Speaking to reporters after touring the area with Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Majed, Prince Sultan said the area has been hit by at least five fires every year over the past five years, adding that the buildings include many historical buildings.
“The historical region is not owned by the people of Jeddah. It’s a national property owned by the state,” said Prince Sultan, who earlier chaired a meeting of the Higher Committee for the Development of the Region.
The meeting, which was held at Naseef House, was also attended by Jeddah Mayor Adel Fakieh and the heads of various government departments.
He said a separate municipality would be established to take care of the historical region. “This is one of the UNESCO requirements to enlist the area as a world heritage site,” he said.
“We want to revive this region in order to restore the history of which all citizens in the Kingdom are proud of,” said Prince Sultan. “We want to make it one of the best heritage sites in the world. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, would not accept anything less than the best for the Kingdom,” he said.
He added that the time frame for the development would be announced by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal. He said he is unsure whether the last fire was deliberate or not. “Whatever the condition of the buildings, we have to rebuild them with the same stones and original material,” he said, adding that property owners would benefit a lot from the project.
He said the project is the result of consultation with UNESCO. He said UNESCO is to vote for Riyadh’s Daraeya historic region this summer. He also emphasized the need to convert the region into an economic, historical and cultural zone of high value, and referred to the efforts of previous governors of Makkah, Prince Majed and Prince Abdul Majeed, to develop the region.
He criticized the Jeddah municipality for not giving proper attention to this historical treasure, the only remaining old city in the Arab world. “It is a reflection of our Islamic architectural heritage. How can we neglect this place that is in front of us,” he asked.
Prince Sultan said a SR50 million project is being implemented in the region to establish a firefighting system. He also urged all related government departments to work together to protect the area.
“Some important decisions have been taken regarding undocumented workers living in buildings and electricity power connections. You will hear them very soon,” he said. “It will not be just on paper and people will see its results shortly.”
He said a new firm, named Wast Jeddah Company, has been established. It will present its plan to develop the region next month, adding that it would work in association with the Jeddah municipality.
“The commission will facilitate the procedures of property owners and developers,” said the SCTA chief, adding that the Saudi Credit Bank would provide necessary loans to heritage villages.
“Our goal is to develop the historical region into a mall for history and culture,” he said.
Prince Mishaal said the municipality has been negligent in taking care of the region. “From tomorrow, there will be an undeclared meeting to implement the decisions taken and those who delay will face punishment. Regulations relating to warehouses and housing will be implemented. All buildings in the area will be inspected and power connections will be removed if wires are not properly fixed. We’ll not allow the losing of anymore buildings in the region,” he said.
He added residents would be educated on how to avoid fires.
Fakieh said work on the firefighting system has already started. “Once the project is complete we would be able to deal with fires quickly.”
Hussein Baaqeel, chairman of the Jeddah Municipal Council, said building owners should adhere to the Civil Defense’s instructions. Every house in the region should be linked to the firefighting system, he added.
