Saudi Gazette report

THE clusters of mud houses dotting various parts of Saudi Arabia have stood the test of time for centuries before the arrival of concrete structures. However, these buildings remained largely deserted after the oil boom and the subsequent revolution in the construction industry.

With the influx of foreign workers to help rebuild the country in the aftermath of the oil discovery, accommodation became hard to find and many of these mud houses were rented out to the newly arrived workers. Soon they too abandoned these age-old structures for the comfort of modern, air-conditioned buildings, according to Al-Riyadh newspaper.

The mud houses were built on rock foundations, with the roofs made of wood, palm leaves and sand. Rainfall often affected these structures, causing their mud walls to collapse. A large number of these houses were left to ruin until some old people started taking care of them. Some of them renovated them for a rural escape where they can get away and relax.

Ushaigur, located in Shaqra governorate around 190 kilometers northwest of Riyadh, was one of the first towns whose mud houses were restored. It is probably the oldest heritage town in the country.

In 2005, the town welcomed its first group of tourists who were largely impressed by the mud houses.

When the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs saw the influx of tourists to the town, they decided to focus on all towns with old mud houses across the country and turn them into tourist attractions.

In 2011, the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage announced that it would rehabilitate and restore all mud houses across the country through partnership with the private sector. Government funds were allocated for this purpose while many businessmen supported the rehabilitation plan and donated money for the purpose.

The commission started its rehabilitation work in Riyadh focusing on towns on the outskirts of the city, including tourist and heritage sites such as Al-Masmak Palace, King Abdulaziz Historical Center, the National Museum, Wadi Hanifah and Saqr Al-Jazirah Museum.

The commission identified several locations with mud houses in Qassim, Unaizah, Dammam, Sakaka, Al-Baha, Madinah, Makkah, Farasan Island, Hofuf, Kharj, Qatif and other areas around the country.

The commission also gave financial assistance to families who owned old mud houses to turn them into tourist attractions and helped them earn decent income from the business. Many owners of the mud houses have turned them into small inns where tourists can enjoy their time while getting to know the Saudi culture first-hand. The inns offer traditional food and give owners a chance to showcase their handcrafted products to tourists. Most importantly, these projects created lucrative job opportunities for many Saudis.

Today, towns and governorates across the country compete with one another to attract the largest number of tourists. Many people have registered their heritage buildings with the commission to protect their rights as sole owners of the structures while some others have asked the commission to turn their houses into archeological sites and run them in way that reflects the lifestyle at a very important juncture in the Kingdom’s history.

Today, the old mud houses have been brought back to life and they started shining again, giving visitors a glimpse into the simple life people of the region led centuries ago.