Balad district slowly crumbles as time takes its toll on many of the buildings abandoned over the last three decades. Last year Prince Sultan Bin Salman, secretary general of the Supreme Commission for Tourism (SCT), inaugurated a cleanup campaign in Old Jeddah in order to preserve the area for as long as possible. The Historic Area Preservation Department of Jeddah and SCT plan to embark on a major preservation program to win Unesco's recognition of Old Jedah as a World Heritage Site. At present , Old Jeddah is on Unesco's tentative list. According to Unesco, “The historical area of Jeddah is considered a unique example for architecture and urban fabric in the Mediterranean zone as well as the Arabian Peninsula. It is the only example left in the area of the Red Sea, especially after the vanishing of the identical historical quarters in cities such as: Suisse and Al- Qasseer in Egypt and Sawakin in Sudan.” Photo feature by Michael Bou
