SAUDI ARABIA: Jeddah festival highlights city's heritage with aims for UNESCO recognition

Record ID: 189311

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: Jeddah festival highlights city's heritage with aims for UNESCO recognition
  • Date: 22nd January 2014
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF TRADITIONAL DANCERS WITH SWORDS AUDIENCE WATCHING
  • Embargoed: 6th February 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA81PA9N9VP88FGOUCANQ2SBRA8
  • Story Text: Jeddah is hoping to put itself in the limelight as a world heritage location, with a festival in the port city aimed at showcasing the Red Sea city's history and culture.
    As traditional dancers entertained a packed audience on the event's opening night, festival organiser Mohammad Al-Omary spoke of the event's relevance.
    ''We are talking from an important point of view for us in Saudi Arabia, we're talking about the legacy of great culture, talking about historic Jeddah, the only city on two shores of the Red Sea that still retains its urban heritage,'' said Al Omary.
    The oil rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia already has UNESCO recognised historic areas, but officials and locals are keen for Jeddah to also have that status.
    Only last year the government announced plans to resubmit its application to UNESCO, and included proposals to encourage home-owners to restore their properties under expert guidance with loans and other financial incentives, as is the practice in some other countries with huge restoration projects.
    ''We thank God that the state has made great efforts to preserve this area, it's been raised with UNESCO, there is a proportion of $50 million dollars per annum initially allocated for development projects and the development of the historical city of Jeddah,'' said Al Omary speaking at the festival.
    Jeddah's old district is made up of a seventh-century historic district, with its mud and coral town houses adorned with ornate wooden balconies, holding the only remnants of the traditional architecture of the Hijaz, as the western Arabian Peninsula is known.
    The festival, located in Jeddah's historic quarter, features traditional dance groups, local cuisine and examples of historic handicrafts such as jewellery, dresses and distinctive wooden door locks.
    Those taking part in the event said they were grateful for the support.
    ''It's a nice gesture from the young people and the community to care about the heritage and for a festival of this kind to be held in the historic city of Jeddah,'' said Saeed a shop owner in the historic part of the city.
    Locals looking at trinkets and other items on display agreed that maintaining the city's sites is important.
    ''We have to maintain this heritage which is considered a treasure from the treasures of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the city of Jeddah,'' said Jaber Al-Omairi.
    A previous effort to list the historic area as a UNESCO world heritage site, which officials had said would jump-start restoration work, failed in part because there was no realistic master plan.
    The deputy of Jeddah's governorate, Mohammad Al-Wafi, said they're hoping to join the UNESCO would heritage list this year, at present the city is on the 'tentative list'. But authorities are submitting a nomination file, which is the second stage of the process.
    ''All of this event is to present the file of the historic city of Jeddah, which was nominated in 2013 and is expected to be voted on in 2014 for it to join the UNESCO heritage list,'' said Al-Wafi.
    But officials have their work cut out, Jeddah's humid climate rots the houses' wood and erodes their walls, meaning they require constant maintenance.
    Local laws stipulate that this be done with mud and coral limestone drawn from the Red Sea, using costly traditional building techniques.
    Costs of restoration vary depending on the size and extent of damage to a house, but can range from 50,000 riyals ($13,000 USD) to over 3 million.
    Of 600 old houses counted a decade ago only 450 remain, but officials are committed to investing and maintaining the coastal city's heritage.
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