Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region, chairs the High Committee for the Development of Historical Jeddah. (SPA photo) JEDDAH: Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, has chaired a meeting of the High Committee for the Development of Historical Jeddah to review progress in works and advance the area's candidacy for inclusion on the list of United Nations World Heritage Sites. Prince Khaled said in a press statement Friday that the meeting, which was also attended by Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), and Jeddah Governor Prince Mish'al Bin Majed, produced a number of “important decisions” to address damage caused by recent flooding in the district and accelerate works on the Historical Jeddah development project. The Emir's statement said that the meeting made a decision for the appointment of a manager to the development project to “coordinate and improve its management”. “This is an extremely important project in promoting the cultural values of the city of Jeddah, representing as it does the ‘Gateway to the Two Holy Mosques', and will help achieve the development sought for the area,” Prince Khaled said. SCTA President Prince Salman said in a separate statement that the meeting was significant for its discussions on how to resolve delays in the progress of the project and “accelerate the identification of dangerous sites and removing collapsing buildings that pose a threat to residents and visitors”. “It is important to provide the funding necessary to save and develop sites and put in place the foundations to encourage building owners to take interest in their properties and invest in them, and work with the company managing the project to speed up its execution and meet its commitments stated in the agreement signed last year,” Prince Salman said. Prince Salman said that some hold-ups were due to “multiple-ownership of properties, private and endowment ownership, and the slow work of developers”. “The SCTA has been working and will continue to work with a number of authorities, including the Ministry of Rural and Municipal Affairs, on numerous heritage sites that have been developed with a high level of competence,” he said.
