Decision 44 COM 7B.136

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

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/21/44.COM/7B,
2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7B.58, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
3. Commends the State Party for continuing to develop the database for the property to encompass additional layers, and encourages it to pursue its efforts in this regard to ensure that all attributes relating to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property are included within this database;
4. Takes note of the establishment of the Jeddah Historic District (JHD) programme, and welcomes the substantial efforts of the State Party in undertaking the preparation of a number of strategic documents and plans, including a Masterplan, in addition to implementing conservation and rehabilitation projects;
5. Acknowledges the State Party’s efforts in the implementation of the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach to the management and urban regeneration of the property and also encourages it to continue sharing information with the World Heritage Centre in that regard;
6. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, the complete version of the documents provided in the report, particularly:
   1. The Regeneration and Development Plan (Masterplan),
   2. Complete technical information on conservation/restoration projects,
   3. The Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) framework for the Masterplan,
   4. The complete integrated conservation strategy, design guidelines, and restoration manual,
   5. The risk management and prevention plan for the property;
7. Reminds the State Party of the need to inform the World Heritage Centre in due course about any major development project that may negatively impact the OUV of the property, before any irreversible decisions are made, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines;
8. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 December 2022, 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 46th session.