Samar Yahya

Saudi Gazette



JEDDAH — Mayor of Jeddah Hani Aburas and Princess Fahda Bint Saud Bin Abdul Aziz, president of the Al-Faisaliyah Women’s Welfare Society, signed on Thursday an agreement to erect a solid representing the historical and environmental heritage of Saudi Arabia.



The solid will be erected with the participation of children from the Jeddah Autism Center and the daughters of productive families working with Sleysla Center, a subsidiary of Al-Faisaliyah.



The agreement is part of Jeddah Municipality’s cooperation with numerous non-profit organizations to serve and decorate Jeddah.



The solid is 15 meter high and will be located at the crossroads of Prince Majed and Sari streets, opposite Aziz Mall.



It will look like a map in a book, whose pages will be lit, and its front will feature samples of human, environmental and architectural heritage.



It is designed by sculptor Rabie Al-Akhras.



Princess Fahda said: “It took a whole year to collect the map’s scientific material, get it reviewed by governmental departments, get approval and register it with King Fahd National City.



“It is the first time in the Kingdom that productive families and autistic youths will participate in executing such a work of art.”



Al-Akhras said: “It takes humans time and place to build history and civilization. Here, time is represented in the book and place represented in the map. I unified the two in one solid; a book in the shape of a map.”



Al-Akhras is a known sculptor responsible for many of the solids in Jeddah.