The historical area of Jeddah is witnessing a boost in tourism.

The decision of the Jeddah Municipality to cooperate with the Historical Preservation Area Council to make it a tourist attraction in line with its tradition is bearing fruit, according to city officials.

A development plan, including making the historical part of Jeddah a car-free area, is being implemented.

The first development experiment started a tour by Malak Ba’eisa, the mayor of Al-Sham and Al-Mathloom neighborhoods. He made a morning tour of the area by a stagecoach to explore the possibility of walking in its different parts.

“This is the latest decision by the municipality and supported by its officials to make the historical area a tourist attraction. The project is being implemented through coordination between relevant authorities.

Under the project, vehicles of only the Civil Defense and municipality’s cleaning division will be allowed entry into this area. This will leave visitors free to use stagecoaches,” Ba’eisa said.

He added: “We went on a trial tour using a stagecoach in the area with more comfort. We did that to explore the possibility of walking in the area, which proved to be successful and showed all areas can be accessed by stagecoach.

This will bring back the spirit of the area and blend with its ancient culture and style.”

Ba’eisa said the projects will be completed as soon as the municipality obtained permission from relevant authorities, stressing visits to the area doubled this year as against the same period last year.

Youngsters and citizens visiting the area is a positive sign for the success of the project.