Patrimonialisation as a catalyst for cultural tourism: a comparative analysis of three urban heritage districts in the Gulf

Patrimonialisation has emerged as a central paradigm within cultural heritage studies, providing a process-based framework for understanding heritage recognition beyond conservation. In recent years, the Gulf region has increasingly relied on patrimonialisation to regenerate deteriorating historic districts, as they suffered major neglect due to post-oil modernization. This process is characterized by the selective transformation of historic districts, whereby heritage assets are aesthetically curated to enhance their attractiveness for cultural tourism consumption. This study examines how patrimonialisation acts as a catalyst for cultural tourism in the Gulf region, transforming historic districts from remnants of the past into tourism-oriented urban heritage districts. The study adopts a qualitative case-study approach, examining the urban historic districts of Jeddah, Dubai, and Doha. The methodological design integrates a comprehensive literature review, document analysis, and examination of stakeholder-driven promotional strategies to investigate the historical evolution of the historic districts, the challenges associated with post-oil modernization, the characteristics of the existing built environment, and their alignment with emerging tourism-oriented transformation. Data is analysed through the five-dimensional patrimonialisation framework that includes selection, justification, conservation, exposition and valorisation. The analysis reveals that patrimonialisation, which frames heritage as a dynamic process rather than a static one, when explored through the lens of cultural tourism, allows for the identification of the shifting trajectory of the urban historic districts. Findings reveal the prominent dimensions in each case that selectively construct tourism-oriented heritage districts to align with the rapidly transforming urban fabric of the Gulf region. By embedding these findings in the five dimensions of patrimonialisation, the study highlights the process-oriented understanding of how tourism-oriented urban heritage districts in the region grapple with the need for heritage preservation on one end and the quest for urban development on the other.