Öz
The provision of potable water was one of the most pressing concerns of the Hijaz peninsula's cities. This issue, which has been significant since the Age of Ignorance, preserved its importance after the advent of Islam and evolved into public service over time. For ages, Muslim rulers were concerned about the lack of fresh water in Haramain, i.e., Mecca and Medina, and they invested there considerably. These investments have also benefited Jeddah, known as Mecca's gate. Even though the investments allowed the problem to be solved, the water scarcity was reiterated over time. The water shortage that pilgrims, troops, and city dwellers in Jeddah suffered at the turn of the twentieth century is discussed in this article. In this regard, Azmzāde Sādık al-Muayyad Bey's (1858-1910) initiatives will be examined in-depth, as will his struggle against the preventive efforts of local and regional actors confronted during this time. He was a significant diplomat throughout the Hamidian era and one of the project implementers in the field. In this research, the initiatives of a statesman from the ancien régime to solve a centuries-old problem will be studied. It makes sense to comprehend these attempts for at least two reasons. Firstly, it emphasizes that traditional water supply methods have not lost their popularity despite the increased usage of modern filtration and distillation technologies. Second, it provides a striking example of local actors' resistance levels in the first decade of the twentieth century. It would be beneficial to review the historical context of the city's water issue to understand the situation better.