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Towards a Framework for the Socio-Spatial- Economic Regeneration of Historical Suqs
Alouthah, Deema
Alouthah, Deema
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Abstract
Saudi Arabia has hundreds of heritage places all around its cities. Old Jeddah is one of the most significant places among them. It is known as Albalad, which is rich in heritage and cultural values. In 2014, Albalad was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Since then, the government has begun to promote and regenerate the area to attract visitors and tourists worldwide. In 2022, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched a project about revitalizing Historical Jeddah. This project aims to develop the whole historical context, including the old Suqs, to be more socially and economically livable as part of the main objectives of Saudi Vision 2030. These historical Suqs are full of crafts and traditional products surrounding historical buildings. Historical Jeddah suqs include four main ones: The Al-Alawi, Bedouin, Al-khaskiyah, and Nada markets. However, the rapid growth and the emergence of the oil era led to the historic Jeddah deterioration. This deterioration has affected the economic and social aspects of old Suqs. Accordingly, this paper addresses the socio-spatial challenges facing the regeneration of the historic Souq in an attempt to increase the livability of these Suqs to be more attractive not only for tourists but also for residents and typical users. The research will identify different challenges users face inside the Al-Balad region on weekends and weekdays to deduce the best regeneration scenarios. This will ensure the conservation of the historical identity while corresponding to all current needs of all users and tourists and make use of all abandoned spaces and historical buildings included within the historical Suqs. This research methodology conducts a triangulated method using qualitative and quantitative data collection tools. This includes questionnaires in addition to semi-structured interviews that will be managed with traders of Albalad Market and decision-makers. Furthermore, the in-depth on-site observation method shall cover a specific market zone which is Al-Alawi Suq. Finally, the expected result of this research is the deduction of a framework for regenerating the historical Suqs of Albalad to revitalize them socially and economically.