End of the story. According to information fromEurope 1, Saudi Arabia will not be able to set up its pavilion at Les Invalides (photo above), in the heart of Paris, during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The announcement of the installation between May and August 2024 of a Saudi village on the site of the French armies, supposed to present to the public the cultural activities of the kingdom, had been debated since last month. The Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, declared himself in favor of the project, believing that this operation could be accompanied by significant funding for the Army Museum and the National Institute of Invalides. But she was buried by the military governor of Paris. Officially, the abandonment of the project is justified by a “ lack of return » from Saudi Arabia on the conditions set by France. Even if the Saudis resumed contact with their French interlocutors, the delays would be “ now too brief », explained the Ministry of the Armed Forces, for the installation of a Saudi village in Les Invalides from May. It now remains to be seen where the kingdom, a new stronghold of world sport with Olympic ambitions, will choose to set up, if not a village, at least a hospitality space.
