Inaugural Edition of Historic Jeddah Season Concludes Successfully

The premiere edition of Jeddah’s key destination season, Historic Jeddah Season, drew to a grand finale, attracting visitors to a series of activities that showcased the rich art, culture, tradition and heritage of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan to transform the tourism and hospitality sector within Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage (SCTNH), in partnership with key public sector organizations, hosted the Historic Jeddah Season in Al Balad District a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of Jeddah Season. Inspired by a vision to forge connections between the city’s culture and international art, the season opened on 8th June 2019 and continued for six weeks, until 18th July 2019. 

During the entertaining season, the streets of Al Balad saw overwhelming crowds filled with enthusiasm at the first edition of the Historic Jeddah Season. The publics’ vast interest and involvements in the season has shown that the Kingdom tourism opportunities have only began. Offering beauty in its tremendous history, the Al Balad District in Jeddah is a place like no other to the richness of Jeddah’s culture and has left an impressive mark in the minds of all visitors.

The Historic Jeddah Season celebrated the unique culture and heritage of Jeddah and aptly housed in the Al Balad district of Jeddah. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Al Balad district historically served as a gateway to Saudi Arabia. The season showcased installations, artworks, sculptures, photographs, shows, cuisines, and many more that captured the most significant milestones in the history and evolution of Jeddah. It brought together an inspiring and exciting lineup of family-oriented arts & culture events, unique entertainment shows, delectable food flavors and memorable retail & shopping experiences. 

Supported by Saudi Ministry of Culture, visitors immersed themselves in the cultural track of the Season with a diverse set of activities including: the first ever Immersive Theatre experience in Jeddah - Bait Al Dahaleezi, Field of Expression space for social and community-based activities, Al Ozwa Street Theatre social comedy play, Art Jameel for various traditional art workshops, , and the Kingdom’s first ever international art auction, the globally renowned Christie’s Auction.

Shahd Alhamzi from Sidra Event Entertainment said: “It was a great experience to be involved with this initiative, and partner with the inaugural Historic Jeddah Season as story tellers to the visitors coming to Jeddah. The response and level of enthusiasm we received from participants exceeded all our expectations. The Season is a great platform to showcase the culture and folklore of Al Balad, and we are certain that in the future, we will witness an elevation in terms of number of performers, collaborations for entertainment, and make the Historic Jeddah Season a must-attend event and tourist attraction within the Kingdom.”

In the entertainment track, the crowd seized a glimpse from every show starting with gravity-defying stunts by Building Walkers with acrobatic moves on vertical walls of buildings, the traditional Mizmar Dance Show, Stilts Band Parade, CYR Wheel artists act, in addition to other daily street music performers that were entertaining all guests of the Season in every corner with their eclectic blend of a variety of musical instruments.  

Further, visitors enjoyed “a surprise in every corner,” as they embarked on a gastronomical journey with Hejazi street food and a large variety of cuisines from all over the world. For instance, Catch, the globally-renowned seafood restaurant from New York, opened doors during the Season offering guests contemporary renditions of classic seafood preparations and providing them with an unforgettable fine dining experience. 

Another major attraction at the Season was Zawia 97 Historical Retail Space, which allowed visitors to walk through a lane filled with the aromatic spices and herbs of Jeddah. The idea of activating the alley was also to revive and reintroduce the craft of ‘Al Etarah’ to younger audiences. Visitors had the opportunity to visit various workshop spaces, spice and herb shops that are traditionally called, “Etarah”. The workshops included traditional wood carving and engraving. 

This area was also home to Bait Al Sharqi, the heritage building that sits at 97 degrees from the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca. The Bait Al Sharqi House hosted the Zawia 97 Craft Exhibit bringing to life traditional “Mangour”, a popular component within the Hijazi architecture found across Al Balad district. The space also hosted various retail outlets where products related to the craft were sold, and visitors could experience the unique way their forefathers lived. 

The grand finale may have descended, but inspiring stories are still being told about Historic Jeddah Season and they will continue to flutter all around the Kingdom in years to come. The 2019 Historic Jeddah Season has emerged as the most prominent cultural, art and entertainment event in the social calendar of Jeddah. Through the course of the Season, visitor feedback has been highly encouraging, putting Jeddah firmly on the map of the cultural capitals in the Arab region.