The organizing committee of Jeddah Historic Festival, which includes Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) and Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), launched a website recently to promote the heritage sites of the city.

The site (www.historicjeddah.com) is created with the cooperation of Android and Apple’s social networks, with the aim of providing latest information about the festival in an interactive manner.

The festival, which is held under the patronage of Makkah Gov. Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah, will kick off in Jeddah’s Al Balad district on Jan. 16.

46 traditional, cultural and educational activities as well as comedy plays and folk dance shows will also be organized at the event. The 10-day festival will highlight the Hijazi culture of the region in a dynamic and entertaining way.

Ali Talib Almarrani, the festival’s media director, said that the organizing committee took the initiative of creating the website in order to reach the widest segment of the public.

Mohammed Khoja, the site developer, said that the online portal will be linked with smart phone applications, offering a wide range of maps, pictures and information.

Khoja said that the tourism sector needs to engage with social media applications and modern technology to reach a wider segment of the society, especially the youth. More than 6,000 visitors are expected to visit the festival.