A proposed lean project delivery process for preservation projects in jeddah city, Saudi Arabia

Preserving sites with historical significance, especially those with international recognition, helps protect the world's heritage. The historic centre of Jeddah City in Saudi Arabia encompasses a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site that contains about 400 historic buildings, many of which are in poor condition. Since the UNESCO recognition, attention towards the area increased significantly. Owners of historic properties in the World Heritage site area have shown interest in preservation, though the local market struggles to deliver preservation projects. This paper presents a proposed lean project delivery process for maintaining and preserving historic buildings in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia. This process allows the local market to deliver value to the owner and permitting agency, as it makes their expectations explicit. The paper presents a process map illustrating the proposed lean process for preserving historical buildings in Jeddah City. It leverages planning tools and the local legislature's statutes and standards. This paper presents an implementation of the statues to help move the market toward routine implementation of the Supreme Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) standards. Finally, the paper discusses challenges associated with implementing this process in Jeddah City.