In this article, we highlight the city of Jeddah, the bride of the Red Sea, among the best cities in terms of history and geographical location, and the most beautiful coastal city in the Kingdom.

Jeddah is the city that Sheikh Zayed, the ruler of the Emirates, said when he visited it in 1970 that he wished to have a city like this, and immediately after the construction works began in Dubai, which is currently considered the most dynamic and developed city in the Gulf.

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What does Jeddah need?

Jeddah has many advantages and features to become the greatest tourist city in the Middle East. It has the largest fountain in the world. It was also called the Gateway of the Two Holy Mosques, because it receives approximately 70% of pilgrims, and this is what makes it the largest port. Its population is approximately 3.9 million, according to the previous survey in 2014, and controls about 32% of the population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its real estate and architectural growth is the best and fastest in the Kingdom, which is considered a city with a distinctive footprint and tremendous development.

Through our studies and work, we did not find any worthy museum in the city, so how can a city like Jeddah not have many great museums that narrate its history and present to tourists its splendor and the nobility of its civilization? Some historians have said that Eve descended from Paradise to Jeddah (and this is according to what is said). Previously, the Kingdom had done diligent and continuous work to register historic Jeddah on the UNESCO list of historic sites, and this means that the historical and strategic advantage is guaranteed … So what is missing in this city?

The promising vision of the architect Ibrahim

In this regard, we contacted the architect Ibrahim Joharji of INJ Architects, and asked him a few questions about artistic development in the Kingdom and museums, as the Saudi architect believes that.

“The Kingdom and Jeddah in particular have a very different priority, and the art in the Misk Art Foundation, which was directly supervised by the Crown Prince, is one of the best patronage facilities for art, and there is a great link between art and architecture. We are very pleased to see that this issue will help improve the artistic taste of the Saudi citizen and visitors from inside and outside the country.”

“Jeddah has attracted about 6 million tourists by 2018, which makes it a distinguished sanctuary due to its strategic location and diversity of activities, and the number of museums in Jeddah is not exact, but about 12. I believe that the government is currently looking to invest in this promising and distinguished field. Paris alone contains 297 museums, including the Louvre Museum. For example, bay cities are also competing for distinctive museums to showcase their civilization to tourists,” added the architect.

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In this regard, architect Ibrahim Joharji believes that he wants to design a museum in Saudi Arabia, because the experience of designing a museum is very important. Every architect, amateur or experienced, must take into account the feelings and sentiments that a person experiences and how to interact with the works of art in a harmonious way. The design of the museum should be based on smell, sight, touch, sound and everything. The architect also believes that the abundance of museums is very little, about one museum for every half a million people, and this is very little by global indicators, as the Kingdom contains many artists, as well as many international works of art. It is a shame to see all these creations being lost due to the lack of museums.