The Saudi Ministry of Culture today announced a collaboration with Google Arts & Culture to launch an official page dedicated to Historic Jeddah, one of Saudi Arabia’s sites registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This step aims to utilize modern digital technologies to highlight the cultural and historical value of the area.The initiative was announced during the Cultural Investment Conference, held in Riyadh.
The dedicated page, under the name ‘Explore Historic Jeddah’, features over thirty stories about Jeddah’s rich past, in addition to featuring online tours for areas within the district, including Beit Jokhdar Hotel, Bayt Nassif, Tariq Abdulhakim Museum, Al-Shafi’i mosque amongst others. The page will also feature AI-powered walking tours for a virtual exploration of the Historic Jeddah area.
Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim Al-Issa, the Director General of Historic Jeddah District, stated that the launch of the page represents a qualitative leap in introducing the district to the world and “through modern technologies, we have been able to showcase the heritage of Historic Jeddah to millions of virtual visitors and highlight its civilizational value, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030’s aim to safeguard cultural heritage and promote it as a key driver of national development.”
Commenting on the initiative, Amit Sood, Director & Founder, Google Arts & Culture said: “We are very excited to announce our first collaboration in Saudi Arabia which allows people to experience Historic Jeddah, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, virtually for the first time with immersive stories and leveraging Google AI. We are deeply committed to working with more Saudi cultural institutions to ensure we preserve the Kingdom’s heritage, and share it widely with a global audience.”
The launch of the official page for Historic Jeddah on the Google Arts & Culture platform is part of the Ministry of Culture’s efforts to strengthen global strategic partnerships. It aims to boost the international presence of Saudi heritage, archaeological, and historic sites, and introduce the global community to these locations that recount the Kingdom’s vast history and antiquity.
