Jeddah

Understand

thumb|300px|Traditional coral houses off Souq al-Alawi in al-Balad 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 off-limits to the mutawwa (religious police) and 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.

See

thumb|250px|King Fahd's Fountain, the tallest in the world.

Do

or Formula One and other motor races are hosted at the Ash Shati track, north of the city near the airport. The next F1 is 17-19 April 2026; at 6175 m it's the longest street race in the calendar.

Buy

There are a number of shopping malls in Jeddah.

Eat

Jeddah is full of restaurants with almost every cuisine imaginable and eating out is part of the city's culture. Some of 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.

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.

Drink

Like all Saudi Arabian cities, you aren't going to find much nightlife revolving around alcohol in Jeddah, as the manufacture, sale and consumption of alcohol are illegal throughout the kingdom. What you should be able to find are shisha cafes and a large variety of coffee shops such as: , , Starbucks and Costa Coffee. Non-alcoholic beer is available in restaurants as are non-alcoholic cocktails and other drinks. Alcoholic drinks are usually served in private compounds and beaches for Westerners, where Saudis are usually not allowed in.

Sleep

Outside Hajj season, hotels in Jeddah are generally cheaper than those in Riyadh. The usual international chains are well represented.

Stay safe

While Jeddah is not as conservative as Riyadh, it is recommended that you follow the various safety tips in Saudi Arabia article to stay out of trouble.

Perhaps the biggest danger you'll face is the extreme, scorching heat. Temperatures can reach as high as in the summers. Be sure to hydrate often and wear appropriate clothing to deal with the heat.

Connect

Most shopping malls have Internet cafes. Coffee places such as Costa Coffee, StarBucks Coffee, Barnies, Second Cup and many more provide WiFi access to customers.

Go next

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