Fellowship•Saudi Arabia · AlUla

UNESCO / Kingdoms Institute: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – AlUla Fellowships Programme

Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

TBA

The UNESCO / Kingdoms Institute: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – AlUla Fellowships Programme is a joint initiative of UNESCO and the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU). It places ten heritage professionals in a 24-month programme structured as three rotations: a 6-month fellowship at the Kingdoms Institute in AlUla, Saudi Arabia; a 12-month sponsored traineeship within the UNESCO Culture Programme (at Paris HQ or a field office in Abuja, Almaty, Amman, Bangkok, Cairo, Harare, Kingston, or Yaoundé); and a 6-month work placement with a Partner National Commission. Fellows are selected across five research profiles — Management of World Heritage Sites, Immovable Heritage Research, Heritage Conservation, Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Oases as Cultural Landscapes (two per profile). The aim is to build practical capacity in heritage research, conservation, and management.

Benefits & funding

  • Fully funded across all three rotations by the Royal Commission for AlUla.
  • Round-trip international (and regional) economy air travel for each rotation.
  • Accommodation, food, and local transportation (Rotation 1 covers these seven days a week).
  • Monthly stipends paid in accordance with UN rates for the duty station.
  • Medical insurance throughout the programme.
  • Hands-on training across AlUla, UNESCO, and a national commission, plus an international professional network.

Eligibility

  • Nationals of one of the 111 invited UNESCO Member States and Associate Members listed in Annex I (a defined list — not open to all nationalities).
  • At least 25 and under 40 years old at the time of application.
  • A university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in culture, heritage management, architecture, archaeology, conservation, museum management, cultural policy, anthropology, art history, international relations, or a related field; a first-level (bachelor’s) degree with at least two years of relevant experience is also accepted.
  • Excellent spoken and written English is essential; knowledge of another UNESCO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset.

Application process

  1. 1
    Read the official Application Guide and the annexes (Terms of Reference, traineeship posts, application and proposal forms).
  2. 2
    Prepare the required documents: a CV (max 2 pages), certified copies of diplomas, the completed application form (Annex 4), a one-page motivation letter, a proposal form (Annex 5, max 3 pages), a 2-minute self-introduction video in English, and a passport copy.
  3. 3
    Submit the complete application by email to alulafellowship@unesco.org by the stated deadline.

Program timeline

  1. Application deadline for the 2025 edition (Midnight, Central European Time)

    Sep 22, 2025

  2. Dates for the next edition not yet announced

    2026