Egis, the French construction engineering group, has said that it has been awarded a contract by the Saudi Ministry of Culture to turn the historic Bab Al Bunt heritage building in Jeddah into the Red Sea Museum.

In a statement, Egis said that as per the terms of the agreement, it will be the lead consultant for the design and construction management and supervision services.

The museum will include more than 100 ancient artifacts, books, manuscripts, rare collections, and pictures that demonstrate the history between the ancient residents of the Red Sea Coast and the rest of the world where the pilgrims from all over the world gathered.

The statement explained that the design responsibility encompasses the architectural design and scenography to ensure a harmonious design which would preserve the original look and feel of the building.

The Red Sea Museum is set to become part of the kingdom’s Quality of Life programme, which is a key part of the Saudi Vision 2030 for the development of the cultural heritage of the country on the international arena and to boost the cultural tourism market.

The initiative aims to embody Saudi Arabia’s newly developing art scene and cultural wealth by focusing on stories of maritime, navigation, geology, diversity and other cultural elements, the statement concluded.