The Jeddah mayor's office has launched a study to determine the fate of 62 monuments at the Jeddah Corniche which are obstructing seafront projects. The monuments may either be relocated or removed permanently according to Yaser Azhar, Secretary of the Consultative Beautification Committee at the mayor's office. The committee of specialists was formed in April and consists of 14 artists – 11 men and four women. They have been tasked with restoring, maintaining and improving artwork in the city. The committee is chaired by Dr. Hani Abu Rass, Mayor of Jeddah, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. Azhar said the monuments are divided into three categories. The first category includes international art work that needs to be restored and then a decision taken on their placement. The second category is of lesser important artwork, he added. However, the third category is of “bad art” that does not fit into the vision of the development taking place at the Corniche. The mayoralty wants art projects that express the character of the Bride of the Red Sea and its heritage. The projects must be completed in two years. An initial plan was drafted to change the fronts of buildings on main roads, said Dr. Bahjat Hamwa, Director General of Municipal Facilities at the mayor's office and Vice Chairman of the committee. At their first meeting, the committee had discussed a project to add Arabic and English details to the monuments, including the name of the artists and historical information. The entire city has about 620 monuments worth about SR3 billion. They all need to either be relocated or removed. Alhandasa and Addarraja squares have the largest and most famous artworks in the city. Alhandasa has giant mathematical instruments and is at the intersection of Sari and Makarona streets. It was built in 1986 at a cost of SR1.5 million. Addarraja (the bicycle) square on northern Sitteen Road is listed in the Guinness World Records. It was made from the remains of the first Saudi marble factory.
