A prominent Jeddah family will soon develop their ancestral home in the historic part of the city to host literary and cultural activities.

The decision of the Sharbatly family comes in the wake of a call by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) to preserve the unique architecture of the area.

Prince Sultan bin Salman, the SCTA president, and Seifallah Mohammed Sharbatly, a prominent businessman, agreed to develop "Sharbatly House” in Balad.

The revamp would reflect traditional Hijazi culture but would have modern facilities, said Sharbatly here recently.

He said the house would be developed in phases, with the first phase involving the rehabilitation of the old wooden windows and doors. He said the main entrance was built about 100 years ago.

Sharbatly said the second phase would see workers restore the ceiling and introduce electricity and air-conditioning without compromising the original structure and design of the house.

The renovation would align with the heritage spirit of the Balad area, he said.

Sharbatly said the house would provide a space for cultural events including art exhibitions and poetry readings.

He praised Prince Sultan for helping to restore the heritage of the Balad area and attract tourists.

Sharbatly is a well-known poet and actively involved in poetry gatherings in the city.

The old area of Jeddah is located in the center of the city and predates Islam, according to sources. It includes several monuments and buildings of archeological interest, such as the Old Jeddah wall and its historic courtyards — Al-Mazloom, Al-Sham, Al-Yemen, and Al-Bahr Haras.

Most of Jeddah’s prominent business families have their roots in the district.