ministry and the Higher Education and Research Ministry. All the University and other higher Education organisations in France have joined the Forum Campus France.
Each year, the Espace Campus France of Jeddah welcomes around 1000 visits of pupils and students which led to the expatriation to France of 400 students in 2012, most of them being Saudi nationals, in various towns, academic institutions and domains.
Contacts Espace Campus France of Jeddah: kamel.ben-njima@diplomatie.gouv.fr/www.campusfrance.org
4) Cultural diffusion and art exchanges
The SCAC organises a cultural programme all year long with various kinds of events: concerts, exhibitions, conferences, cultural meetings. The objective is to encourage the cultural dialogue between French and Saudi artists, and beyond, between Francophonie and Arabic cultures.
A growing number of events are organised in partnership with public and private Saudi institutions of Jeddah, allowing to perpetuate art exchanges and to leverage the cultural offer by organising events in other premises than the Consulate General or the Residence of France in Jeddah. This allows proposing additional events like conferences in Arabic and in English. The SCAC works in parallel in close collaboration with the French International School and French associations in Jeddah who also propose a very dynamic cultural programme. Cross-work trainings of French and Saudi artists (plastic art, photography) are also organised by the SCAC in order to develop the cultural dialogue. The SCAC co-organises in Jeddah, along with its Francophone and European partners, respectively, the annual celebration of Francophonie and the le European Film Festival.
A regular and cosmopolitan public attends the events organised by the French Consulate, including around two thirds of Saudi nationals. The Residence of France and the exhibition-conference room of the French Consulate are now considered as must spots of the Jeddah cultural life.
All the cultural events of the French Consulate are funded thanks to the support of the « Cercle des amis de la culture française » which closely works with the SCAC in charge of establishing and implementing the programme. It is composed of French and Saudi personalities who generously accept to sponsor the cultural activities.
Contacts cultural activities: lisbeth.choquet@diplomatie.gouv.fr/ scac.djeddah@gmail.com
5) Government supervision of the French International School of Jeddah
Created in 1966 according to a bilateral agreement between French and Saudi Governments, always in force, The International French School of Jeddah is managed by a Steering Board elected by the Parents Assembly (Groupement des Parents d’Elèves de l’Ecole =GPE=). The French Embassy in Riyadh, représented by the SCAC of Jeddah, and the General Consul of France in Jeddah, who can be represented by the SCAC if he wishes, are full members of the Board as governmental supervisors of the school. As such, the SCAC participates to the strategic decisions of the School management.
The school belongs since 2009 to the world network of Mission Laïque Française (MLF), a French non-profit organisation, aiming at diffusing French language, culture and values. The admission of a pupil in the school implies the full adhesion to the principles and rules established by the Assembly, ans well as the MLF values. The school is self-funded through the school fees.
The International French School of Jeddah is now working on a great project of new location, in a new building meeting the most advanced standards for a school. This project is managed by a dedicated committee chaired by the Ambassador of France and composed of the General Consul of France, the Bureau of the Steering board of the School and the Cooperation and cultural Attaché.
Contacts SCAC: lisbeth.choquet@diplomatie.gouv.fr/ kamel.ben-njima@diplomatie.gouv.fr