Investment of Heritage Villages in Saudi Arabia—Case Study of Al-Khubara Village in Qassim

Abstract

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is rich with many heritage sites that reflect the desert architectural and urban character that has been characterized throughout ages. This character represents one of the most important models to be a sample for sustainable development of the desert urban communities. The Saudi Commission of Tourism and National Heritage had exerted great efforts in restoring many villages in order to preserve this heritage. In return, heritage festivals held in these sites reflected welcoming interaction between inherent character and the local community. Because modernization crept to these communities in the last quarter of the twentieth century. It was the main reason for neglecting the original urban and architectural features that were suitable to the environment of those heritage villages. The research main goal is to study the investment and development of one of the heritage villages in Al-Qusaim, which reflects distinguished features of the desert architectural and urbanism of this region. The Saudi Commission of Tourism and National Heritage had finished the project of restoration and conservation of Al-Khubara village. This research represents a proposal for reuse and investment scenarios through evaluating the rehabilitation and economic feasibility of this village. The research methodology is based on a theoretical approach that involves the definitions of the heritage sites investment and reuse projects and their fundamentals, while the analytical and practical approach finds out the best functions that suit the nature of the village, in addition that choosing the best evaluation technique regarding economic feasibility. Finally, the applied methodology comes to help in the economic evaluation process of the project.