RIYADH — The first phase of developing Arbaeen lagoon waterfront in Historic Jeddah has been completed. This is part of the Historic Jeddah Revitalization Program, which was launched by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in 2021 and its works started early last year. The Arbaeen lagoon waterfront will be developed, with green spaces and open gardens, giving new breath to the Historic Area.

The first phase of the project included the removal of basic facilities and infrastructure in preparation for the beginning of the second phase of the development works, which will begin in the first quarter of 2024. It includes re-excavating the area that was filled in as a result of urban expansion in the past decades, constructing a pier and improving water quality.

The waterfront development project, which comes within the general plan of the Historic Jeddah Revitalization project, aims to returning seawater to the old port of Punt to its closest possible form, while receiving special attention in view of the port’s great historical value extending over thousands of years and its fundamental impact on Jeddah, its people and its culture.

Areas around the lagoon have already been filled in with the aim of development work, which led to a change in the shape of the lagoon and created a great distance between the port and the sea. The project aims to return the sea to the port, and build an integrated environment in which natural elements are available, including seafronts with a length of five kilometers, and develop the infrastructure and equipment necessary for it. This is in addition to creating a sustainable environment surrounding the waterfront area, which represents an economic tributary and an attractive destination for business and enables cultural and creative projects.

The project is part of a comprehensive vision to develop the area surrounding the waterfront, which contains the marina area or a yacht marina, and also includes new residential and hotel neighborhoods north and south of the lagoon, markets and restaurants that will contribute to creating a sustainable residential and commercial community.

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