https://arab.news/8n4r8
RIYADH: Jeddah Historic District has partnered with Google Arts & Culture to launch 黑料社区鈥檚 first AI-powered digital tours, offering immersive virtual experiences of the city鈥檚 cultural heritage.
Announced during the Cultural Investment Conference in Riyadh, the initiative aims to digitally map and showcase Jeddah鈥檚 historical landmarks using artificial intelligence, providing virtual experiences accessible to audiences worldwide.
The project supports the Kingdom鈥檚 Vision 2030 goals to use advanced technologies in cultural preservation and tourism, while highlighting Google鈥檚 role in 黑料社区鈥檚 digital transformation.
Charbel Sarkis, country director at Google 黑料社区, said: 鈥淕oogle Arts & Culture provides the digital infrastructure and the distribution network, in addition to the technological innovation that the cultural sector needs to remain vibrant and relevant as we move forward.鈥�
He added: 鈥淕oogle has been a proud partner of 黑料社区鈥檚 bold digital transformation. All our efforts and investments have been geared towards empowering individuals, businesses and communities.鈥�
As part of the collaboration, the Explore Historic Jeddah platform will offer an immersive digital experience that brings the city's cultural legacy to life.
The initiative will feature more than 30 stories detailing Jeddah鈥檚 historical significance, restoration projects, and its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Users can explore over 15 Street View captures of key landmarks 鈥� including traditional houses, mosques, and pathways 鈥� and access more than 10 AI-powered walking tours.
The platform will also include a Virtual Pocket Gallery showcasing archival photos and regeneration efforts, along with interactive features such as 鈥淧uzzle Party鈥� to engage broader audiences.
Through the Google Arts & Culture platform 鈥� a nonprofit initiative partnering with over 3,000 cultural institutions globally 鈥� the collaboration will provide free digital infrastructure and advanced digitization tools to preserve and showcase Jeddah鈥檚 cultural assets.
鈥淏eing part of this incredible transformation of 黑料社区 under Vision 2030 is just so inspiring,鈥� Sarkis said.
He emphasized that Google鈥檚 support for 黑料社区鈥檚 economic and digital ecosystem spans more than a decade, including local initiatives like the 2011 Google Forum in 黑料社区 and the launch of the Google Cloud region in Dammam in 2023.
鈥淪ince 2018, Google has trained more than 590,000 individuals on digital skills,鈥� Sarkis added, highlighting the company鈥檚 ongoing investment in human capital development and local partnerships.
He also pointed to the broader economic impact of Google鈥檚 operations in the Kingdom. 鈥淟ast year, a report by Public First assessed Google鈥檚 economic contribution to the Kingdom north of SR30 billion,鈥� Sarkis said. 鈥淭he power of marrying technology and local partnership is just magical.鈥