JEDDAH, 5 February 2008 — The Jeddah Municipality yesterday announced its readiness to make available SR20,000 in loans to the owners of old buildings in the historic district of Jeddah to renovate them immediately. The municipality’s offer came after an historical building (Baashen House) in the area caught fire recently as a result of an electrical short-circuit.
Dr. Adnan Adas, director of the department for developing and renovating buildings in the historic district, said property owners were responsible for the recurrent fires.
He raised objections against renting old buildings to large number of Saudi and expatriate tenants, saying the buildings lack the capability to hold them.
“A special panel has been formed to identify buildings that require immediate renovation and the eviction of their occupants,” the official said. “A technical directory has been prepared for the renovation of these buildings,” he added.
Brig. Mohammad Al-Ghamdi, director of Civil Defense in Jeddah, attributed the recurrent fires in these old buildings to their occupants.
“Some people use these buildings to store clothes and other goods,” he pointed out.
He also emphasized the need for spraying the wooden scuttles with special paint to prevent them from catching fire. He also proposed the setting up of a special fire-fighting network in the area to put out fires quickly.
There are about 550 historical buildings in the district. Fifty of them are listed as Grade One buildings, 250 Grade Two and 250 Grade Three.
During the last 25 years some 60 buildings have collapsed. The last two years have seen some 10 to 13 buildings in the district either collapsed or burned.
