Curtains came down on the 10-day Jeddah Heritage Festival on Saturday, and the organizers said it was a huge success with over 750,000 people visiting the festival.
This is the first of its kind festival held in Jeddah to raise awareness among the public about the rich heritage of the port city. The festival gains significance in the backdrop of the UNESCO rejecting the Kingdom’s request for inclusion of Jeddah’s Balad heritage district in the World Heritage list in the past on ground that the authorities didn’t taken any appropriate action to preserve the heritage or create awareness about it.
The event, which was inaugurated by Makkah Gov. Prince Mishal bin Abdullah, was also attended by Prince Mishal bin Majed and Prince Sultan bin Salman, chairman of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiques (SCTA).
Professor Abdullah Al-Dalawi, president of Jeddah Heritage festival committee, said over 750,000 people had visited the festival in Balad. He also termed it as a grand success in which all stake-holders played an important role.
Mazin Beterjee, vice chairman of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) hailed media’s role in the heritage festival, and said the organizers should make efforts to highlight the heritage issue consistently not only with the local media but also international.
The Kingdom has intensified its efforts to get the historical Jeddah district included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list including fulfilling all the criteria for applying again for listing in 2014.
This will be third site from the Kingdom seeking UNESCO recognition. Earlier, it had succeeded in getting Madain Saleh included in the World Heritage list as the first archaeological site in 2008 followed by Al-Darayia in 2010. In both cases, the sites met UNESCO’s selection criteria.
Mohammed Abdullah Al-Amri of SCTA in Makkah region told Arab News on the sidelines of the festival that they were hopeful that the UNESCO will consider the application this year. “The UNESCO inspection team can inspect the heritage site any time,” he said.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) — an organ of the UNESCO — had earlier rejected the Kingdom’s application to list Balad area stating that it was neglected, besides lack of public awareness of the importance and value of heritage sites, with residential houses coming up around such sites.
Floods and fire accidents had also damaged some of houses which are part of the heritage site. In 2010, seven such buildings were fully damaged and another 33 partially damaged in a fire incident. Al-Qadi’s house, a prominent landmark, was also destroyed in that fire.
In the past three decades, over 200 old houses were destroyed in various fire accidents in Balad area.
The number of historic houses has declined from 557 to 350 in recent years, according to Jeddah Municipality and SCTA officials.
Since then, authorities with the support of SCTA chairman Prince Sultan bin Salman and Jeddah Municipality, are making serious efforts to popularize Jeddah’s historic Hijaz heritage and also initiated several measures to conserve and renovate the heritage buildings in Balad.
Elaborate efforts are being made to popularize the heritage festival with active participation of private sector and also involving the younger generation of the city.
Old Jeddah has been an open museum for generations. Its traditional Hijaz heritage reflects the history of Jeddah. It is located in the city center and comprises many historical places. The city’s most distinctive features are the Jeddah Wall, which was built to protect the old city against Portuguese attacks; the small districts that hold stories of the beautiful bygone days; and a number of historic mosques and markets still visited by the people.
Jeddah Heritage Festival concludes its 10-day run
Jeddah Heritage Festival concludes its 10-day run
Saudi minister of Islamic affairs receives Malaysian counterpart in Jeddah
- Ministers address various topics, especially those concerning Islamic affairs
- Malaysian minister praises Saudi efforts to serve Muslims, holy sites in Makkah and Madinah
JEDDAH: Sheikh Abdullatif bin Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, the Saudi minister of Islamic affairs, met with his Malaysian counterpart, Dato Muhammad Naeem bin Mukhtar, in his office in Jeddah on Wednesday.
The ministers addressed various topics during the meeting, especially those concerning Islamic affairs, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
They discussed the Kingdom’s role in promoting moderate Islam based on the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, SPA added.
Bin Mukhtar praised the Kingdom’s efforts to serve Muslims worldwide and the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah.
He added that the memorandum of understanding between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia significantly benefited the Malaysian Muslim community through Qur’anic programs and the visits of imams to the Two Holy Mosques in the Kingdom.
KSrelief’s 11th aid plane lands at Damascus airport
- KSrelief dispatched dozens of aid trucks and planes after collapse of Assad regime
RIYADH: The 11th Saudi relief plane landed at Damascus International Airport in Syria on Wednesday as part of a humanitarian airlift launched by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre.
After the collapse of Bashar Assad’s regime early in December, KSrelief has sent dozens of trucks and planes loaded with food, shelter, and medical supplies to meet the urgent basic needs of Syrians.
