The Heritage Authority in the Qassim region organized the second interactive workshop within the “Empowering Owners of Heritage Site Assets Initiative,” with the aim of involving owners of privately owned heritage assets in protecting and rehabilitating them, introducing them to the available support pathways, and enabling them to benefit from them and invest their assets within a sustainable development system.
The importance of the initiative is highlighted by the fact that privately owned heritage assets constitute more than 90% of the total buildings and sites registered in the National Register of Urban Heritage, which reinforces the importance of involving owners and enabling them to protect and sustain this national heritage.
The Authority is implementing the initiative in cooperation with the Cultural Fund as an empowerment partner, to introduce the financial and empowerment solutions and services available to establishments and entrepreneurs in the heritage sector, and to review the mechanisms for benefiting from them.
The initiative includes integrated pathways for technical and legislative empowerment, financial support, awareness programs, and linking to investment and financing opportunities, which contribute to supporting the growth of projects and establishments operating in the heritage sector and enhancing their sustainability.
The workshop reviewed the most prominent aspects of support provided by the Authority to owners, including the preparation of architectural and structural studies, the issuance of guidance manuals, the provision of necessary legal forms and texts, in addition to qualifying consultants and contractors specializing in restoration work.
The workshop introduced the Urban Heritage Service, which allows owners to submit support requests, upload data and photos, and complete procedures electronically.
The initiative seeks to transform the challenges associated with the maintenance of heritage buildings into development and investment opportunities, by encouraging their use in cultural hospitality projects, hosting events, supporting craft industries, and providing job opportunities, in addition to motivating local communities to establish cooperative entities to manage heritage assets within their scope.
The initiative is in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, by strengthening the partnership with owners of heritage assets, and enabling them to preserve, rehabilitate and invest in them, in a way that contributes to the sustainability of the national heritage and enhances its presence as one of the components of the national identity.
Read also:
The Heritage Authority registers 9,586 assets in the National Register of Urban Heritage
