Jeddah, KSA – November 2023
As part of its efforts to honor the historical and cultural significance embodied by the Red Sea coastal region, the Ministry of Culture has chosen Naseej, a leading digital transformation solutions provider. Naseej will undertake a comprehensive project for the conservation, restoration, treatment, and preparation of the Red Sea Museum collections, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the museum’s historic pieces and artifacts.
The Saudi Ministry of Culture established the Red Sea Museum as part of the “Quality of Life Program”, one of Saudi Vision 2030 Programs. The Red Sea Museum, located in the historic Bab Al Bunt building in Jeddah, aims to narrate the tales of marine navigation, trade, geology, and cultural diversity related to the spiritual journey of Hajj and Umrah. It also seeks to highlight the cultural elements that have shaped the identity of Jeddah, Makkah, and Al-Madinah al-Munawwarah throughout history. The museum will exhibit a range of rare collections, manuscripts, photographs, and books. Additionally, it will showcase over 100 creative artworks and host four annual exhibitions. The museum’s educational programs will cater to community members of all age groups, fostering learning and engagement.
The project encompasses multiple stages, including the restoration, treatment, conservation, and storage of artifacts and pieces from the Red Sea Museum. It also involves the design, equipment, and preparation of the museum’s storage facilities, as well as the establishment of a Collections Restoration and Maintenance Lab. Furthermore, the museum’s items and artifacts have been prepared for exhibition, including the preparation of images and media. Additionally, a Collections Conservation and Comprehensive Support Lab has been established, along with the development of an Environmental Control and Pest Prevention Program. These comprehensive efforts seek to enhance conservation and maintenance standards, ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Red Sea Museum collections.
Naseej prides itself on implementing the project for Red Sea Museum collections located inside and outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in partnership with EXPM, the leading international company in this field, which has been delivering specialized collections conservation and restoration services for many years in the Arab region and across the world.
Commenting on this ambitious project, Mr. Othman Al-Abdulkarim – Naseej CEO − said: “Naseej is honored to have been chosen by the Ministry of Culture to implement the strategic Red Sea Museum project, which has a significant impact on the Saudi tourism sector and contribute to increasing the nation’s non-oil revenues. This aligns with the ambitious goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The project also highlights the Kingdom’s rich heritage. Therefore, at Naseej, we take pride in participating in this national endeavor to restore, preserve, and make the Kingdom’s heritage accessible to the world.”
—End–
About EXPM
With a mission to preserve and protect the world’s cultural heritage, EXPM is an international company with an impressive track record of delivering, over the years, specialized collections conservation and restoration services in the Arab region and across the world. EXPM is offers specialized engineering services, processes, and professional equipment for use in the areas of preservation and conservation of documents and other items for Archives, Libraries, and Museums, and to promote the use of resources and instruments that will make the process of preventive conservation more efficient in addition to providing installation, end-user training, and technical assistance.
Since 1989, Naseej has gained the trust of hundreds of well-known clients across the Cultural Sector, including the Ministry of Culture; Royal Commission for Al-Ula; King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture – Ithra; King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies; Louvre Abu Dhabi; Qatar Museums; King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives; and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashed Library.
Naseej is committed to achieving digital transformation across the Cultural Sector as well as empowering its customers, including Documents and Archives Centers; Museums; Libraries, and Cultural Centers, to manage their knowledge assets, streamline information, and empower end-users.
Top on the list of Naseej’s suite of Cultural Sector Solutions and Services are Collections Digital Transformation; Collection Inventory and Status Assessment Services; Collections Sterilization and Disinfection Services; Collections Restoration and Interventional Conservation Services; Collections Storage and Conservation Services; and Museum Furnishing and Collections Display Products.