Experts discuss AI’s role in enhancing pilgrim experiences
- Discussions at Jeddah conference focus on crowd control, personalized services, sustainable solutions
- Tamer Bdran, vice president of NEC Saudi Arabia Ltd., discussed the role of global technical solutions tailored to the unique needs of Hajj and Umrah
JEDDAH: Industry experts gathered to discuss how artificial intelligence can enhance the Hajj and Umrah experience for millions of pilgrims worldwide.
The discussions took place at the fourth Hajj and Umrah Services Conference and Exhibition in Jeddah, running until Jan. 16.
The event, themed “The Road to the Nusuk,” is hosted by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Pilgrim Experience Program, featuring over 300 local and international organizations showcasing innovations to improve the pilgrim experience.
The conversation began with an overview of the current state of Hajj and Umrah, with speakers noting that only 5 percent of available technical capabilities have been utilized so far.
Mohammed Al-Hamid, director of the AI Center at the Ministry of Interior, shared in the session “Personalizing Services for the Guests of Allah: Data and Digital Solutions” that the ministry has made significant progress in data and AI infrastructure.
He added that the ministry has played a key role in transforming the Hajj and Umrah experience into a seamless journey driven by technological innovation.
Al-Hamid said that AI can help manage crowds by tracking movements, identifying potential hazards, and making real-time adjustments to traffic flow.
“We are using AI to develop long-term solutions that enhance the sustainability of Hajj services, including managing human density by analyzing crowd flow and predicting congestion, offering multilingual guidance, utilizing big data to anticipate pilgrims' needs, and efficiently distributing human and technical resources,” he added.
Speakers then expressed optimism about how AI could address the urgent need for faster and more effective services.
Abdulaziz Al-Matahami, deputy minister of planning and digital transformation at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, said that the ministry first digitized traditional services, then moved to integrate government agencies to offer customized services for each pilgrim and Umrah performer.
He highlighted the new version of the Nusuk app, which provides comprehensive services such as hotel and flight reservations, historical tours, and permits for the Two Holy Mosques.
Al-Matahami also announced the launch of the Nusuk Business platform, aimed at enhancing integration with entrepreneurs to deliver innovative solutions for serving pilgrims.
In another session titled “Advanced Solutions and Technologies for Effective Crowd Management,” Fahad Al-Ghamdi, CEO of human resources at National Security Services Co., explained that the company operates as an integrated security system, offering consulting, risk analysis, and advanced technical solutions, such as mobile command and control centers with cameras supported by AI to analyze data in real time.
Tamer Bdran, vice president of NEC Saudi Arabia Ltd., discussed the role of global technical solutions tailored to the unique needs of Hajj and Umrah.
He said: “Technologies such as facial and fingerprint recognition, along with simulating crowd flow using supercomputing, have improved planning and reduced waiting times at ports and airports.”
Meanwhile, Saudi Ambassador to Spain Princess Haifa Al-Mogrin visited the Ministry of Interior’s pavilion at the conference. She was briefed on the ministry's efforts and initiatives to ensure a safe Hajj experience, including AI-enhanced security systems, digital solutions for crowd management at holy sites, the “No Hajj Without a Permit” campaign, and the Makkah Route initiative.
Saudi FM arrives in Thailand on official visit
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Bangkok for an official visit to Thailand on Wednesday.
The prince is set to discuss the relationship between Thailand and Saudi Arabia, leading the Kingdom’s delegation at the inaugural meeting of the Saudi-Thai Coordination Council.
Saudi commission registers 3,202 new heritage sites
- Newly registered sites include 16 in Riyadh, eight in Makkah, one in Qassim, two in the Eastern Province, 3,170 in Asir, two in Hail, one in Najran, and two in Baha
- Commission encouraged citizens and residents to report unregistered heritage sites via the Balagh platform, official social media accounts, or local branches
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission has registered 3,202 new sites in the National Urban Heritage Register, bringing the total to 28,202.
This reflects the richness of Saudi Arabia’s heritage and efforts to document and protect it, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The newly registered sites include 16 in Riyadh, eight in Makkah, one in Qassim, two in the Eastern Province, 3,170 in Asir, two in Hail, one in Najran, and two in Baha.
This registration follows the promulgation of the Antiquities, Museums and Urban Heritage Law; and a decision by the commission’s board of directors authorizing its CEO to register and protect heritage and archaeological sites.
The commission encouraged citizens and residents to report unregistered heritage sites via the Balagh platform, official social media accounts, or local branches.
