Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The municipality has denied giving a license for the demolition of the historic Radio and TV building along the Meena (seaport) road in Al-Nuzla District in Jeddah and said for this reason the demolition work was stopped. Spokesman Mohammed Al-Bqami said the building should have obtained a license from the the municipality for the demolition and should also have a consultant's engineering office to supervise the safety of the demolition process. The municipality said the demolition of the building was stopped because there was no official permission to destroy it. Mohammed Al-Amri, director of the branch of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage said the history of the building makes a priority to preserve it as a national legacy of an important era in the history of media in the Kingdom. A number of the concerned government departments denied issuing any official papers for the demolition of the building by the Civil Defense. The demolition of the historic building had evoked strong reaction with many journalists calling for its preservation as a historic monument. According to informed sources the demolition of buildings will be decided by a technical committee comprising the municipality, the Civil Defense, the police and some other concerned parties. The committee will visit the building to assess if it was on the verge of collapse to decide its demolition.
