Decision 42 COM 7B.58

Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah (Saudi Arabia) (C 1361)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/18/42.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 40 COM 7B.27, adopted at its 40th session (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016),
3. Commends the State Party for the significant achievements in finalizing a detailed database of the buildings in the property and encourages it to pursue its efforts to include all the attributes relating to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, including its urban fabric within this database;
4. Welcomes the engagement of the State Party in achieving a more comprehensive management approach for the property and the adoption of legal instruments and institutional measures that would allow for its improved protection, conservation and management, as well as initial steps toward application of the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach to management of the property;
5. Also encourages the State Party to further develop an integrated conservation strategy for the property including systematic Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) studies, prepared in accordance with the ICOMOS Guidance on HIAs for Cultural World Heritage properties to be applied to significant projects within the property;
6. Notes the efforts undertaken by the State Party to prevent risk of fire and requests it to integrate those measures into a risk preparedness plan for the property;
7. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies:
   1. Detailed information on all plans, projects and strategies to be undertaken within the property, in particular on emblematic buildings and those at risk of collapse, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines,
   2. The Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) which has been prepared for the property,
   3. The integrated conservation strategy for the property including the HIA framework for specific projects,
   4. The risk management and prevention plan for the property;
8. Further requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2020, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 45th session in 2021.