Jeddah, also spelled Jiddah) is on the Red Sea in western Saudi Arabia. It is the second largest city, with a population of approximately 3,400,000, and a major commercial center in the country.

 

Jeddah is a huge city that sprawls along the coast of the Red Sea, connected together by the Corniche, a seaside avenue full of bizarre sculptures and nearly 30 km long. The old city or al-Balad, on the southern side of modern Jeddah, is a crumbling but fascinating warren of multi-story houses made from coral. The main thoroughfare Medina Road starts from the northern side of al-Balad and runs all the way to the city.

 

Jeddah has been a port and trading city for centuries, which is reflected in its cosmopolitan mix of inhabitants. Today, it is a major commercial center in Saudi Arabia. It also has many government offices. Jeddah is known in the kingdom for its shopping districts, restaurants and cafes. It also hosts the Jeddah Corniche (waterfront area), which is the largest in the Kingdom with a great bunch of hotels, beaches and resorts clustered around it. To the north of the city, a string of beach resort compounds are known as party spots where many of the social mores of the rest of the country are flouted, especially by rich, liberal families from Jeddah.

Jeddah is also the main entry point, either by air or sea, for pilgrims making the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, the two sacred cities of Islam. Both are a few hours inland from Jeddah.

 

Jeddah's top sight is al-Balad, or the old town. The city wall has long since been torn down, but the old gates still mark where it once stood. Within you'll find a warren of ancient buildings and traditional souqs (markets), and the teetering, multistory coral houses that Jeddah is famous for. Unfortunately, coral is not a very durable building material, and most of the buildings are in disrepair. Spend time wandering around the old city and get lost in the seemingly endless souks. You will find yourself in another world and entirely 'in' the world, surrounded by people form all over the arab world, Asia and Africa. Here you will see many forms of dress that are colorful as well as the traditional black. Many of the shops and stores are cut into the sides of buildings and offer stacks of colorful clothing.

 

The Jeddah Corniche offers spectacular views of the Red Sea. Check out the main shopping street on Tahliya for interesting wares, and if you're looking for good quality gold, try the Gold Souq where you can bargain for 18k and 24k gold by weight. The King Fahd Fountain is not only the tallest water fountain in Jeddah, but also the world.

 

Scuba diving is a major draw for expats in the Kingdom, although the Saudis themselves seem oblivious to the treasures that await offshore.

Because of Jeddah's location on the Red Sea, the flora and fauna are quite similar to what you'd see on Egypt's Red Sea Coast or off the Sinai Peninsula, only minus all the tourists.

Visibility can be spectacular (30-40m is common) and the corals are virtually untouched. There are plenty of interesting sites to explore like the Chicken Wreck, a boat carrying tons of frozen chicken that hit the reef and sunk at a depth of 10-18m. Most of the better dive sites are around one hour out to sea by speed boat.

 

• When the blazing Saudi Arabian sun becomes too much for you to handle, try checking out the water park at Sail Island. The park was built on artificial peninsula and is covered by several sail-like tents, which offer shade while you enjoy the pool and recreation facilities. A great spot for children.

Jeddah is full of restaurants with almost every cuisine imaginable and eating out is part of the city's culture. All the restaurants have separate sections for single men and for families. Dating is theoretically forbidden but widely practiced, and most restaurants will allow a couple into the family section without question. All businesses close for prayer for about half an hour at noon and at sunset. They close again an hour after sunset for about 45 minutes. If you like to eat early, you can often stay in a restaurant during prayer time. Saudis tend to eat late, well after the evening prayer. To eat and have fun, Vertigo Cafe and Grille is one of the best American-Italian restaurants in Jeddah. They also serve shisha, and they have a very nice music. A top class restaurant.

The standard cheap meal is the shawarma - giant layers of beef or chicken turning on a vertical spit. Thin slices are cut off and served with vegetables, garlic, and sauce in pita bread. You can also find a few falafel shops or eat at boofias (cornershops). Another thing that is very cheap is Homus, which is the paste of white chickpeas mixed with olive oil, and is very tasty. Try the Filipino Souk near Saudia City. Ask for the Pakistani area Kababish. There's a group of shops and restaurants with very low prices. Most of the American Fast Food franchises can be found in Jeddah, including McDonald's, Applebee's, Subway, and numerous others.

 

Like all Saudi Arabian cities, you aren't going to find much nightlife revolving around alcohol in Jeddah, since Saudi Arabia is a Muslim country. What you should be able to find are shisha cafes and a large variety of coffeeshops such as: Java Lounge, Vertigo, Starbucks, Mugs & Beans, Costa Coffee and Second Cup. Non-alcoholic beer is available in restaurants as are non-alcoholic cocktails and other drinks.

 

While not as strict as Riyadh, Jeddah still falls under Islamic law. Read, understand, and follow the guidelines in the Saudi Arabia article to stay out of trouble.

Local women normally wear a hijab (headscarf) and abaya (long black overgarment) to cover their heads and entire bodies. Abayas are also required for Western women, however, this is not strictly enforced.

While you may be able to find alcohol at private parties, it is still forbidden in Saudi Arabia. Corporal punishment for Westerners is rare, but it has happened on occasion.