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

Within the framework of the strategic cooperation between UNESCO and the Royal Commission for AIUla to protect, develop and promote AIUla in UNESCO’s field of competence and to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNESCO and the Kingdoms Institute, the main instrument of Royal Commission for AIUla for research and conservation of Heritage, will jointly convene 5 fellows in the fields of Heritage Research, Conservation and Management for a 10-month fellowship programme.

With the aim of improving the scientific knowledge on Heritage Research and Conservation and strengthening World Heritage management capacity, including with regards to emergency preparedness and response, this programme provides additional learning opportunities to highly-skilled heritage experts and professionals, by combining on-the-field training in the Kingdoms Institute, with on-the-job experience in the culture/heritage-related programmes and activities of UNESCO.

The programme will last for 10 months and take place in two phases:

- Phase 1: 4-month fellowship in the Kingdoms Institute, in Saudi Arabia

- Phase 2: 6-month sponsored traineeship in one of the following duty stations of UNESCO: Paris HQs (notably the World Heritage Centre, or the Emergency Preparedness and Response Unit of the Culture Sector), UNESCO Field Offices in Cairo, Amman, Venice.

A Terms of Reference of the placement offer for the 2 phases of assignment is provided in the Annex I of Application Guide. 

For the first edition of the programme, nationals from the following 19 Member States are invited to apply:

Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

Applicants should meet the following general requirements:

• Minimum twenty (25) years old and under the age of forty (40) when applying.
• University degree (Master's Degree or equivalent) in the field of: culture, Heritage management, architecture, urban planning/development, archaeology, conservation, museum management, cultural policies, international relations, social and human sciences or a related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• Excellent knowledge of English (oral and written) and working knowledge of Arabic. Knowledge of French is preferable.

Applications, with all the required documents should be submitted by email to ALULA2022@unesco.org by Midnight (Central European Time) on 31 January 2023.

Applicants who submit incomplete application, or submit applications after the deadline, will not be considered.

1. A Curriculum Vitae 
2. Certified photocopies of diplomas.
3. An Application Form* completed in English (1 page maximum).
4. A motivation letter written in English (1 page maximum).
5. A proposal form* completed in English (maximum 3 pages).
6. A copy of Passport with an expiry date later than July 2023.

Please note: Documents in a language other than English must be attached with a notarized English translation and all submitted documents must be clear, authentic, and valid.

*Please find the Application Form and Proposal form in the Annex II and Annex III of Application Guide.

Applications will be assessed and selected by UNESCO and Royal Commission for AlUla. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, and the final selection will be jointly decided by UNESCO and Royal Commission for AlUla, considering the joint commitment of UNESCO and Saudi Authority to ensure gender equality and cultural diversity.